The 2025 Steam Awards nominations are now open, allowing PC gamers to pick the very best titles they've got their hands on this year. As these awards are based entirely on the votes given by fans and Steam users, we often see a strong consensus on the overall games of the year in the 11 categories.
The competition is tough in 2025, as we know, and so it might be tough to pick your nominations, but Steam does suggest some popular games each time you open up a category. So, if you've not spent much time gaming on your PC this year you don't need to worry about only picking from games in your library.
For most categories, Steam only lets you pick titles released this year, but the Labour of Love award works a little differently. You'll be able to pick pretty much any game so long as it was released before last year's autumn sale, with the exception of games that have won the award before.
Nominations will officially be unveiled at the Steam Winter Sale, when voting will begin. The winners will be announced on the 3rd of January, 2026. Happy voting!