By Sagar V. Mankar 
Coal Supper’s comedy game “Thank Goodness You’re Here” has won the top prize at the UKIE Video Game Awards 2025. The quirky title about a traveling salesman in a fictional northern English town took home both UK Game of the Year and Best UK PC Game awards at the ceremony.
The annual awards, organized by the UK Interactive Entertainment Association (UKIE), celebrate the achievements of the British video game industry across multiple categories.
Major Winners
“Thank Goodness You’re Here” beat out strong competition from “Planet Coaster 2” by Frontier Developments and “Still Wakes the Deep” by Sumo Digital to claim the top honor. Released in August 2024 for PC and consoles, the game has been praised for its absurdist humor and unique gameplay set in the colorful fictional town of Barnsworth. The game also received nominations for BEST GAME at the BAFTA Game Awards, which will be announced next month.
Ustwo Games’ “Monument Valley 3” won Best UK Mobile Game. The latest installment in the popular puzzle series features a new protagonist named Noor, an apprentice lightkeeper on a quest to find a new power source as the world’s light fades. The game launched exclusively on Netflix Games in December 2024 for iOS and Android devices.
Studio Gobo’s “Lego Horizon Adventures” claimed the Best UK Console Game award, while Soul Assembly’s “Just Dance 2 VR” was recognized as the Best UK Mixed Reality Game.
Studio Recognition
Brighton-based FuturLab, known for the hit game “PowerWash Simulator,” won the Best UK Developer award. The studio, founded in 2003, was acquired by mobile publisher Miniclip in April 2024 but continues to operate independently under CEO Kirsty Rigden.
Playstack received the Best UK Publisher award. The company is known for publishing innovative titles like “Mortal Shell,” “The Entropy Centre,” and “The Case of the Golden Idol.”
Spilt Milk Studios earned the Rising Star award for “exhibiting significant potential for future contributions to the industry,” according to the official announcement.
Additional Honors
Playground Games was named Sustainability Champion for their commitment to environmentally responsible practices, while the organization Women in Games received the Diversity and Inclusion Champion award for advancing equitable representation in the industry.
Hall of Fame Inductees
The ceremony also saw five influential figures inducted into the UK Games Industry Hall of Fame:
- David Braben, founder of Frontier Developments
- Carolin Krenzer, co-founder of Trailmix
- David Jones, founder of DMA Design
- Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google DeepMind
- Meghna Jayanth, narrative designer known for “80 Days” and “Thirsty Suitors”
These individuals were recognized for their transformative impact on the video games industry.
The full list of winners is below:
- UK Game of the Year: Thank Goodness You’re Here (Coal Supper)
- Best UK console game: Lego Horizon Adventures (Studio Gobo)
- Best UK PC game: Thank Goodness You’re Here (Coal Supper)
- Best UK mobile game: Monument Valley 3 (Ustwo Games)
- Best UK mixed reality game (VR, AR, XR): Just Dance 2 VR (Soul Assembly)
- Sustainability Champion: Playground Games
- Diversity and Inclusion Champion: Women in Games
- Best UK developer: Futurlab
- Best UK publisher: Playstack
- Rising Star: Spilt Milk Studios
Source: VGC