Annual Golden Joystick Awards voting begins

The 42nd Golden Joystick Awards are in full swing, and it's time to make your voice heard. The polls are open to all categories, including PC Game of the Year, Console Game of the Year, Best Gaming Hardware, and many more. You have until Friday, November 1st, at 11 pm to cast your votes.

2023 was a standout year for video gaming, with Baldur's Gate 3 and Larian Studios clinching seven awards at last year's ceremony. Despite the challenges the games industry has faced in 2024, the diverse range of releases has created an exceptionally competitive lineup of nominees. Besides the categories we're used to seeing, there are a few additions, such as The Still Playing awards and a dedicated independent game category for self-published titles.

The full list of categories and respective nominees follows:

Best Storytelling

• 1000xResist
• Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
• Tactical Breach Wizards

Best Multiplayer Game

• Abiotic Factor
• EA Sports College Football 25
• Helldivers 2
• Sons of the Forest
• Tekken 8
• The Finals

Best Visual Design

• Astro Bot
• Black Myth: Wukong
• Harold Halibut
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Best Indie Game

• Animal Well
• Arco
• Balatro
• Beyond Galaxyland
• Conscript
• Indika
• Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
• Thank Goodness You're Here!
• The Plucky Squire
• Ultros

Best Indie Game – Self Published

 

• Arctic Eggs
• Another Crab's Treasure
• Crow Country
• Duck Detective: The Secret Salami
• I Am Your Beast
• Little Kitty, Big City
• Riven
• Tactical Breach Wizards
• Tiny Glade
• UFO 50

Still Playing Award—PC and Console

• Apex Legends
• Counter-Strike 2
• EA Sports FC
• Dota 2
• Fortnite
• GTA Online
• Minecraft
• Naraka: Bladepoint
• Roblox
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
• Valorant
• Warframe

Still Playing Award – Mobile

• Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile
• Free Fire
• Honkai: Star Rail
• Roblox
• Marvel Snap
• Monopoly Go!
• Mini Motorways
• PUBG: Battlegrounds
• Squad Busters
• Star Wars: Hunters
• Subway Surfers
• The Sims Mobile

Studio of the Year

• 11 Bit Studios
• Arrowhead Game Studios
• Capcom
• Digital Eclipse
• Team ASOBI
• Visual Concepts

Best Game Expansion

• Alan Wake 2 Expansion Pass
• Destiny 2: The Final Shape
• Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred
• Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
• God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
• World of Warcraft: The War Within

Best Audio Design

• Astro Bot
• Balatro
• Robobeat
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
• Star Wars Outlaws
• Still Wakes the Deep

Best Soundtrack

• A Highland Song
• Astro Bot
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Hauntii
• Silent Hill 2
• Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance

Best Lead Performer

• Cody Christian (Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth)
• Kaiji Tang (Ichiban Kasuga in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth)
• Humberly Gonzalez (Kay Vess in Star Wars Outlaws)
• Luke Roberts (James Sunderland in Silent Hill 2)
• Melina Juergens (Senua in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II)
• Sonequa Martin-Green (Alvilda in Asgard's Wrath 2)

Best Supporting Performer

• Abbi Greenland and Helen Goalen (The Furies in Senua's Saga: Hellblade II)
• Briana White (Aerith Gainsborough in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth)
• Dawn M. Bennett (Aigis in Persona 3 Reload)
• Debra Wilson (Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad)
• Matt Berry (Herbert in Thank Goodness You're Here!)
• Neve McIntosh (Suze in Still Wakes the Deep)

PC Game of the Year

• Animal Well
• Balatro
• Frostpunk 2
• Satisfactory
• Tactical Breach Wizards
• UFO 50

Console Game of the Year

• Astro Bot
• Dragon's Dogma 2
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Helldivers 2
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

Best Early Access Game

• Enshrouded
• Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
• Hades II
• Manor Lords
• Lethal Company
• Palworld

Best Gaming Hardware

• Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
• Backbone One (2nd Gen)
• LG UltraGear 32GS95UE
• Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super
• Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra
• Steam Deck OLED

Best Game Trailer

• Caravan Sandwitch – Launch Trailer
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach – State of Play Announce Trailer
• Helldivers 2 – “The Fight for Freedom Begins” Launch Trailer
• Kingmakers – Official Announcement Trailer
• Sid Meier's Civilization VII – Narrator Reveal Trailer
• The Plucky Squire – Launch Trailer

Most Wanted Game

• Atomfall
• Assassin's Creed Shadows
• Sid Meier's Civilization VII
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Deadlock
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• Exodus
• Fable
• Ghost of Yotei
• Grand Theft Auto VI
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Light No Fire
• Mafia: The Old Country
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• Skate.
• Slay the Spire 2
• South of Midnight

The winners will be announced on November 21st during an event held in central London and broadcast live online. Voting for the Ultimate Game of the Year, arguably the most prestigious category, will only open on November 4th, alongside the release of the shortlist of competitors. Those interested in voting can do so HERE.

KitGuru says: Do you agree with the nominations? What game were you expecting to see nominated but not made the list?

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