Game Awards: Every Game Of The Year nominees and winners

With The Game Awards just around the corner take a look at past nominees and winners for Game of the Year

Game Awards: Every Game Of The Year nominees and winners

The Game Awards have quickly risen to become one of the most prestigious events in video gaming. The awards were initially started to celebrate the achievements of the video game industry, feature premiere gaming announcements, and promote niche video gaming categories such as mobile & indie. The event has featured many prominent celebrities, such as Keanu Reeves, Tom Holland, Gal Gadot, Halsey & Brendon Urie.

The Game Awards recently announced their nominees for The Game Awards 2023. 2023 has been an excellent year for gaming, with incredible titles being released yearly. This year’s edition of The Game Awards 2023 will be broadcast live on December 7 from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, California. With the ceremony coming up soon, there is no better time to look at the Game of the Year Nominees and winners of the past.

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Game of the Year Nominees & Winners by Year

2014

Nominees:

  • Bayonetta 2
  • Dark Souls II
  • Dragon Age: Inquisition
  • Hearthstone
  • Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Game Awards: Every Game Of The Year nominees and winners
Image via: BioWare

Winner: Dragon Age: Inquisition won the premier award for Game of the Year. It is an excellent RPG with incredible game design. The game has a 85 Metacritic score and over 6 million copies sold at the moment.

2015

Nominees:

  • Bloodborne
  • Fallout 4
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • Super Mario Maker
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Game Awards: Every Game Of The Year nominees and winners
Image via: CD Projekt Red

Winner: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt established CD Projekt Red as a stellar gaming studio with consistently incredible titles. The game beat out some of the most popular franchises, such as Fallout, Metal Gear Solid, and Mario, to win the award. The Witcher 3 is one of the most critically acclaimed RPGs of all time and has even inspired a Netflix series.

2016

Nominees:

  • Doom
  • Inside
  • Overwatch
  • Titanfall 2
  • Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Game Awards: Every Game Of The Year nominees and winners
Image via: Blizzard Entertainment

Winner: Overwatch was the first and currently only multiplayer game of its kind to win the game of the Year award. This speaks of the game’s impact on the FPS genre and how it revolutionised hero shooters, paving the way for future games such as Valorant.

2017

Nominees:

  • Horizon: Zero Dawn
  • Persona 5
  • PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
  • Super Mario Odyssey
  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Game Awards: Every Game Of The Year nominees and winners
Image via: Nintendo

Winner: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild‘s victory can be attributed to its open-world design, captivating story, and incredible orchestral score. Few games can garner as much critical acclaim as Breath of the Wild, with a staggering 97 score on Metacritic.

2018

Nominees:

  • Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
  • Celeste
  • God of War
  • Marvel’s Spider-Man
  • Monster Hunter: World
  • Red Dead Redemption 2
Game Awards: Every Game Of The Year nominees and winners
Image via: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Winner: God of War has set the bar for a masterclass in storytelling packaged with engaging action combat. The game has been described as a perfect game, not falling short in any aspect. The game’s approach to not using any loading screens is innovative and a welcome one.

2019

Nominees:

  • Control
  • Death Stranding
  • Resident Evil 2
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
  • Super Smash Bros Ultimate
  • The Outer Worlds
Game Awards: Every Game Of The Year nominees and winners
Image via: FromSoftware

Winner: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice comes from the creators of Bloodborne & Dark Souls series. The game captivated critics and fans alike with its blend of challenging combat, intricate stealth mechanics, and immersive narrative.

2020

Nominees:

  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons
  • Doom Eternal
  • Final Fantasy VII Remake
  • Ghost of Tsushima
  • Hades
  • The Last of Us Part II
Game Awards: Every Game Of The Year nominees and winners
Image via: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Winner: The Last of Us Part II is a perfect sequel to The Last of Us, a game that would’ve probably won GOTY in 2013 had the award existed then. The game does have great gameplay. However, what sells it is the immersive and nearly perfect storytelling.

2021

Nominees:

  • Deathloop
  • It Takes Two
  • Metroid Dread
  • Psychonauts 2
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
  • Resident Evil Village
Game Awards: Every Game Of The Year nominees and winners
Image via: Electronic Arts

Winner: It Takes Two emerged as a beacon of innovation in cooperative adventures. Beating out games such as Resident Evil and Ratchet & Clank is a testament to the game’s unique blend of heartwarming narrative, ingenious gameplay mechanics, and stunning visual landscapes.

2022

Nominees:

  • A Plague Tale: Requiem
  • Elden Ring
  • God of War Ragnarok
  • Horizon Forbidden West
  • Stray
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Game Awards: Every Game Of The Year nominees and winners
Image via: FromSoftware

Winner: Elden Ring took the gaming world by storm in 2022, with the second title by FromSoftware to win a Game of the Year award. This year probably saw the toughest competition in the country, with Elden Ring & God of War Ragnarok going head to head and Horizon following as a close third.

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