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The Game of the Year Award recognizes the choice of game developers for the overall best game release.

23rd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2023)

2022 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Elden Ring (FromSoftware Inc. / Bandai Namco Entertainment)

Nominees

  • God of War Ragnarök (Santa Monica Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • IMMORTALITY (Sam Barlow / Half Mermaid)
  • Pentiment (Obsidian Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios)
  • Stray (BlueTwelve Studio / Annapurna Interactive)
  • TUNIC (TUNIC Team / Finji)

Honorable Mentions:

Citizen Sleeper (Jump Over the Age / Fellow Traveller), Cult of the Lamb (Massive Monster / Devolver Digital), Horizon Forbidden West (Geurrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Marvel Snap (Second Dinner Studios, Inc. / Nuverse), Neon White (Angel Matrix / Annapurna Interactive), Vampire Survivors (poncle)

22nd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2022)

2021 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)

Nominees

  • Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
  • Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
  • Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
  • It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)

Honorable Mentions:

Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios), Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos Montreal / Square Enix), Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios), Chicory: A Colorful Tale (The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji), Death's Door (Acid Nerve / Devolver Digital)

21st Annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2021)

2020 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Hades (Supergiant Games)

Nominees

  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo EPD/ Nintendo
  • The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • Half-Life: Alyx (Valve)
  • Ghost of Tsushima (Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Honorable Mentions:

Spelunky 2 (Blitworks, Mossmouth / Mossmouth), Doom Eternal (id Software / Bethesda Softworks), Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo Studio / Xbox Game Studios), Final Fantasy VII: Remake (Square Enix), Genshin impact (miHoYo)

20th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2020)

2019 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Untitled Goose Game (House House/Panic)

Nominees

  • Death Stranding (Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • Control (Remedy Entertainment/505 Games)
  • Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware/Activision)
  • Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital/Annapurna Interactive)

Honorable Mentions:

Disco Elysium (ZA/UM), The Outer Worlds (Obsidian Entertainment/Private Division), Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts), Apex Legends (Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts)

19th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2019)

2018 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • God of War (Sony Santa Monica / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Nominees

  • Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)
  • Return of the Obra Dinn (Lucas Pope / 3909)
  • Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • Celeste (Matt Makes Games)

Honorable Mentions:

Tetris Effect (Monstars and Resonair / Enhance), Super Smash Bros Ultimate (Bandai Namco Studios & Sora / Nintendo), Into the Breach (Subset Games), Assassin's Creed Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft), Florence (Mountains / Annapurna Interactive), Monster Hunter: World (Capcom)

18th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2018)

2017 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)

Nominees

  • PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG Corporation)
  • Nier: Automata (PlatinumGames / Square Enix)
  • Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo)

Honorable Mentions:

Cuphead (StudioMDHR), What Remains of Edith Finch (Giant Sparrow / Annapurna Interactive), Persona 5 (P-Studio / Atlus), Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (Ninja Theory), Gorogoa (Jason Roberts / Buried Signal / Annapurna Interactive), Divinity: Original Sin 2 (Larian Studios), Night in the Woods (Infinite Fall / Finji)

17th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2017)

2016 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment)

Nominees

  • Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • Inside (Playdead)
  • Dishonored 2 (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
  • Firewatch (Campo Santo / Panic)

Honorable Mentions:

DOOM (id Software / Bethesda Softworks), The Witness (Thekla), Battlefield 1 (EA DICE / Electronic Arts), The Last Guardian (JAPAN Studio / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Titanfall 2 (Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts)

16th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2016)

2015 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt RED)

Nominees

  • Fallout 4 (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (Kojima Productions / Konami)
  • Bloodborne (FromSoftware / Sony Computer Entertainment)
  • Rocket League (Psyonix)

Honorable Mentions:

Her Story (Sam Barlow), Super Mario Maker (Nintendo EAD Group No. 4 / Nintendo), Undertale (Toby Fox), Splatoon (Nintendo EAD Group No. 2 / Nintendo), Life is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment / Square Enix)

15th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2015)

2014 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (Monolith Productions/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

Nominees

  • Bayonetta 2 (Platinum Games/Nintendo)
  • Destiny (Bungie/Activision)
  • Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft (Blizzard)
  • Alien: Isolation (Creative Assembly/Sega)

Honorable Mentions:

Titanfall, Valiant Hearts, Far Cry 4, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Super Smash Bros Wii-U

14th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2014)

2013 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony)

Nominees

  • Gone Home (The Fullbright Company)
  • Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)
  • Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo EAD Tokyo/Nintendo)
  • Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix)

13th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2013)

2012 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Journey (Thatgamecompany/Sony Computer Entertainment)

Nominees

  • Dishonored (Arkane Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
  • The Walking Dead (Telltale Games)
  • Mass Effect 3 (BioWare/Electronic Arts)
  • XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Firaxis Games/2K Games)

12th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2012)

2011 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
    - Bethesda Game Studios Team

Nominees

  • Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
  • Portal 2 (Valve)
  • Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal)
  • Dark Souls (FromSoftware)

