The indie gaming scene is once again buzzing with excitement over a potential Game of the Year contender! Here at Digital Tech Explorer, where we’re dedicated to bringing you the latest in technology and gaming, we love to spotlight innovative titles making waves. Our own TechTalesLeo dives into the story of Blue Prince and the high-profile endorsement it’s receiving.
By TechTalesLeo
Blue Prince is shaping up to be exceptionally good—PC Gamer’s Chris Livingston even called it “one of the best puzzle games in years” in his 92% review. And he’s not the only one who thinks so: Balatro creator LocalThunk is so impressed by the game that he’s championing it for a Game of the Year nomination at the 2025 Game Awards.
LocalThunk’s Campaign for Blue Prince’s GOTY Nomination
LocalThunk first declared his admiration for Blue Prince on Bluesky, stating, “Blue Prince will get a GOTY nomination at TGA.” To bolster his claim, he shared images from review aggregation site Metacritic, where the game boasts a 92 overall rating and is currently listed as the top-rated video game of 2025, narrowly beating Split Fiction.
A compelling argument! However, there was a slight snag: Geoff Keighley, the producer and host of The Game Awards, is on Bluesky but isn’t very active. Consequently, 25 minutes after his Bluesky post, LocalThunk took to X (formerly Twitter) with a more direct—some might even say emphatically persuasive—appeal.
“Geoff my man I better see Blue Prince as a GOTY nominee at the Game Awards this year,” he tweeted. “Seriously though read any review on the game. The first commercial release from the studio no less! Very excited for them.”
Context: Balatro’s Success and Blue Prince’s Prospects
Now, it’s unlikely LocalThunk intends any actual confrontation if Blue Prince doesn’t secure a Game of the Year nomination. That said, it would be quite surprising if Blue Prince doesn’t receive that recognition. While The Game Awards often highlights the glitz, glamour, and massive budgets of the mainstream game industry, there’s consistently room for standout indie hits. A prime example is Balatro itself, which was nominated for Game of the Year at the TGAs in 2024. Although Astro Bot ultimately won GOTY, Balatro triumphed in the Best Indie Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best Mobile Game categories.
This history lends considerable weight to LocalThunk’s endorsement, and Geoff Keighley (who, to be clear, doesn’t single-handedly pick GOTY nominees) certainly took notice.
Reactions from Geoff Keighley and Developer Dogubomb
“Amazing game,” Keighley replied on X. “Been tracking this one for a while!”
Blue Prince developer Dogubomb also acknowledged the support, writing “Thank you so much!” in response to LocalThunk’s enthusiastic message. It’s always heartening to see indie developers championing each other’s work, a sentiment we echo here at Digital Tech Explorer.
Blue Prince Release Date
Blue Prince isn’t out just yet, but the wait is almost over: It’s scheduled to launch on Steam at 7 am PT/10 am ET on April 10.
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