When searching for games to add to your collection, it’s always good to check-in with the five major industry award shows. The following games received “Game of the Year” honors in 2017:
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The Game Awards: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
GDC Awards: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
DICE Awards: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
SXSW Gaming Awards: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
BAFTA Games Awards: What Remains of Edith Finch
A complete list of all winners and nominees can be found below.
The Game Awards
The winners of The Game Awards are chosen by an international panel of journalists and awarded each December. (thegameawards.com)
Game of The Year
Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corporation)
- Persona 5 (Atlus)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Best Game Direction
Awarded to a game studio for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design.
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (MachineGames / Bethesda)
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Capcom)
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Best Narrative
For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.
- WINNER: What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow / Annapurna Interactive)
- Nier: Automata (Platinum Games / Square Enix)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (MachineGames / Bethesda)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Best Art Direction
For outstanding creative and/or technical achievement in artistic design and animation.
- Destiny 2 (Bungie / Activision)
- WINNER: Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Persona 5 (Atlus)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Best Score/Music
For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song and/or licensed soundtrack.
- Destiny 2 (Bungie / Activision)
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- WINNER: Nier: Automata (Platinum Games / Square Enix)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Persona 5 (Atlus)
Best Audio Design
Recognizing the best in-game audio and sound design.
- Destiny 2 (Bungie / Activision)
- WINNER: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Capcom)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
Best Performance
Awarded to an individual for voice-over acting, motion and/or performance capture.
- WINNER: Melina Juergens, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (As Senua)
- Laura Bailey, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (As Nadine Ross)
- Claudia Black, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (As Chloe Frazer)
- Brian Bloom, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (As BJ Blazkowicz)
- Ashly Burch, Horizon: Zero Dawn (As Aloy)
Games for Impact
For a thought provoking game with a profound pro-social meaning or message.
- Please Knock on My Door (Levall Games)
- Night in the Woods (Infinite Fall)
- Life Is Strange: Before the Storm (Deck Nine / Square Enix)
- Bury Me, My Love (The Pixel Hunt/Figs, ARTE)
- What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow / Annapurna Interactive)
- WINNER: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
Best Ongoing Game
Awarded to a game for outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience over time.
- Warframe (Digital Extremes)
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege (Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft)
- WINNER: Overwatch (Blizzard)
- Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar Games)
- Destiny 2 (Bungie / Activision)
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corporation)
Best Mobile Game
For the best game playable on a dedicated mobile device.
- Super Mario Run (Nintendo)
- Old Man’s Journey (Broken Rules)
- WINNER: Monument Valley 2 (Ustwo Games)
- Hidden Folks (Adriaan de Jongh / Sylvain Tegroeg)
- Fire Emblem Heroes: Shadows of Valentia (Intelligent Systems / Nintendo)
Best Handheld Game
For the best game playable on a dedicated portable gaming system.
- Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World (Good-Feel / Nintendo)
- Monster Hunter Stories (Marvelous / Nintendo)
- WINNER: Metroid: Samus Returns (MercurySteam / Nintendo)
- Fire Emblem: Echoes (Intelligent Systems / Nintendo)
- Ever Oasis (Grezzo / Nintendo)
Best VR/AR Game
For the best game experience playable in virtual or augmented reality, irrespective of platform.
- Superhot VR (SUPERHOT Team)
- Star Trek: Bridge Crew (Red Storm Entertainment / Ubisoft)
- Lone Echo / Echo Arena (Ready at Dawn / Oculus Studios)
- Farpoint (Impuse Gear / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- WINNER: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Capcom)
Best Action Game
For the best game in the action genre focused on combat.
- Prey (Arkane / Bethesda)
- Nioh (Team Ninja / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Destiny 2 (Bungie / Activision)
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- WINNER: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (MachineGames / Bethesda)
Best Action/Adventure Game
For the best action/adventure game, combining combat with traversal and puzzle solving.
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Assassin’s Creed: Origins (Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft)
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Best Role Playing Game
For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression, including massively multiplayer experiences.
- South Park: The Fractured But Whole (Ubisoft San Francisco / Ubisoft)
- Final Fantasy XV (Square Enix Business Division 2 / Square Enix)
- Divinity: Original Sin 2 (Larian Studios)
- Nier: Automata (Platinum Games / Square Enix)
- WINNER: Persona 5 (Atlus)
Best Fighting Game
For the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat.