11th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2011)

2010 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar San Diego Team)
    - Rockstar San Diego Team

Nominees

  • Mass Effect 2(BioWare)
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops(Treyarch)
  • Limbo (Playdead)
  • Assassin's Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)

10th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2010)

2009 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Uncharted 2 (Naughty Dog)
    - Evan Wells, Christophe Balestra, Amy Hennig, Bruce Straley

Nominees

  • Dragon Age: Origins (BioWare)
    - Mark Darrah, Mike Laidlaw, Ross Gardner, Matt Goldman
  • Batman: Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady Studios)
    - Sefton Hill, Jamie Walker
  • Demon's Souls (From Software)
    - Takeshi Kajii, Hidetaka Miyazaki
  • Assassin's Creed II (Ubisoft Montreal)
    - Sebastien Puel, Patrice Desilets

9th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2009)

2008 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Fallout 3 (Bethesda Game Studios)
    - Todd Howard, Emil Pagliarulo, Istvan Pelyl

Nominees

  • Fable II (Lionhead Studios)
  • LittleBigPlanet (Media Molecule)
  • Left 4 Dead (Valve Software)
  • Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar North)

8th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2008)

2007 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Portal (Valve)
    - Kim Swift, Erik Wolpaw

Nominees

  • BioShock (2K Boston / 2K Australia / 2K Games)
    - Ken Levine, Jon Chey, Alyssa Finley, Melissa Miller
  • Call of Duty 4 (Infinity Ward / Activision)
    - Jason West, Grant Collier, Vince Zampella
  • Rock Band (Harmonix Music Systems / MTV Games)
    - Alex Rigopulos, Greg LoPiccolo
  • Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo EAD / Nintendo)
  • - Yoshiaki Koizumi

7th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2007)

2006 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Gears of War (Epic Games / Microsoft Game Studios)
    - Cliff Bleszinski, Michael Capps, Rod Fergusson

Nominees

  • Okami (Clover Studio / Capcom Entertainment)
    - Atsushi Inaba, Hideki Kamiya
  • The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Bethesda Game Studios / 2K Games/Bethesda Softworks)
    - Todd Howard
  • The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo EAD / Nintendo)
    - Eiji Aonuma, Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto
  • Wii Sports (Nintendo)
    - Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto, Keizo Ohta, Takayuki Shimamura, Yoshiaki Yamashita

6th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2006)

2005 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Shadow of the Colossus (Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.)
    - Kenji Kaido, Yasuhide Kobayashi, Fumito Ueda

Nominees

  • Call of Duty 2 (Infinity Ward / Activision)
    - Mark Ganus
  • Electroplankton (Nintendo)
    - Toshio Iwai, Koichi Kyuma, Yuichi Ozaki
  • God of War (Sony Computer Entertainment America)
    - Brad Aldredge, Clint Bajakian, Chuck Doud, Dave Murrant
  • Project Gotham Racing 3 (Bizarre Creations / Microsoft Game Studios)
    - Nick Bygrave, Guy Whitmore, Nick Wiswell

5th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2005)

2004 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • Half-Life 2 (Valve Software / Vivendi Universal Games)
    - Ken Birdwell, Gabe Newell, Jay Stelly

Nominees

  • Burnout 3: Takedown (Criterion Games / Electronic Arts)
    - Paul Glancey, Chris Roberts, Paul Cross, Fiona Sperry, Alex Ward
  • Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rockstar North / Rockstar Games)
    - Leslie Benzies, Adam Fowler, Aaron Garbut, Sam Houser, Alexander Roger, Obbe Vermeij
  • Katamari Damacy (Namco)
    - Keita Takahashi
  • World of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
    - Mark Kern, Mike Morhaime, Rob Pardo

4th annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2004)

2003 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC (BioWare Corp.)

Nominees

  • BEYOND GOOD & EVIL (Ubisoft Pictures)
  • CALL OF DUTY (Infinity Ward)
  • PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME (Ubisoft Montreal)
  • THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE WIND WAKER (Nintendo EAD)

3rd annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2003)

2002 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • METROID PRIME (Retro Studios)

Nominees

  • BATTLEFIELD 1942 (Digital Illusions)
  • GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY (Rockstar North)
  • NEVERWINTER NIGHTS (BioWare Corp.)
  • TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL (Ubi Soft Montreal)

2nd annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2002)

2001 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • GRAND THEFT AUTO III (DMA Design/Rockstar Games)

Nominees

  • BLACK & WHITE (Lionhead Studios)
  • HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED (Bungie Studios)
  • ICO (Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.)
  • MAX PAYNE (Remedy Entertainment)

1st annual Game Developers Choice Awards (2001)

2000 Game of the Year

Recipient

  • THE SIMS (Maxis)

Nominees

  • DEUS EX (ION Storm Austin)
  • JET GRIND RADIO (Smilebit)
  • NO ONE LIVES FOREVER (Monolith)
  • SHENMUE (Sega AM2)