In a video game year dominated by dark, bloody fantasy adventures – and continued job losses and studio closures – it was a cute robot that stole the night at the 2025 Bafta video game awards. Sony’s family-friendly platformer Astro Bot won in five categories at yesterday evening’s ceremony, including best game and game design.
The rest of the awards were evenly spread across a range of Triple A and independent titles. Oil rig thriller Still Wakes the Deep was the next biggest winner with three awards: new intellectual property, performer in a leading role and performer in a supporting role. Clearly actors looking for Bafta-winning roles need look no further than the North Sea. The only other multiple winner was online shooter Helldivers 2, which won in multiplayer and music. The night’s most nominated title, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, was victorious in just the one category: technical achievement.
Elsewhere, the British game award was taken by perhaps the most British game ever made, the Yorkshire-based adventure Thank Goodness You’re Here. Smash-hit card puzzler Balatro may have won only a single award – debut game – but it was surely also victorious in the non-existent best acceptance speech of the night category, thanks to actor Ben Starr’s appearance in full jester make-up and three-pronged hat.
There were a couple of surprise triumphs. Hardcore role-playing adventure Metaphor: ReFantazio won in the highly competitive narrative category, while sumptuous side-scrolling platformer Neva claimed artistic achievement and Vampire Survivors swooped in for Evolving game. The game beyond entertainment award went to Tales of Kenzera: Zau, a magical adventure inspired by the death of creative lead Abubakar Salim’s father and based on Bantu mythologies.
Finally, the Bafta fellowship was awarded to legendary soundtrack composer Yoko Shimomura, who has scored games such as Street Fighter II, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy XV. “Music has always been there with me, when things were sad or when I was filled with anger, shifting my mood from negative to positive,” she said in her acceptance speech. “I’ve sometimes felt I have no talent for music, when I’ve been unable to write or play in the way I wanted. But now I am working in my dream job, writing music for the games I love.”
The full list of Bafta games awards winners
Animation Astro Bot
Artistic achievement Neva
Audio achievement Astro Bot
Best game Astro Bot
British game Thank Goodness You’re Here
Debut game Balatro
Evolving game Vampire Survivors
Family Astro Bot
Game beyond entertainment Tales of Kenzera: Zau
after newsletter promotion
Game design Astro Bot
Multiplayer Helldivers 2
Music Helldivers 2
Narrative Metaphor: ReFantazio
New intellectual property Still Wakes the Deep
Performer in a leading role Alec Newman, Caz McLeary in Still Wakes the Deep
Performer in a supporting role Karen Dunbar, Finlay in Still Wakes the Deep
Technical achievement Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
Bafta fellowship Yoko Shimomura