- Tekken 7 (Bandai Namco Studios / Bandai Namco Entertainment)
- Nidhogg 2 (Messhof Games)
- Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (Capcom)
- WINNER: Injustice 2 (NetherRealm Studios / Warner Bros. Interactive)
- Arms (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
Best Family Game
For the best game appropriate for family play, irrespective of genre or platform.
- Splatoon 2 (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Sonic Mania (PagodaWest Games + Headcannon / Sega)
- Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Ubisoft Paris + Milan / Ubisoft)
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo EAD / Nintendo)
- WINNER: Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
Best Strategy Game
Best game focused on real time or turn-based strategy gameplay, irrespective of platform.
- XCOM 2: War of the Chosen (Firaxis Games / 2K)
- Tooth and Tail (Pocketwatch Games)
- Total War: Warhammer II (Creative Assembly / Sega)
- Halo Wars 2 (Creative Assembly + 343 Industries / Microsoft Studios)
- WINNER: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Ubisoft Paris + Milan / Ubisoft)
Best Sports/Racing Game
For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game.
- Project CARS 2 (Slightly Mad Studios / Bandai Namco Entertainment)
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 (PES Productions / Konami)
- NBA 2K18 (Visual Concepts / 2K Sports)
- Gran Turismo Sport (Polyphony Digital / Sony Intetactive Entertainment)
- WINNER: Forza Motorsport 7 (Turn 10 Studios / Microsoft Studios)
- FIFA 18 (EA Vancouver / EA)
Best Multiplayer
For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game genre.
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- Call of Duty: WWII (Sledgehammer Games / Activision)
- Splatoon 2 (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo EAD / Nintendo)
- Destiny 2 (Bungie / Activision)
- WINNER: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corporation)
Best Independent Game
For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system.
- Pyre (Supergiant Games)
- Night in the Woods (Infinite Fall)
- WINNER: Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow / Annapurna Interactive)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
Best Student Game
Awarded the best student project created at the high school or college level.
- Meaning (Hariz Yet; DigiPen Institute of Technology Singapore)
- WINNER: Level Squared (Kip Brennan, Stephen Scoglio, Dane Perry Svendsen; Swinburne University of Technology)
- Impulsion (Hugo Verger, Rémi Bertrand, Maxime Lupinski; IIM – Institut de l’Internet et du Multimédia)
- Falling Sky (Jonathan Nielssen, Nikolay Savov, Mohsen Shah; National Film and Television School)
- Hollowed (Erin Marek, Jerrick Flores, Charley Choucard; University of Central Florida – Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy)
- From Light (Alejandro Grossman, Steven Li, Sherveen Uduwana; University of Southern California)
Game Developers Choice Awards
The winners of the Game Developers Choice Awards (GDC Awards) are chosen by a panel of developers from North America and awarded each year during the Game Developers Conference. (gamechoiceawards.com)
Game of the Year (Finalists)
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Game of the Year (Honorable Mentions)
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Innovation Award (Finalists)
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Innovation Award (Honorable Mentions)
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Best Debut (Finalists)
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Best Debut (Honorable Mentions)
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Best Design (Finalists)
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Best Design (Honorable Mentions)
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Best Mobile/Handheld Game (Finalists)
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Best Mobile/Handheld Game (Honorable Mentions)
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Best VR/AR Game (Finalists)
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Best VR/AR Game (Honorable Mentions)
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Best Visual Art (Finalists)
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Best Visual Art (Honorable Mentions)
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Best Narrative (Finalists)
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Best Narrative (Honorable Mentions)
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Best Audio (Finalists)
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Best Audio (Honorable Mentions)
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Best Technology (Finalists)
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Best Technology (Honorable Mentions)
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Audience AwardWINNER: Nier: Automata (Platinum Games / Square Enix) |
DICE Awards
The winners of the DICE Awards are chosen by the members of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and awarded each year during the DICE Summit. (interactive.org)
Game of the Year
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR / Studio MDHR)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Guerrilla Games)
