When it’s GDC (Game Developers Conference) week that means we also get to celebrate the fantastic games developers released last year at the GDC’s award show, the Game Developers Choice Awards.
Developer’s games were nominated for nine categories at the Game Developers Choice Awards with the public being able to vote for their favourite game in an additional category with the award show’s Audience Award. The game that was nominated the most at Game Developers Choice Awards with six total was Deathloop which didn’t win any of them sadly.
A single game didn’t take home the most Game Developers Choice Awards as it was excitedly a three-way tie between Unpacking, Valheim and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart as the developers of each game took home two awards each at the event. It should be noted that the latter two games won all the awards they were nominated for, which should definitely be applauded.
Check out the full list of winners, nominees and honourable mentions at the Game Developers Choice Awards below.
Game of the Year
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios
- Inscryption – Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital [WINNER]
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts
- Resident Evil Village – Capcom
Honourable Mentions:
- Chicory: A Colorful Tale – The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji
- Death’s Door – Acid Nerve / Devolver Digital
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Eidos Montreal / Square Enix
- Psychonauts 2 – Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios
Best Narrative
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Eidos Montreal / Square Enix
- Psychonauts 2 – Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios [WINNER]
- Unpacking – Witch Beam / Humble
Honourable Mentions:
- Inscryption – Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Ember Lab
- Life is Strange: True Colors – Deck Nine / Square Enix
- The Forgotten City – Modern Storyteller / Dear Villagers
- Wildermyth – Worldwalker Games / WhisperGames
Best Design
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks
- Inscryption – Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts [WINNER]
- Psychonauts 2 – Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios
Honourable Mentions:
- Death’s Door – Acid Nerve / Devolver Digital
- Loop Hero – Four Quarters / Devolver Digital
- Resident Evil Village – Capcom
- Unpacking – Witch Beam / Humble
Best Visual Art
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Ember Lab
- Psychonauts 2 – Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment [WINNER]
Honourable Mentions:
- Genesis Noir – Feral Cat Den / Fellow Traveller
- Resident Evil Village – Capcom
- Returnal – Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Sable – Shedworks / Raw Fury
- The Artful Escape – Beethoven & Dinosaur / Annapurna Interactive
Best Audio
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – Eidos Montreal / Square Enix
- Returnal – Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Unpacking – Witch Beam / Humble [WINNER]
Honourable Mentions:
- Genesis Noir – Feral Cat Den / Fellow Traveller
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts
- Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition – Arbitrarily Good Productions / Namethemachine / Epic Games
- Resident Evil Village – Capcom
Best Technology
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios
- Halo Infinite – 343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios
- Hitman 3 – IO Interactive
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment [WINNER]
- Returnal – Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment
Honourable Mentions:
- Battlefield 2042 – EA DICE / Electronic Arts
- Resident Evil Village – Capcom
Best Debut
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Ember Lab
- Sable – Shedworks / Raw Fury
- The Artful Escape – Beethoven & Dinosaur / Annapurna Interactive
- Valheim – Iron Gate Studio / Coffee Stain Publishing [WINNER]
- Wildermyth – Worldwalker Games / WhisperGames
Honourable Mentions:
- Genesis Noir – Feral Cat Den / Fellow Traveller
- ElecHead – Tsuyomi / NamaTakahashi
- Unsighted – Studio Pixel Punk / Humble
Game Developers Choice Awards – Innovation Award
- Deathloop – Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks
- Inscryption – Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts
- Unpacking – Witch Beam / Humble [WINNER]
- Wildermyth – Worldwalker Games / WhisperGames
Honourable Mentions:
- Chicory: A Colorful Tale – The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji
- Loop Hero – Four Quarters, Devolver Digital
- Returnal – Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment
Game Developers Choice Awards – Social Impact Award
- Before Your Eyes – GoodbyeWorld Games / Skybound Games
- Boyfriend Dungeon – Kitfox Games [WINNER]
- Chicory: A Colorful Tale – The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji
- It Takes Two – Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts
- Life is Strange: True Colors – Deck Nine / Square Enix
Honourable Mentions:
- Forza Horizon 5 – Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios
Game Developers Choice Awards – Audience Award
- Valheim – Iron Gate Studio / Coffee Stain Publishing [WINNER]
Game Developers Choice Awards – Ambassador Award
- Steven Spohn – AbleGamers [WINNER]
Game Developers Choice Awards – Lifetime Achievement Award
- Yuji Horii – Dragon Quest Creator [WINNER]
For the other game award shows celebrating the accomplishments of last year’s games, be sure to check out our breakdown of the winners from The Game Awards and The DICE Awards.
