It has been an epic year for video games with releases like Baldur’s Gate 3, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and several others. And now it is time to crown the best game of the year from the list of nominees announced by The Game Awards founder Geoff Keighley on Monday.
Nominees for The Game Awards in more than 30 categories, including Game of the Year was announced. Fan voting had begun immediately after, and the winner will take the crown at the live event in Los Angeles on Thursday, December 7. This year’s show will once again stream for free across more than 30 digital video platforms including Twitch, YouTube, Steam, X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, TikTok Live and others.
Here’s the list of nominees for Game of the Year:
Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 is a 2023 survival horror game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published by Epic Games Publishing. Serving as a sequel to the original Alan Wake, the game revolves around the protagonist, Alan Wake, a best-selling horror novelist, who finds himself trapped in an alternative dimension for 13 years. In an attempt to escape, he writes a horror story involving an FBI agent named Saga Anderson. The game was released on October 27, 2023, for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 is a role-playing video game developed and published by Larian Studios, marking the third main instalment in the Baldur’s Gate series. The game is based on the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing system. Initially released in early access for macOS, Windows, and Stadia on October 6, 2020, the full release on Windows occurred on August 3, 2023. The PlayStation 5 version was released on September 6, 2023, followed by the macOS version on September 22. The Xbox Series X/S version is scheduled for a late 2023 release. The game received critical acclaim, particularly for its gameplay, narrative, and production quality.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a 2023 action-adventure game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is the third instalment in the Marvel’s Spider-Man series, acting as a sequel to Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018) and a follow-up to Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020). The game features characters Peter Parker and Miles Morales dealing with personal challenges while facing new threats, including a private militia led by Kraven the Hunter and the Venom symbiote, which bonds with Parker and poses a danger to his personal relationships.
Resident Evil 4
Resident Evil 4 is a 2023 survival horror game developed and published by Capcom. Released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on March 24, 2023, with versions for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS set for December 20, 2023. A remake of the 2005 game, it follows US agent Leon S. Kennedy as he rescues the president’s daughter, Ashley Graham, from the Los Illuminados cult. The remake features an updated plot, new visuals, characters, cast, and altered gameplay. It received critical acclaim, selling four million units in its first two weeks and over five million units by July 2023.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a 2023 platform game by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch, marking the return to traditional side-scrolling Mario gameplay. It achieved significant success, selling 4.3 million units in its first two weeks, becoming the fastest-selling Super Mario game. The game received critical acclaim for its engaging gameplay and design.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a 2023 action-adventure game by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch, serving as the sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game features an expanded open world of Hyrule, emphasizing vertical exploration. Players control Link in a quest to find Princess Zelda and prevent the Demon King from destroying the world. Released in May 2023, the game received critical acclaim for its enhancements, expanded world, and exploration incentives, selling over 10 million copies in its first three days and surpassing 19.50 million copies by September 2023.