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (Bluehole / PUBG Corporation)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo / Nintendo)
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo / Nintendo)
Handheld Game of the Year
- Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (Square Enix / Square Enix, Level‐5, and Armor Project)
- Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth (Atlus / Atlus)
- Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (Nintendo / Intelligent Systems)
- WINNER: Metroid: Samus Returns (Nintendo / Mercury Steam and Nintendo)
- Monster Hunter Stories (Capcom and Nintendo / Capcom and Marvelous Entertainment)
Mobile Game of the Year
- Cat Quest (The Gentlebros and PQube / The Gentlebros)
- WINNER: Fire Emblem Heroes (Nintendo / Intelligent Systems)
- Gorogoa (Annapurna Interactive / Jason Roberts and Buried Signal)
- Monument Valley 2 (Ustwo games / Ustwo games)
- Splitter Critters (RAC7 Games / RAC7 Games)
Action Game of the Year
- Call of Duty: WWII (Activision / Sledgehammer Games)
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR / Studio MDHR)
- Destiny 2 (Activision / Bungie)
- WINNER: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (Bluehole / PUBG Corporation)
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Bethesda Softworks / MachineGames)
Adventure Game of the Year
- Assassin’s Creed Origins (Ubisoft / Ubisoft)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Guerrilla Games)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo / Nintendo)
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo / Nintendo)
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Naughty Dog)
Family Game of the Year
- DropMix (Hasbro / Harmonix)
- Gnog (Double Fine Productions / KO_OP)
- Just Dance 2018 (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Paris)
- SingStar Celebration (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / London Studios)
- WINNER: Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together (Nintendo / SFB Games)
Fighting Game of the Year
- Arms (Nintendo / Nintendo)
- WINNER: Injustice 2 (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / NeatherRealm Studios)
- Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite (Capcom / Capcom)
- Nidhogg 2 (Messhof / Messhof)
- Tekken 7 (Bandai Namco Entertainment America / Tekken Team and Bandai Namco Studios)
Racing Game of the Year
- Dirt 4 (Codemasters / Codemasters)
- Forza Motorsport 7 (Microsoft Studios / Turn 10 Studios)
- Gran Turismo Sport (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Polyphony Digital)
- WINNER: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo / Nintendo)
- Project CARS 2 (Bandai Namco Entertainment America / Slightly Mad Studios)
Role-Playing Game of the Year
- Divinity: Original Sin II (Larian Studios / Larian Studios)
- Middle‐Earth: Shadow of War (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / Monolith Productions)
- WINNER: Nier: Automata (Square Enix / PlatinumGames)
- Persona 5 (Atlus / Atlus)
- Torment: Tides of Numenera (inXile Entertainment / inXile Entertainment)
Sports Game of the Year
- Everybody’s Golf (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Japan Studio and Clap Hanz)
- WINNER: FIFA 18 (EA Sports / Electronic Arts)
- Golf Clash (Playdemic / Playdemic)
- Madden NFL 18 (EA Sports / EA Tiburon)
- MLB The Show 17 (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / San Diego Studio)
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- Endless Space 2 (Sega / Amplitude Studios)
- Halo Wars 2 (Microsoft Studios/ Creative Assembly)
- WINNER: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris)
- Total War: Warhammer II (Sega / Creative Assembly)
- XCOM 2: War of the Chosen (2K / Firaxis Games)
Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Bayek – Assassin’s Creed Origins (Ubisoft / Ubisoft)
- Winner: Senua – Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- Aloy – Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Guerrilla Games)
- Iden Versio – Star Wars Battlefront II (Electronic Arts / DICE, Motive Studios, and Criterion Games)
- Chloe Fraiser – Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Naughty Dog)
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Gorogoa (Annapurna Interactive / Jason Roberts and Buried Signal)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Guerrilla Games)
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (Bluehole / PUBG Corporation)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo / Nintendo)
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo / Nintendo)
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Gorogoa (Annapurna Interactive / Jason Roberts and Buried Signal)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Guermes)
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo / Nintendo)
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Naughty Dog)
- What Remains of Edith Finch (Annapurna Interactive / Giant Sparrow)
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Call of Duty: WWII (Activision / Sledgehammer Games)
- Winner: Cuphead (Studio MDHR / Studio MDHR)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Guerrilla Games)
