Summary
During the first night ofGamescom LATAM 2025, video game fans celebrated the winners of the BIG Festival, with the 2D action-platformerNine Solswinning Game of the Year.Gamescom LATAMwill run until May 4 in São Paulo, Brazil, celebrating Latin America’s most beloved developers and shining a light on the many titles coming out of the region.
Beginning on April 30, the 2025 edition of the popular gaming event has been filled with guest appearances and special events, withGamescom LATAM 2025 partnering with The Pokemon Companyto offer guests exclusive merchandise, community-driven activities, specialPokemon GOon-site AR missions, and more. Steam is also making its first appearance at the event, offering guidance for new developers, while Xbox is also showcasing a number of diverse indie titles. The first award ceremony took place on the night of April 30, with both well-known titles and lesser-known games finding success with fans and judges alike.
While more award announcements will follow on May 4, the first round offinalists at Gamescom LATAM 2025took to the stage on the evening of April 30.Nine Sols, a story-rich, hand-drawn 2D action-platformer inspired bySekiro, took the top prize, with developer Red Candle Games taking home the R$5,000 prize. The Devolver Digital-publishedNevawas awarded Best Narrative, while the best Brazilian Game was given toMullet Madjack, with the developers thanking their fans for their continued support.Grizzly Mantook the prize for the Best Latin American game, whileSol Cesto, a unique tactical roguelike title developed by Geraud Zucchini & Chariospirales, was given the Innovation Award.
Gamescom LATAM 2025 BIG Festival Winners
Notably, the award for Best Gameplay went to the popular Metroidvania gameAnimal Well, created by the solo developer Billy Basso. In January,BalatrocreatorLocalThunk namedAnimal Wellhis 2024 Game of the Yearpick, humorously awarding the title with the “Golden Thunk” award and complimenting the game’s style, calling it a “true masterpiece.” The title tasks players with controlling a blob as they explore an animal-filled labyrinth while solving puzzles and discovering countless secrets.
Gamescom continues to growand find success, with the 2024 event attracting over 335,000 attendees and the first-ever Gamescom LATAM in 2024 attracting over 100,000 visitors. Gamescom 2025 will take place from August 20-24 in Cologne, Germany, and will kick off with Gamescom Opening Night Live on August 19. This year’s event will also see the start ofThe Witcher in Concerttour, which will celebrate the 10th anniversary ofThe Witcher 3and travel to many cities around the world.
