The only normal genre-based game award here and it is as it says.
2025 is a good year for racing games, and it’s back as a category of awards. That said, not all of the expected racing game released came out good, a few disappointments to be sure.
As the team have yet to get their hands on a Switch 2, the category lacks a certain kart racer, but its close rival is here. And among the indie racers and one sole motorsport racing game is a dark horse.
Past Winners: The Crew Motorfest (2023), Need For Speed Unbound (2022), Hot Wheels Unleashed (2021), Hotshot Racing (2020), Need For Speed Heat (2019), Forza Horizon 4 (2018)
Best Racing Nominees
- JDM: Japanese Drift Masters
- NASCAR 25
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
- Tokyo Xtreme Racer (2025)
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby
How The Winner Is Decided (Deliberations Summary)
Every game in the nominees list makes their case clear. JDM: Japanese Drift Masters is a top effort from a small team, with good driving physics and just enough licensed cars to give it some air of legitimacy. It is legit good.
Meanwhile, NASCAR 25’s biggest draw is the Career Mode. For those long for the days of Dirt To Daytona, stock car race fans get to experience what it’s like to start from humble beginnings and work their way up to race with the top dogs spanning four different tiers of championships. Wild that it’s been decades since one of these turned up.
Sonic Racing: Crossworlds isn’t just an honorary kart racer entry here, by no means. Its wild loadout system and the chaotic balance makes races mostly unpredictable but not in a frustrating way. Add the fascinating cast of guest characters and it’s one of most fun racing games of the year.
Tokyo Xtreme Racer (2025) shows that the old dog’s still got it. Its style of racing is innovative today while also being two decades old. The cult hit revival is just as fun today than back when it was new, which may or may not be scathing commentary on the state of racing games.
And to address the horse in the room. Is Umamusume: Pretty Derby a racing game? By accounts, yes. It features a racing presentation that’s on par if not better than any motorsport racing game has. There’s elements in strategy though by ways of deckbuilding and picking the right training regime for your chosen trainer. But most importantly, the thrill of a racing game is there. It’s more of a Motorsport Manager, and plays mostly like a visual novel, but how does a visual novel roguelike deckbuilder makes racing look cooler than any other racing games have done before?
Best Racing Game Winner
Congratulations to Umammusume: Pretty Derby for winning Best Racing Game! It goes to show it’s not about how many horsepower you have, but how you use it. And through the power of one horse power (well, a growing list of horse girls) this game takes one of more serious, coveted awards.
Check out the Gamer Malaya and Gamer Matters Game Of The Year Awards 2025 hub for full list of awards.