- Rime (Grey Box / Tequila Works)
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Bethesda Softworks / MachineGames)
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
- Destiny 2 (Activision / Bungie)
- Injustice 2 (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / NeatherRealm Studios)
- Star Wars Battlefront II (Electronic Arts / DICE, Motive Studios, and Criterion Games)
- WINNER: Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo / Nintendo)
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Naughty Dog)
Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- WINNER: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Guerrilla Games)
- Night In the Woods (Finji / Infinite Fall)
- What Remains of Edith Finch (Annapurna Interactive / Giant Sparrow)
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Bethesda Softworks / MachineGames)
Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay
- Call of Duty: WWII (Activision / Sledgehammer Games)
- Destiny 2 (Activision / Bungie)
- Fortnite (Epic Games / Epic Games)
- WINNER: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (Bluehole / PUBG Corporation)
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Paris)
Outstanding Technical Achievement
- Assassin’s Creed Origins (Ubisoft / Ubisoft)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- WINNER: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Guerrilla Games)
- Lone Echo/Echo Arena (Oculus Studios / Ready At Dawn)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo / Nintendo)
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Winner: Cuphead (Studio MDHR / Studio MDHR)
- For Honor (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Montreal)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Guerrilla Games)
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Naughty Dog)
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Winner: Cuphead (Studio MDHR / Studio MDHR)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment America / Guerrilla Games)
- Little Nightmares (Bandai Namco Entertainment America / Tarsier Studios)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo / Nintendo)
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
- WINNER: Lone Echo/Echo Arena (Oculus Studios / Ready At Dawn)
- Robo Recall (Oculus / Epic Games)
- Star Trek: Bridge Crew (Ubisoft / Red Storm Entertainment)
- The Invisible Hours (GameTrust and Tequila Works / Tequila Works)
- Wilson’s Heart (Oculus Studios / Twisted Pixel Games)
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
- WINNER: Lone Echo/Echo Arena (Oculus Studios / Ready At Dawn)
- Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin (Double Fine Productions / Double Fine Productions)
- Robo Recall (Oculus / Epic Games)
- Space Pirate Trainer (I‐Illusions / I‐Illusions)
- Wilson’s Heart (Oculus Studios / Twisted Pixel Games)
D.I.C.E. Sprite Award
- Everything (Double Fine Productions / David OReilly)
- Gorogoa (Annapurna Interactive / Jason Roberts and Buried Signal)
- Night in the Woods (Finji / Infinite Fall)
- Pyre (Supergiant Games / Supergiant Games)
- WINNER: Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together (Nintendo / SFB Games)
SXSW Gaming Awards
The winners of the SXSW Gaming Awards are chosen by an advisory board of “industry experts” with input from a public vote. The SXSW Gaming Awards are awarded each year during the SXSW Interactive conference. (sxsw.com)
Video Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a distinct gaming experience across all platforms and genres.
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment / Guerrilla Games)
- Nier: Automata (Square Enix / Platinum Games)
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corporation)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo)
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
Mobile Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a unique gaming experience on any handheld device.
- Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (Nintendo)
- WINNER: Fire Emblem Heroes (Nintendo)
- Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy (Humble Bundle / Bennett Foddy)
- Gorogoa (Annapurna Interactive / Jason Roberts)
- Monument Valley 2 (Ustwo Games)
VR Game of the Year
Awarded to the VR game that exemplifies overall excellence in gameplay and design across any VR platform.
- WINNER: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Capcom)
- Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality (Owlchemy Labs / Adult Swim Games)
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR (Bethesda Softworks / Bethesda Game Studios)
- Star Trek Bridge Crew (Ubisoft / Red Storm Entertainment)
- Superhot VR (Superhot Team)
Esports Game of the Year
Awarded to the online game that has the best competitive scene, or potential to grow one, and most entertainment value.
- Call of Duty: WWII (Activision / Sledgehammer Games)
- Tekken 7 (Bandai Namco Entertainment / Bandai Namco Studios)
- FIFA 18 (EA Sports / EA Romania & Vancouver)
- F1 2017 (Codemasters / Codemasters Birmingham)
- WINNER: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corporation)
Tabletop Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and ingenuity of any tabletop game in any genre.
