The Drifter wins Game of the Year at Australian Game Developer Awards 2025

Powerhoof’s The Drifter took home Game of the Year at the Australian Game Developer Awards 2025, as well as Excellence in Art, Excellence in Narrative, and Excellence in Sound Design.

The point-and-click adventure game was described by one judge as “a title that oozes polish from every pore, it expands the possibilities of the genre while delivering an experience that captures the essence of Australian-made excellence.”

Witch Beam’s puzzle title Tempopo received two awards in the Excellence in Music and Excellence in Accessibility categories, while Cult of the Lamb developer Massive Monster won Studio of the Year.

Epic Games director of ANZ & SEA regions Antony Reed won the Adam Lancman Award, which rewards excellence in the industry, for his advocacy within the Australian games development sector.

Adelaide-based developer Aiden Gyory was awarded the Rising Star Award for his dedication to supporting growth in the local game development community, but also running game development training courses with schools and universities.”

Gyory is the founder of Catalyst Games, and was also community manager for collaborative workspace Game Plus.

Other winners included Luke Muscat’s Feed the Deep, Spoonful of Wonder’s Copycat, and Cain Maddox’s Proximate.

“This year’s winners and finalists demonstrate the creativity and diversity radiating from Australia’s games industry,” said Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) CEO Ron Curry.

“With unique submissions across every category, our panel of judges had the difficult task of narrowing the field down to three finalists and ultimately selecting winners.”

Curry continued: “Australian studios continue to develop games that exceed expectations. The AGDAs celebrate this creativity and determination, whilst highlighting the unique stories that our community brings to gaming.

“Support from federal and state governments is providing opportunities for Australian developers to produce innovative experiences enjoyed by gamers worldwide.”

Here’s the full list of winners for the Australian Game Developer Awards 2025:

• Game of the Year: The Drifter (Powerhoof)
• Excellence in Art: The Drifter
• Excellence in Gameplay: Mars First Logistics (Shape Shop)
• Excellence in Narrative: The Drifter
• Excellence in Sound Design: The Drifter
• Excellence in Music: Tempopo (Witch Beam)
• Excellence in Accessibility: Tempopo
• Excellence in Mobile: Feed the Deep (Luke Muscat)
• Excellence in Extended Reality: Shattered (PlaySide Studios and Meta)
• Excellence in Impact: Copycat (Spoonful of Wonder)
• Excellence in Debut: Proximate (Cain Maddox)
• Excellence in Ongoing: Risk: Global Domination (SMG Studio)
• The Rising Star: Aiden Gyory
• The Adam Lancman Award: Antony Reed
• Studio of the Year: Massive Monster