Mixtape has been awarded Game of the Year at the 2025 SXSW Sydney Games Showcase Awards
The narrative-driven game Mixtape by Beethoven & Dinosaur achieved the Game of the Year title during the SXSW Sydney 2025: Games Showcase Awards. The event, which occurred during the weekend alongside the SXSW Screen Awards, presented six honors to both national and international gaming studios.
Letters to Arralla, a charming puzzle role-playing game by Little Pink Cloud, received the Discovery Award. Meanwhile, Studio Pixel Punk secured the WINGS Award for their action-packed RPG Abyss x Zero. The Best International Award was clinched by the Los Angeles-based Nice Dream for their sci-fi narrative adventure Goodnight Universe. Additionally, Tasty Gold's Abberrate Inc. was recognized as the Best Student Game.
SXSW emphasized the diversity and inventiveness of the gaming industry with a statement: "This year’s showcase brought together bold, brilliant, and boundary-pushing titles from across the globe, showcasing the creativity and innovation shaping the future of play. From emerging indie studios to global trailblazers, the Games Awards celebrate the very best in gaming."
Hosted at the ICC Sydney convention center, the Games Festival formed part of SXSW Sydney 2025, featuring a curated lineup of game demonstrations and presentations. The festival exhibited 120 games, drawn from 37 countries, in addition to entries from six Australian states and territories.
Below is the complete list of winners:
- Game of the Year: Mixtape (Beethoven & Dinosaur)
- Best International winner: Goodnight Universe (Nice Dream)
- Discovery Award winner: Letters to Arralla (Little Pink Clouds)
- WINGS Award winner: Abyss x Zero (Studio Pixel Punk)
- Best Student Game: Abberrate Inc. (Tasty Gold)
- The Best Tabletop Game Award: Potion Society (The Murmuring Mystic)