The Game Awards 2023 Nominees and Our Favourites

The Game Awards 2023 nominees have just been announced, marking a time to celebrate an exceptional year in gaming. The awards ceremony, featuring a total of 31 categories, will be hosted by Geoff Keighley on December 7th. True to tradition, the event will not only honour the best games released over the year but also unveil new titles, including the much-anticipated GTA VI.

The process for selecting winning games is two-fold. A panel comprising over 100 media sites and critics from around the globe will account for 90% of the vote. The remaining 10% is open to public voting, accessible on the official website. Here, you have the opportunity to cast your vote.

Related: Golden Joystick Awards 2023 Winners: Complete List

The Game Awards 2023 Nominees

Like every year, the upcoming ceremony will feature closely contested categories as the finest games are honoured. The spotlight, of course, will be on the Game of the Year award, set to be the climax of the evening. But we are also very curious about the Best Narrative and Best Game Direction categories.

Below, you can see all The Game Awards 2023 Nominees in 31 categories, including our picks:

Game of the Year

• Alan Wake 2
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Resident Evil 4
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Best Game Direction

• Alan Wake 2
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Best Narrative

• Alan Wake 2
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Best Art Direction

• Alan Wake 2
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Lies of P
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Best Score and Music

• Alan Wake 2
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Best Audio Design

• Alan Wake 2
• Dead Space
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Resident Evil 4

Best Performance

• Ben Starr, Final Fantasy XVI
• Cameron Monaghan, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Idris Elba, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
• Melanie Liburd, Alan Wake 2
• Neil Newbon, Baldur’s Gate 3
• Yuri Lowenthal, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Innovation In Accessibility 

• Diablo IV
• Forza Motorsport
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Street Fighter 6

Games for Impact

• A Space for the Unbound
• Chants of Senaar
• Goodbye Volcano High
• Tchia
• Terra Nil
• Venba

Best Ongoing Game

• Apex Legends
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Fortnite
• Genshin Impact

Best Community Support

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Destiny 2
• Final Fantasy XIV
• No Man’s Sky

Best Independent Game

• Cocoon
• Dave the Diver
• Dredge
• Sea of Stars
• Viewfinder

Best Debut Indie

• Cocoon
• Dredge
• Pizza Tower
• Venba
• Viewfinder

Best Mobile Game

• Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure
• Honkai: Star Rail
• Monster Hunter Now
• Terra Nil

Best VR / AR

• Gran Turismo 7
• Horizon: Call of the Mountain
• Humanity
• Resident Evil Village VR Mode
• Synapse

Best Action Game

• Armored Core VI
• Dead Island 2
• Ghostrunner 2
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Remnant 2

Best Action / Adventure Game

• Alan Wake 2
• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
• Resident Evil 4
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Best RPG

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Lies of P
• Sea of Stars
• Starfield

Best Fighting

• God of Rock
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
• Pocket Bravery
• Street Fighter 6

Best Family

• Disney Illusion Island
• Party Animals
• Pikmin 4
• Sonic Superstars
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Best Sim / Strategy

• Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp
• Cities: Skylines II
• Company of Heroes 3
• Fire Emblem Engage
• Pikmin 4

Best Sports / Racing

• EA Sports FC 24
• F1 23
• Forza Motorsport
• Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged
• The Crew Motorfest

Best Multiplayer

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Diablo IV
• Party Animals
• Street Fighter 6
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Best Adaptation

• Castlevania: Nocturne
• Gran Turismo
• The Last of Us
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie
• Twisted Metal

Most Anticipated Game

• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Hades II
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• Star Wars Outlaws
• Tekken 8

Content Creator of the Year

• Ironmouse
• People Make Games
• Quackity
• Spreen
• Sypherpk

Best Esports Game

• Counter-Strike 2
• Dota 2
• League of Legends
• PUBG Mobile
• Valorant

Best Esports Athlete

• Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok
• Mathieu “Zywoo” Herbaut
• Max “Demon1” Mazanov
• Paco “Hydra” Rusiewiez
• Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk
• Phillip “Imperialhal” Dosen

Best Esports Team

• Evil Geniuses
• Fnatic
• Gaimin Gladiators
• JD Gaming
• Team Vitality

Best Esports Coach

• Christine “Potter” Chi
• Danny “Zonic” Sorensen
• Jordan “Gunba” Graham
• Remy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam
• Yoon “Homme” Sung-young

Best Esports Event

• 2023 League of Legends World Championship
• Blast.TV Paris Major 2023
• Evo 2023
• The International Dota 2 Championships 2023
• Valorant Championships 2023

First off, let’s talk about the elephant in the room — Starfield’s snub in the Game of the Year category. For Xbox Game Studios, that’s got to sting. It’s a wake-up call for both Bethesda and Xbox, a lesson wrapped in disappointment.

Now, onto a brighter note: Alan Wake 2. We’re betting it’ll be a star performer, maybe even eclipsing Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the awards count. Hats off to Remedy Entertainment — they’ve really outdone themselves.

And then there’s Baldur’s Gate 3. If we were a betting site, we’d put all our chips on this one, getting a thunderous ovation from the crowd. Larian Studios hasn’t just made a game — they’ve crafted a masterpiece, a gem for the ages.

So, that’s our take on The Game Awards 2023 nominees. Don’t worry, we won’t leave you hanging. Right after the curtains close on December 7th, we’ll be here with all the winners, new game reveals, and the juicy details.