GEM Awards 2025 unveils nominees for gaming

AnimationXpress’ highly anticipated GEM (Gaming, Esports, and Metaverse) Awards is set to take place on 28 February 2025 at The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru, from 6 to 8 pm. Launched by AnimationXpress, the awards celebrate excellence in game development, competitive esports, emerging technologies, and Web3 innovations, including NFTs and the metaverse.

This year, AnimationXpress received an overwhelming number of entries for the Gaming and Metaverse segments, with a select few outstanding submissions making it to the final nominations, as determined by an expert panel of judges.

The awards ceremony will be hosted as part of Bengaluru GAFX, India’s premier annual conference for the animation, VFX, and gaming industries, supported by the Government of Karnataka.

The gaming, esports and metaverse awards jury consisted an esteemed panel of industry experts:

Anil NM Wanvari | founder, chairman & editor-in-chief, AnimationXpress
Arun Rao | senior vice-president, Havas Play
Biren Ghose | managing director Asia Pacific, Technicolor Group | president – ABAI | chairman – Bengaluru GAFX
Bruce Lin | NB marketing manager, MSI India
C B Arun Kumar | dean – design, film, gaming, Pearl Academy
Christopher Stair | co-founder & game director, Squid Shock Studios
Mike Fischer | professor of interactive media, University of Southern California
Rajat Ojha | CEO, Gamitronics
RK Chand | executive director – The Mill, Technicolor Group India | secretary, ABAI
Siddharth Nayyar | co-founder and CRO, Max Level
Supriya Mankame | deputy general manager, Gigabyte Technology India
Tushar Handa | associate vice-president – creative, culture & platform strategy, Publicis Play
Vishal Parekh | COO, CyberPowerPC India
Vishvesh Mishra | national product marketing manager (India), DeepCool

Here’s a full list of nominations in all the gaming and metaverse categories:

Best Casual Game:

• Bloom – A Puzzle Adventure by Lucid Labs
• Air Assault Gunship Helicopter by Gamebee Studio
• Temple of Causality by GameEon Studios 
• Darkarta: A Broken Heart’s Quest by Tuttifrutti Interactive
• Gravity Shooter by Smash Head Studio

Best Hyper Casual Game:

• Military Academy 3D by Street Lamp Games 
• TRB Cricket Carnival by Nilee Games and Future Technologies 
• Wobble Gobble by Backstage Pass Institute of Gaming and Technology
• Jungle Book Snake and Ladder by Powerkids Entertainment (Singapore)

Best Midcore Game:

• Artifice: War Tactics by Silvine Game Studios
• Twin Flames by Rudrac Games
• Aum – The Game by Brahman Game Studios
• The Dark Arrival – Shadows of the Past by Vault Productions 

Best Hardcore Game:

• Battle Of Jhansi by AbracaDabra Software Solutions 
• Luminous Quest by Chandigarh university
• Tea Garden Simulator by Flying Robot Studios
• 1971: Indian Naval Front by Neosphere Interactive Studios

Best Console Game:

• Kamla by MadMantra
• Tanhaji The Maratha Warrior by AbracaDabra Software Solutions.
• Luminous Quest by Chandigarh university
• Temple of Causality by GameEon Studios 
• Darkarta: A Broken Heart’s Quest by Tuttifrutti Interactive

Best Mobile Game:

• Bloom – A Puzzle Adventure by Lucid Labs
• Aum – The Game by Brahman Game Studios
• Timmy’s Toy Rushhh by Nilee Games and Future Technologies 
• Wooble Gobble by Backstage Pass Institute of Gaming and Technology
• BlindSilence by LooneyDog Production
• Ludo Supreme by Zupee
• Indus Battle Royale by SuperGaming

Best Student Game:

• Cognac Metaverse by Aditya Gaurav
• Sky Run by Shreniek Mankar
• Gaming Assets by Om Algundagi
• Heads Off! by Rajath Biju/ Hurshwardhan Nashine/ Prathamesh Gandhi
• Luminous Quest by A Prakash
• 3D Game Asset by Maya Academy of Advanced Creativity
• Chaos Reborn by Tejas

Best Gaming Promo:

• Battle Of Jhansi by AbracaDabra Software Solutions
• Darkarta: A Broken Heart’s Quest by Tuttifrutti Interactive
• The Dark Arrival – Shadows of the Past by Vault Productions 
• Unsung Empires: The Cholas I by Ayelet Studio
• Witchbound by Creative Canvas Games
• Jungle Book Snake and Ladder Game by Powerkids Entertainment (Singapore)

Most Anticipated Game:

• Winds of Arcana: Ruination by Brewed Games 
• Lancelot by Zombiefox Studios
• Palm Sugar: A Village Story by Mono Tusk Studios
• Cosmic Race: Galactic Showdown by Psypher Games LLP
• Unsung Empires: The Cholas II by Ayelet Studio
• Kapih by 88 Games

Some more exciting categories in the gaming segment are: 

• Best Game Producer 
• Best PC Game
• Best Game Direction
• Best Art Direction
• Best Game Score/Music  
• Best Audio Design 
• Games for Impact 
• Best Ongoing Game 
• Game Studio of the Year
• Best Indie Studio of the Year

Below are the categories in the Metaverse segment:

• Metaverse Developer of the Year 
• NFT Creator of the Year.

AnimationXpress welcomes everyone to join GEM Awards 2025 to celebrate the milestones and achievements of the gaming and esports industry. All those who wish to attend the awards ceremony can click here to register.