After counting over 43.8 million player votes, the winners of the 2025 Steam Awards have been disclosed. In each category, the Steam users determined the outcome, thus making these winners an unmistakable indication of the players’ preferences in the year. While a few results matched the expectation, the rest took a considerable portion of the community by surprise.
All The Winners of the 2025 Steam Awards
Game of the Year:Â Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong has won the Game of the Year awards, not only ousting ARC Raiders, Dispatch, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 but also pushing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 aside in the process. It was voted by the customers as the best overall experience on Steam for the year 2025.
The title of Best Game You Suck At was also given to the game, which is a basic sign to the fact that, despite the game being really hard, it did not scare off players. Actually, it was one of the reasons for its popularity, so the challenge was the community’s strong respect.
VR Game of the Year: The Midnight Walk
The Midnight Walk is the winner of the VR Game of the Year award. Besides this, it was the only one among the VR nominees that got the highest score in the final voting. Therefore, this victory proves that the players still desire immersive VR experiences as long as the game play and the atmosphere are exceptional and perfect together.
Labor of Love Award: Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 has been the recipient of the Labor of Love Award. The game, although initially released in 2023, was still very much alive in 2025 due to the constant updates and the supporting community. Players have shown their gratitude for the developers’ long-term care, which demonstrates that post-launch commitment is still the key factor in Steam revenues.
Best Game on Steam Deck: Hades 2
Hades 2 has been declared the Best Game on Steam Deck. Players considered it the top experience for handheld gaming on Steam and also highlighted the excellent performance of the game on the platform. The strong reception and high ratings throughout the year 2025 have played a significant role in winning the award.
Better With Friends: PEAK
PEAK got the award for being the best with friends. The focus of this category is on shared play and social fun; so, according to the players, PEAK delivered the strongest cooperative experience during the whole year.
Outstanding Visual Style: Silent Hill f
The fantastic visual style award went to Silent Hill f. The players pointed out the strong art direction and visual identity. Also, it was one of the few winners in 2025, being a traditional AAA-style game.
Most Innovative Gameplay: ARC Raiders
ARC Raiders won the Most Innovative Gameplay award. The game had a very good commercial performance during the holiday season as well. According to the players, it was the most creative gameplay experience among the nominated ones.
Best Game You Suck At: Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong was the winner in this category too. The award is for tough but rewarding games. Players accepted the difficulty and yet voted it as a game they loved playing even after several failures.
Best Soundtrack: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 received the award for Best Soundtrack. Its music was highly appreciated by the players, even though the game was not awarded the title of Game of the Year. The music in the game was one of the main factors that contributed to the emotional impact of the game.
Outstanding Story-Rich Game: Dispatch
Dispatch was the recipient of the Outstanding Story-Rich Game Award. It was voted by the players as the best narrative-focused experience on Steam in 2025, putting it ahead of various big-name titles.
Sit Back and Relax: RV There Yet?
RV There Yet? was awarded the Sit Back and Relax Award. This category is meant to showcase calming and non-stressful gameplay. The players picked it as their favorite game for this purpose during the year.
The 2025 Steam Awards are a clear reflection of the players’ choices. The indie and mid-sized games were the winners in most categories, while difficulty, creativity, music, and long-term support were the main factors influencing players’ voting. The results provide a definitive view of what aspects were most valued by the Steam community in 2026.
