The indie awards just hit different this year.
Winners Dropping Now: The 2025 Vanguard Has Arrived
The wait is officially over. The 2025 Philly PI Indie Vanguard Awards are live, spotlighting the developers who brought absolute heat and left the corporate giants in the dust. We aren’t here for “representation” quotas or hand-holding tutorials—we’re here for the devs who delivered raw, unapologetic excellence.
Full reveal locked: December 24, 2025. Scroll down for the complete list of champions, plus our brand-new Most Anticipated category that is already setting the community on fire.
2024’s Champs Set the Bar
Last year, Manor Lords and the squad absolutely bodied it, proving that a singular vision beats a bloated budget every single time. They set the gold standard for historical grit and mechanical depth. But 2025 didn’t just meet that bar—it cleared it. This year’s winners swung for the fences, and the results are legendary.
The 2025 Vanguard Winners
These games didn’t just release; they earned their crowns. With razor-sharp design, endless replay value, and vibes that hit like a heavyweight, here are the titles that defined 2025.
| Category | 2024 Winner | 2025 Winner | Why It Dominates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Game of the Year | Manor Lords | Kingdom Come II | Warhorse Studios delivered the ultimate medieval simulation. Henry’s 2025 return is a masterclass in historical grit, player agency, and brutal realism—proving that a dedicated vision for authenticity beats modern sanitization every time. |
| Best World-Building & Lore | SKALD: Against the Black Priory | The Roottrees Are Dead | The Roottrees Are Dead drops you into a corporate conspiracy so layered and connected, every revelation feels earned and massive. |
| The ‘Heart of the Game’ Award | Pacific Drive | Sorry We’re Closed | Sorry We’re Closed blends survival horror with emotional gut punches—real character arcs and moments that linger long after you quit. |
| Excellence in Mechanical Purity | Balatro | BallxPit | BallxPit takes simple physics and spins it into deep, chaotic strategy. No bloat, just nonstop skill checks. |
| Best Solo Dev/Small Team Project | Manor Lords | #DRIVE Rally | Developed by a tight-knit team at Pixel Perfect Duo, this 2025 standout rejects the “sim-bloat” of modern racers. It’s a raw, high-speed throwback to 90s rallying that prioritizes personality and mechanical grit over corporate polish. |
| Best Visual Flair (Art & Animation) | Animal Well | Peak | Peak delivers hand-crafted visuals that pop—bold palettes, smooth animation, and a style that’s instantly iconic. |
| Rhythm & Resonance (Best Audio Design) | Pacific Drive | Rift of the NecroDancer | Rift of the NecroDancer’s beats and sound design lock in perfect sync, making every rhythm feel alive and immersive. |
| Best Ongoing/Live Project | Sons of The Forest | No Man’s Sky | No Man’s Sky stays winning with constant massive updates and boundless exploration—still the gold standard for live games. |
| Most Anticipated | N/A | Little Red | Little Red |
2025’s Medieval Masterpiece: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II didn’t just release in 2025—it conquered the RPG landscape through sheer, unyielding authenticity.
While other titles play with abstract puzzles, Henry of Skalitz returns to provide the ultimate “immersion-burn” experience. You aren’t just playing a character; you are surviving the brutal, beautiful reality of 15th-century Bohemia. From the clank of authentic plate armor to the visceral, weight-driven combat, every decision feels heavy with consequence.
Why It Claims the Crown:
- True Historical Craftsmanship: Built on a foundation of rigorous research and manual artistry, the world of Kuttenberg feels lived-in and tactile.
- Uncompromising Realism: There are no magical shortcuts or procedural filler here—just a massive, handcrafted epic that respects the player’s intelligence.
- The Ultimate Underdog Story: It’s a sweeping tale of revenge and political intrigue that stays grounded in human emotion rather than fantasy tropes.
With its “no-compromise” approach to simulation and a focus on high-fidelity world-building, Kingdom Come II is the definitive benchmark for the modern open-world RPG. It is a triumph of human-led design and the undisputed peak of historical storytelling.
Most Anticipated: Little Red
Winner: Little Red While 2025 gave us masterpieces, the “Vanguard Watch” is officially locked on Little Red. Megalith Games is taking the Zelda open-air philosophy and dragging it into a dark, unforgiving forest. It’s the dark Action-Adventure RPG we’ve been waiting for—zero compromise, high stakes, and a world that actually feels dangerous to inhabit.
Final Thoughts
2025 was a monster year for the indie scene, and these winners show exactly why: tight mechanics, bold ideas, and zero corporate fluff. Blue Prince leading the pack feels right—it’s the kind of game that reminds you why we fell in love with this scene in the first place.
