Why Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Deserves Game of the Year More Than You Think

As the 2025 gaming calendar winds down, the awards race is heating up — and one contender is quietly rallying an army of supporters. While the industry buzz points loudly toward Expedition 33 sweeping this year’s Game Awards, a growing number of players and critics argue that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 deserves the top honor instead.

Released months ahead of awards season, the Warhorse Studios sequel is gaining renewed momentum for its ambition, realism, and unmatched reactivity. Many fans insist that if it had launched closer to voting week, the conversation would be very different.

And after spending more than 100 hours in 15th-century Bohemia, they may have a point.

A Benchmark for Reactivity in Modern RPGs

Few games have attempted the level of realism KCD2 delivers — and almost none have succeeded without collapsing under the weight of their systems.

The world reacts to everything Henry does. NPCs follow daily schedules, judge you by your clothing, notice your scent, scrutinize your dog, and respond to your behavior with alarming authenticity.

Even the smallest actions ripple outward.

Drop a valuable item in front of townsfolk? Someone will quietly track back, pocket the treasure, and carry on. Steal from a shop? The goods remain tagged as stolen, and the merchant — or any guard — will call you out immediately.

There’s no magically resetting economy. No selling stolen loot back to its owner. And no erasing your sins with a simple fast-travel.

If you break the law, the consequences escalate:

• First offense: public stocks

• Second offense: caning

• Third offense: branding

• And if you continue? Execution.

It’s a crime-and-punishment system so detailed that players can recount dozens of unscripted moments — from waking NPCs with body odor to guards sweeping food meant for the dog. These micro-interactions build a world that feels startlingly alive.

More Than Systems — A Story That Reflects Your Actions

Beyond the simulation, KCD2 excels in narrative nuance. Warhorse tackles complex themes — anti-semitism, grief, suicide, religious tensions — with maturity and historical sensitivity.

Dialogue is sharp and purposeful. Skill checks often lead to hilarious excuses or brilliantly persuasive monologues, depending on your build.

One standout moment is the Semine wedding, a narrative payoff that adapts to every relationship and every choice you made earlier. Players describe it as a culmination of hours of effort — a moment where the game quietly shows how deeply your actions shaped its world.

It’s writing that rewards investment, ties storylines together organically, and adds emotional resonance to even the smallest quests.

A Rare Kind of Immersive RPG

KCD2 balances gritty medieval survival with moments of humor, chaos, and unexpected warmth.

You bathe Henry, tend to his gear, feed him, and prepare for the day’s tasks — but the routine never feels tedious. Instead, it grounds you in a world where every choice matters.

Combat, alchemy, diplomacy, blacksmithing, romance, and exploration all weave together with meticulous care. It’s the type of RPG that comes around once a console generation.

Warhorse didn’t make a crowd-pleaser. They made something uncompromising — and undeniably special.

For many fans, that’s exactly what a Game of the Year winner should be.

Is It Enough to Shift the Game Awards Odds?

Probably not — Expedition 33 sits firmly atop most prediction lists. But as voters make their final decisions, momentum is growing around a simple argument:

No game this year was as reactive.
No RPG was as immersive.
No world felt as real.

And for many players, that makes Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 their clear winner.