Smilegate's global gaming platform Stove announced on Tuesday the winners of the indie game awards ceremony, the 2025 Stove Indie Awards.

The 2025 Stove Indie Awards were set up to spotlight games and creators that, among titles released in early access or formally launched through Stove Indie over the past year, delivered meaningful results for the platform and users.

The top prize, Game of the Year, went to 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33', which swept the world in 2025. 'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33' received high marks for its well-crafted world and narrative, as well as the overall play experience, and established itself as a representative title for Stove Indie. It also made the Top 10 list, reaffirming its presence as a title consistently chosen by users over the year.

The Top 10 included Smilegate-published titles 'Storm's Maid' and 'Alleyway: Gwihon', as well as 'Artis Impact', which drew attention for its deep narrative and distinctive visuals despite being developed by a single person. Other selected titles that won broad user support included 'Contract X Romance', 'French Connection', 'Platina Lab' and 'Solitude Broadcast'. The open-world RPG 'Drobva - Forsaken Kin' and the action-adventure 'Eternal Strand' also made the Top 10 after earning recognition for genre completeness and play experience.

In the user-voted categories, each title's individuality and strengths stood out more clearly. 'Love, Please Stir Me a Cup!' won the 'Heart-Pounding Subculture' award, given to games that present an appealing world and sensibility. Three translators who took part in translating 'Drobva - Forsaken Kin' were selected for 'Best Localizer', recognising the value of high-quality Korean localisation across the overall game experience. 'Hospital x Life' won Best Alliance for steadily communicating with users and growing together starting with Indie Boost Lab, while 'Solitude Broadcast', which became a talking point through active exchanges with creators, won the Creator Spotlight award.