Gaming’s biggest night — the industry’s closest thing to an Academy Awards — is upon us.
Live from Los Angeles in a few days, The Game Awards will honor the best the medium has to offer this year, honoring everything from the greatest blockbusters to the smallest indie debuts.
games reporter martin kimber and Technology reporter Tom Acres Here are their tips for some of the most competitive categories – and you can keep scrolling for the full list of nominees.
best game
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Ring of Elden
god of war ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
stray
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Martin’s pick: Horizon Forbidden West
Making a successful sequel is tough, but Guerrilla Games has done just that. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a prettier game with a bigger, more expansive map. It offers great replayability so it’s worth the money, it’s addictive, and did I mention it’s beautiful? Plus, robot dinosaurs! What’s not to like? !
Tom’s Choice: Vagabond
The debut of French independent studio BlueTwelve Studio. This surprising dystopian adventure paints a bleak but hopeful picture of the fragility of life, and how it endures. Not content with a nuanced commentary on capitalism and its impact on the planet, you also play a very cute cat. There’s also a meow button!
The “robot dinosaur” returns in Guerilla’s sequel.Figure: Sony
Stray is undoubtedly the cutest protagonist of the year
Best Narrative
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Ring of Elden
god of war ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
immortal
Martin’s pick: Horizon Forbidden West
In the first Horizon, it felt like the developers came up with the concept of robotic dinosaurs and built the entire game around that idea. However, this sequel boasts a much fleshed out story that will appeal even to players who just want to take on mechanized velociraptors with bows and arrows.
Tom’s Choice: God of War Ragnarok
God of War’s reinvention four years ago was a triumph, bringing vengeful protagonist Kratos out of his Greek comfort zone and into Norse mythology — and a son, no less. Stranger in a Stranger Lands setting is inherently less novel this time around, but he goes from being one of the most two-dimensional goofs in gaming to a touching and relatable depiction of fatherhood, building on it and gaining considerable emotional rewards.
Horizon Forbidden West is one of the best graphics games of the year.Figure: Sony
Kratos has met various greats on his recent journey, including Ratatoskr the squirrel
Best Art Direction
Ring of Elden
god of war ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
contemptuous
stray
Martin’s Choice: God of War Ragnarok
I played this with some friends recently and they really couldn’t tell the difference between the movie and the gameplay. If you basically want a playable violent Pixar movie, this is the game for you.
Tom’s Choice: Elden Ring
FromSoftware’s games have always prided themselves on excellent art direction, and each game brings its dark, fantasy leanings to a wider audience. Elden Ring is a collaboration with Game of Thrones creator George RR Martin and showcases the vast scope and detail of its world. The diversity here is almost unimaginable, and every corner you turn offers something new. Best art or not, it’s definitely the most.
God Of War Ragnarok Has Some Typical Huge Creatures
The scope and variety of the world of Elden Ring is unparalleled.Figure: Bandai Namco
best family game
Kirby and the Forgotten Lands
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Mario + Rabbit Spark of Hope
Nintendo Switch Sports
Splatoon 3
Martin’s choice: LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
If I could give this game all of the above awards, I would. It’s been so long since they posted one of these that I was worried they’d mess up the perfect recipe – but they didn’t. Collectible characters, stud multipliers, and hilarious movies are all back.must play each Family guys (and Star Wars nerds).
Tom’s Choice: Nintendo Switch Sports
I didn’t realize how much I missed the thrill of family competition in Wii Sports until its spiritual successor arrived on Nintendo’s Switch console. As with the original, your mileage in each sport will vary, and tennis and bowling are still the best by far, but each has been boosted with more precise motion controls and online multiplayer.
LEGO Star Wars lets you play through all nine of the main movies.Image: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Bowling is one of the highlights of Nintendo’s return to sports games.Image: Nintendo
best multiplayer game
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
multiplayer
Overwatch 2
Splatoon 3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Revenge of the Shredder
Martin’s Choice: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Boy, this game is hard. Blossom is so hard I haven’t died so many times in a game since…well, never. But the new multiplayer maps are well designed, the gunplay is satisfying and balanced, and it’s fast. Infinity Ward took a long time to perfect the FPS formula, and they did.
Tom’s Choice: Splatoon 3
Infinity Ward may have perfected the FPS formula, but Nintendo has a monopoly on the future of paintball. Splatoon 3 is very similar, with a lot more emphasis. While the fast-paced play and tight controls will be familiar to anyone who played the previous installments, the enhanced map, mode, and weapon selection make this a worthy entry in a series that debuted nearly Still different six years later.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is the biggest launch in franchise history
Splatoon 3 offers more of the same – but all good.Image: Nintendo
best mobile game
pinnacle hero
Diablo Immortal
Genshin Shock
surprise snapshot
fantasy tower
Martin’s Choice: Marvel Snap
This game is so addictive it should be on the list of banned substances. Nuverse has managed to build a balanced, strategic and most importantly barrier free Card game. I was initially skeptical that the Marvel theme would deliver, but I honestly can’t believe this game is free. And, if you drop your phone down the toilet, you can still play it on your PC.
Tom’s Choice: Apex Legends
Porting console games to smartphones is by no means a new concept, but few have produced as good results as Respawn’s Apex Legends. The heart and soul of the popular battle royale game is still there, but it’s been shrunk down to a portable size, complete with smaller maps, improved progression, and a new user interface. If you hook up a controller, whether using an accessory or wirelessly, it plays just as well as its big brother.
Marvel Snap dug into a rich comic book history for its roster. Image: Nuverse
Apex Legends is shrunk down to mobile, and it works well.Photo: Electronic Arts
Best Game Direction
Ring of Elden
god of war ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
immortal
stray
Best Soundtrack and Music
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Ring of Elden
god of war ragnarok
Metal: Hellsinger
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Best Sound Design
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Ring of Elden
god of war ragnarok
Gran Turismo 7
Horizon Forbidden West
best show
Ashly Burch, Horizon Forbidden West
Charlotte McBurney, A Plague Tale: Requiem
Christopher Judge, God of War, Ragnarok
Manon Gage, Immortal
Sunny Suljic, God of War Ragnarok
game of influence
blue memoirs
twilight falls
citizen sleeper
Ending – Extinction is Forever
hindsight
i’m a teenage outlander
Best Continuous Game
pinnacle hero
destiny 2
final fantasy 14
fortnite
Genshin Shock
Best Indie Game
lamb worship
neon white
Four blessings
stray
tunic
best independent debut
neon white
Norco
stray
tunic
vampire survivor
Best Community Support
pinnacle hero
destiny 2
final fantasy 14
fortnite
no man’s sky
Best VR/AR Game
after autumn
between us
bone laboratory
Moss: Book Two
red matter 2
best action game
Bayonetta 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
neon white
Four blessings
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Revenge of the Shredder
Best Action/Adventure Game
A Plague Tale: Requiem
god of war ragnarok
Horizon Forbidden West
stray
tunic
Best RPG
Ring of Elden
survive
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
triangle strategy
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
best fighting game
DNF Duel
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
King of Fighters XV
multiplayer
Four blessings
Best Simulation/Strategy Game
Dune: Spice Wars
Mario + Rabbit Spark of Hope
Total War: Warhammer III
two o’clock campus
Victoria 3
Best Sports/Racing Game
F1 22
FIFA 23
NBA 2K23
Gran Turismo 7
Oreo World
The Game Awards will take place on December 9th at 12:30am UK time.