- Clank! In! Space! (Renegade Game Studios)
- WINNER: Gloomhaven (Cephalofair Games)
- Near and Far (Red Raven Games)
- Santorini (Roxley)
- The 7th Continent (Serious Poulp)
Trending Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that consistently entertained and kept us watching on social platforms with its humor, stories, and more.
- Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy (Humble Bundle / Bennett Foddy)
- Night in the Woods (Finji Games / Infinite Fall)
- WINNER: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corporation)
- Doki Doki Literature Club (Team Salvato)
- Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator (Game Grumps)
Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award
Awarded to the game that best challenges the “norm” of everyday gaming and offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character, or gameplay.
- WINNER: Doki Doki Literature Club (Team Salvato)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
- Life Is Strange: Before the Storm (Square Enix / Deck Nine)
- Night in the Woods (Finji Games / Infinite Fall)
- What Remains of Edith Finch (Annapurna Interactive / Giant Sparrow)
Excellence in Narrative
Awarded to the game with the best storyline and dialogue.
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
- Night in the Woods (Finji Games / Infinite Fall)
- Persona 5 (Atlus / P-Studio)
- Prey (Bethesda Softworks / Arkane Studios)
- WINNER: What Remains of Edith Finch (Annapurna Interactive / Giant Sparrow)
Excellence in Design
Awarded to the game with the best overall design concept and best execution.
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment / Guerrilla Games)
- Nier: Automata (Square Enix / Platinum Games)
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corporation)
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
Excellence in Gameplay
Awarded to the game with the best gameplay mechanics.
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Bethesda Softworks / MachineGames)
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment / Guerrilla Games)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo)
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
Most Fulfilling Community-Funded Game
Awarded to the game that was primarily produced via crowdfunding platforms and had excelled beyond the expectations set before it.
- Darkwood (Acid Wizard Studio)
- Kona (Parabole)
- WINNER: Night in the Woods (Finji Games / Infinite Fall)
- Perception (Feardemic / The Deep End Games)
- The 7th Continent (Serious Poulp)
Most Promising New Intellectual Property
Awarded to a new property that risked creating something fresh and that excelled within its genre or category for the year.
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
- WINNER: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment / Guerrilla Games)
- Night in the Woods (Finji Games / Infinite Fall)
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corporation)
Excellence in Multiplayer
Awarded to the game with the best player-to-player interaction experience.
- Gang Beasts (Double Fine Presents / Boneloaf)
- Destiny 2 (Activision / Bungie)
- Fortnite (Epic Games)
- WINNER: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corporation)
- Splatoon 2 (Nintendo)
Excellence in Convergence
Awarded to the game that excels in crossover to other entertainment mediums such as film, music, toys, animation, sports and more.
- DropMix (Hasbro / Harmonix)
- Guardians of the Galaxy (Telltale Games)
- South Park: Fractured But Whole (Ubisoft / Ubisoft San Francisco)
- Star Trek: Bridge Crew (Ubisoft / Red Storm Entertainment)
- WINNER: Star Wars: Battlefront II (Electronic Arts / EA DICE)
Excellence in Art
Awarded to the game with the most expressive and creative artistic style.
- WINNER: Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- Gorogoa (Annapurna Interactive / Jason Roberts)
- Nier: Automata (Square Enix / Platinum Games)
- Persona 5 (Atlus / P-Studio)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
Excellence in Animation
Awarded to the game with the most outstanding animation effects and graphics.
- Assassin’s Creed Origins (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Montreal)
- WINNER: Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment / Guerrilla Games)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
Excellence in Visual Achievement
Awarded to the game with the most well-designed and stunning visuals.
- Assassin’s Creed Origins (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Montreal)
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
- WINNER: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Sony Interactive Entertainment / Guerrilla Games)
- Nier: Automata (Square Enix / Platinum Games)
Excellence in Technical Achievement
Awarded to the game that pushed the capabilities of technology and programming.
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
- WINNER: Nier: Automata (Square Enix / Platinum Games)
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Capcom)
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR (Bethesda Softworks / Bethesda Game Studios)
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Sony Interactive Entertainment / Naughty Dog)
Excellence in Musical Score
Awarded to the game that best exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it progresses the narrative of the game.
