Eight Victorian developers and studios have been recognised at this year’s Australian Game Developer Awards, proving Victoria is the games industry capital of Australia.
The Awards, which are held during Melbourne International Games Week each year, celebrate the best of Australia’s video game development industry.
Melbourne-based studio Powerhoof won Game of the Year for its adventure title The Drifter, which also won awards for Excellence in Narrative, Visual Art and Sound Design.
Of the 15 awards categories, 10 were won by Victorians, including Excellence in Gameplay (Shape Shop for Mars First Logistics); Excellence in Extended Reality (PlaySide Studios and Meta for Shattered); Excellence in Impact (Spoonful of Wonder for Copycat) and Excellence in Debut (Cain Maddox for PROXIMATE).
Melbourne’s Antony Reed won The Adam Lacman Award, which honours an individual or individuals who have helped the video game industry advance.
Victorian indie developer Massive Monster – the team behind the 2022 hit Cult of the Lamb – was the winner of this year’s Studio of The Year Award.
The Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs) are a national event celebrating outstanding games and individual achievements by the Australian game development community.
Since 2020, the AGDAs have been run by the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA), the peak industry association representing the voices of Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and video games industry.
Melbourne International Games Week, which is backed by the Victorian Government and delivered by Creative Victoria, brings together local and international games industry leaders, developers, publishers, educators, studios and businesses, alongside events for the public.
This year, MIGW includes the epic games expo PAX Aus; industry event GCAP (Games Connect Asia Pacific); game audio conference, High Score; the free, family friendly Big Games Night Out and much more.
Full list of the AGDAs 2025 winners below:
- Game of the Year: The Drifter by Powerhoof (VIC)
- Excellence in Art: The Drifter by Powerhoof (VIC)
- Excellence in Gameplay: Mars First Logistics by Shape Shop (VIC)
- Excellence in Narrative: The Drifter by Powerhoof (VIC)
- Excellence in Sound Design: The Drifter by Powerhoof (VIC)
- Excellence in Music: Tempopo by Witch Beam (QLD)
- Excellence in Accessibility: Tempopo by Witch Beam (QLD)
- Excellence in Mobile: Feed the Deep by Luke Muscat (QLD)
- Excellence in Extended Reality: Shattered by PlaySide Studios and Meta (VIC)
- Excellence in Impact: Copycat by Spoonful of Wonder (VIC)
- Excellence in Debut: PROXIMATE by Cain Maddox (VIC)
- Excellence in ongoing: RISK: Global Domination by SMG Studio (NSW)
- The Rising Star: Aiden Gyory (ACT)
- The Adam Lancman: Antony Reed (VIC)
- Studio of the Year: Massive Monster (VIC)