You know how the film industry has The Academy Awards? Well, for the last decade or so, The Game Awards has been THE thing to win for video game devs. If you do manage to take home a gong or two, you’ll be rubbing shoulders with gaming royalty.
Just take a look at some of the titles that have bagged the top prize - the prestigious Game of the Year award - in recent years. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Elden Ring and God of War (to name a few) all triumphed. And gamers still talk about them and play them now.
Hosted by journalist and all-round nice guy Geoff Keighley, the night was streamed across YouTube, Twitch and a bunch of other platforms. But who won what? And did your favourite make the cut? Drum roll, please…
When were The Game Awards?
The show happened in Los Angeles on December 12, 2024. It didn’t finish until the early hours over here in the UK. So, if you missed it – and were tucked up in bed – we’ve got a full rundown of the winners for you below.
Speaking of winners, they’re voted for by a panel of 130 content creators and games media outlets. While fans have their say too, which then gets rolled into the final scores.
Oh, and with it nearly being Christmas and all, if you’re struggling for a great gaming gift, you can’t go wrong with any of the titles that were shortlisted. After all, they’re the best of the best.
Who were the GOTY (Game of the Year) nominees?
Astro Bot (PS5) - WINNER
PlayStation has always been the home of zany platformers. Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon were smash hits back in the day. Now it’s the turn of Astro Bot! With respected reviewers like IGN and GameSpot both giving the game a 9/10, the console’s definitely done it again.
Sony’s latest mascot really took platforming back to its roots. Playing as the cutesy little bot, you have to scour the galaxy for their missing crew. To reunite with your crewmates, you’ll explore colourful planets and face off against all manner of evil aliens. When you’re hankering for a bit of retro gaming nostalgia, this’ll easily scratch that itch.
Balatro (Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
This card game gets its name from the Latin for buffoon or Jester. And we’re not joking when we tell you it was made by literally one person. Crazy, right?
By creating different poker hands, you score points. There’s a twist though – it’s nothing like your run of the mill Texas hold ‘em. With 150 joker cards to play, you can completely change the rules and bump up your score. You’ll have to think smart to hit those big numbers.
It had the chance to make history too. Balatro would’ve been the first indie game to scoop the Game of the Year without being backed by a major publisher. Either way, it’s impressive that it’s mixing it with the big boys.
Black Myth: Wukong (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows)
If you’re into your mythology, Black Myth: Wukong should be right up your street. Taking inspiration from ‘Journey to the West’ (a classic piece of Chinese literature) this action-adventure took China by storm. While it did massive numbers there, it’s gained a loyal following here in the west too.
Playing as the Destined One you’ll battle powerful foes with your staff and spells. If your reactions aren’t on point, you’re going to struggle. These fights are seriously fast paced. And you won’t be able to get through levels relying on button mashing!
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Windows)
Some have questioned whether DLC should even have been in this category. But when it comes to a FromSoftware expansion, they’re always absolutely massive in size and scope. And Shadow of the Erdtree easily has enough content to be a full game in its own right.
With loads of new punishing bosses to vanquish, tombs to explore and secrets to uncover, this add-on gave us even more Elden Ring goodness. And who doesn’t want that? With it currently sitting at 94 on Metacritic, this was definitely one of 2024’s favourites for the GOTY.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5)
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth showed up at last year’s event, winning the ‘Most Anticipated’ award. And it could easily have won back-to-back prizes. It’s fair to say it lived up to the hype when it launched in February. Being one of the biggest names in gaming, we’re not too surprised about that.
This remake of the original Final Fantasy VII has tons of fun mini games and stacks of side quests. It didn’t just stick to the original script either, changing and updating the story to keep us guessing. If you’re a dev planning a remake, this is how to do it.
Metaphor: ReFantazio (PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows)
Persona 5 is regarded as one of the best Japanese RPGs ever made. So, the devs really had their work cut out when it came to nailing their next project.
They didn’t need to worry though. Metaphor: ReFantazio shifted a million copies on release day. Gone was the high school setting. Instead, they took their brand of old-school turn-based combat to a fantasy world. And with plenty of plaudits for how it’s tackled difficult topics (from politics to racism), this one’s got a story that’ll have you gripped from the start.
Other Game Awards 2024 results
For the best of the rest, click on the dropdown boxes to see who else won what…
Right, that’s this year’s best titles covered. What about 2025 then? Stay up to date with the hottest new releases and head on over to our upcoming games page. We’ll have all the latest details on the adventures hitting PC and consoles soon. Plus, there might even be a little discount code or two as well…