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR)
- WINNER: Nier: Automata (Square Enix / Platinum Games)
- Persona 5 (Atlus / P-Studio)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo)
Excellence in SFX
Awarded to the game with the most outstanding and impactful sound effects.
- Call of Duty: WWII (Activision / Sledgehammer Games)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory)
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Capcom)
- WINNER: Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo)
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Sony Interactive Entertainment / Naughty Dog)
Gamer’s Voice Awards
SXSW Gaming 2018 reinvents the format of the Gamer’s Voice Awards to encompass four categories in total: Video Game, Virtual Reality Game, Tabletop Game, and Mobile Game.
Gamer’s Voice: Video Game
- A Case of Distrust (The Wandering Ben)
- Aegis Defenders (Guts Department)
- AER (Memories of Old (Daedalic Entertainment)
- Antigraviator (Cybernetic Walrus)
- WINNER: Battlesloths 2025: The Great Pizza Wars (Invisible Collective)
- Darkwood (Acid Wizard Studio)
- Death Coming (NEXT Studio)
- Gunhead (Alientrap Games)
- My Memory of Us (IMGN.PRO)
- Once Upon A Coma (Atmos Games)
- Semblance (Nyamakop)
- West of Loathing (Asymmetric)
- The Universim (Crytivo)
- Yoku’s Island Express (Team17)
Gamer’s Voice: Virtual Reality Game
- DreadEye VR (Digital Happiness)
- The Invisible Hours (Tequila Works )
- Racket: Nx (One Hamsa)
- WINNER: Superhot SP Z 00 (Superhot VR)
- TheWaveVR (TheWaveVR)
- To the Top (Electric Hat Games)
Gamer’s Voice: Tabletop Game
- Bargain Quest (Bargain Quest Games)
- The Chameleon (Big Potato Games)
- Drawing Dead (Gold Baby Games)
- WINNER: Sol: Last Days of a Star (Elephant Laboratories)
- True Messiah (Sinister Design)
- Zombie Legacy (Slam Games)
Gamer’s Voice: Mobile Game
- Homo Machina (Darjeeling)
- Maruta Escape (Busan Sanai Games)
- Milkmaid of the Milky Way (Machineboy)
- WINNER: Tiny Bubbles (Pine Street Codeworks)
- Too Many Cooks (Finifugu & Friends)
- Where Shadows Slumber (Game Revenant)
British Academy Games Awards
The winners of the British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards) are chosen by a jury of “industry experts” and awarded each year in the Spring. (bafta.org)
Best Game
- Assassin’s Creed Origins (Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla / Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- WINNER: What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow / Annapurna Interactive)
Best British Game
- WINNER: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- Monument Valley 2 (Ustwo Games / Ustwo Games)
- Reigns: Her Majesty (Leigh Alexander, François Alliot, Arnaud De Bock – Nerial / Devolver Digital)
- The Sexy Brutale (Charles Griffiths, James Griffiths, Tom Lansdale – Cavalier Game Studios and Tequila Works / Tequila Works)
- Sniper Elite 4 (Rebellion / Rebellion)
- Total War: Warhammer II (Creative Assembly / Sega)
Best Mobile Game
- Bury Me, My Love (The Pixel Hunt & Fig / ARTE & Playdius)
- WINNER: Golf Clash (Paul Gouge, Alex Rigby, Gareth Jones – Playdemic / Playdemic)
- Gorogoa (Jason Roberts, Buried Signal / Annapurna Interactive)
- Kami 2 (State of Play / State of Play)
- Monument Valley 2 (Ustwo Games / Ustwo Games)
- Stranger Things: The Game (BonusXP / BonusXP)
Original Property
- Cuphead (Chad Moldenhauer, Jared Moldenhauer – Studio MDHR / Studio MDHR)
- Gorogoa (Jason Roberts, Buried Signal / Annapurna Interactive)
- WINNER: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla / Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe)
- Night in the Woods (Scott Benson, Alec Holowka, Bethany Hockenberry – InfiniteFall / Finji)
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corp / Bluehole)
- What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow / Annapurna Interactive)
Debut Game
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR / Studio MDHR)
- WINNER: Gorogoa (Jason Roberts, Buried Signal / Annapurna Interactive)
- Hollow Knight (Team Cherry / Team Cherry)
- Night in the Woods (Scott Benson, Alec Holowka, Bethany Hockenberry – InfiniteFall / Finji)
- The Sexy Brutale (Charles Griffiths, James Griffiths, Tom Lansdale – Cavalier Game Studios and Tequila Works / Tequila Works)
- Slime Rancher (Monomi Park / Monomi Park)
Performer
- Abubakar Salim (Bayek in Assasin’s Creed Origins)
- Ashly Burch (Aloy in Horizon Zero Dawn)
