Game Awards Nominees Revealed
The nominees for 2024’s Game Awards have been announced and can be voted on now. Categories include GOTY, best Game direction, and best indie much like 2023’s ceremony. What is less like last year, however, is that there is no clear frontrunner. Baldur’s Gate 3 swept up the majority of awards but, with so many strong releases coming out in the last 12 months, there’s not one obvious pick for most categories here.
The award that most people care about is, of course, Game of the Year. The six nominees consist of the following:
-Astro Bot
-Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
-Metaphor ReFantazio
-Black Myth: Wukong
-Balatro
-Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
The big three that many expected (Astro Bot, Final Fantasy and Metaphor) are all present but alongside them are some more interesting picks. Black Myth: Wukong received much praise when released earlier this year- especially from the Chinese community. Balatro is one that many may find surprising but, considering the impact this one-man indie roguelike had, it shouldn’t be disregarded. The most contentious pick of this list, however, is ‘Elden Ring; Shadow of the Erdtree.
While Elden Ring’s first (and only) expansion is worthy of its praise, it does seem strange for a DLC to be nominated for Game of the Year. This is especially true considering how Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty expansion failed to be nominated for this category in 2023 despite its praise. This apparent change to the rules has left a lot of fans confused- especially when there are so many other games (Silent Hill 2’s remake for one) that could have taken this position itself. This has left many to call for the introduction of new categories including best remake or best DLC that would give the spotlight to a wider range of releases.
Aside from that, categories such as Indie Game of the Year and Best Art Direction continue to highlight fantastic releases that may have been underappreciated normally. This includes Animal Well, Neva, and Stellar Blade- which can hopefully get some recognition during this year’s ceremony. You can vote now for all 29 categories via https://thegameawards.com/nominees.
The winners will be revealed next month at the Game Awards Presentation on December 12th.