- Claudia Black (Chloe Frazer in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy)
- Laura Bailey (Nadine Ross in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy)
- WINNER: Melina Juergens (Senua in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice)
- Valerie Rose Lohman (Edith Finch in What Remains of Edith Finch)
Artistic Achievement
- Cuphead (Studio MDHR / Studio MDHR)
- Gorogoa (Jason Roberts, Buried Signal / Annapurna Interactive)
- WINNER: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla /S ony Interactive Entertainment Europe)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe)
Audio Achievement
- Call of Duty: WWII (Sledgehammer Games / Activision)
- Destiny 2 (Bungie / Activision)
- WINNER: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (David Garcia Diaz – Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla / Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe)
- Star Wars: Battlefront II (DICE / Electronic Arts)
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe)
Game Design
- Assassin’s Creed Origins (Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla / Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Nier: Automata (Platinum Games; Square Enix / Square Enix)
- WINNER: Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow / Annapurna Interactive)
Game Innovation
- Gorogoa (Jason Roberts, Buried Signal / Annapurna Interactive)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- WINNER: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Nier: Automata (Platinum Games; Square Enix / Square Enix)
- Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together! (SFB Games / Nintendo)
- What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow / Annapurna Interactive)
Narrative
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Tameem Antoniades – Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla / Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe)
- WINNER: Night in the Woods (Scott Benson, Alec Holowka, Bethany Hockenberry – InfiniteFall / Finji)
- Tacoma (Steve Gaynor, Karla Zimonja – Fullbright / Fullbright)
- What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow / Annapurna Interactive)
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Jens Matthies, Tommy Tordsson Björk, Tom Keegan – Machine Games / Bethesda)
Multiplayer
- WINNER: Divinity: Original Sin II (Larian Studios / Larian Studios)
- Fortnite (Epic Games / Epic Games)
- Gang Beasts (Boneloaf / Double Fine Productions)
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corp / Bluehole)
- Splatoon 2 (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- Star Trek: Bridge Crew (Red Storm Entertainment / Ubisoft)
Music
- WINNER: Cuphead (Studio MDHR / Studio MDHR)
- Get Even (The Farm 51 / Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe)
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (David Garcia Diaz, Andy LaPlegua – Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- Horizon: Zero Dawn (Guerrilla / Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
- What Remains of Edith Finch (Jeff Russo – Giant Sparrow / Annapurna Interactive)
Family
- Just Dance 2018 (Ubisoft Paris / Ubisoft)
- Lego Worlds (TT Games / WB Games)
- Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Ubisoft / Ubisoft)
- Monument Valley 2 (Ustwo Games / Ustwo Games)
- Snipperclips: Cut It Out Together! (SFB Games / Nintendo)
- WINNER: Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)
Game Beyond Entertainment
- Bury Me, My Love (The Pixel Hunt & Fig / ARTE & Playdius)
- WINNER: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (Ninja Theory / Ninja Theory)
- Last Day of June (Massimo Guarini, Elia Randon, Andrew Thompson – Ovosonico / 505 Games)
- Life Is Strange: Before the Storm (Deck Nine Games, Square Enix / Square Enix)
- Night in the Woods (Scott Benson, Alec Holowka, Bethany Hockenberry – InfiniteFall / Finji)
- Sea Hero Quest VR (Matthew Hyde, Max Scott-Slade, Hugo Scott-Slade – Glitchers / Glitchers)
Evolving Game
- Clash Royale (Supercell / Supercell)
- Final Fantasy XV (Hajime Tabata – Square Enix / Square Enix)
- Fortnite (Epic Games / Epic Games)
- WINNER: Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment / Blizzard Entertainment)
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Corp / Bluehole)
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege (Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft)