The Game Awards is the biggest gaming event that is held every year in order to determine the best games of that year and appreciate their innovation in pushing the gaming industry forward. The Game Awards ceremony was first conducted in 2014 and has since crowned one game as the Game of the Year every year.
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The nominees for the award are selected based on the opinionsof a hundred media outlets, and the winner is chosen by counting the total number of votes cast by players and fans from around the world. Since 2014, eight games have been awarded the Game of the Year Award winners and with the Game Awards 2022 ceremony set to be held on June 16, 2025, now is the best time to rank and look back at the previous winners of the title.
Action-adventure, Platformer
Available Platforms
Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch
It Takes Twois perhaps the most surprising winner of the Game of The Year award, being an action-adventure platformer video game developed by Hazelight studios. 2021 was a tough year for big-budget games, following the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic, however, it gave smaller titles a chance to shine in the spotlight.
It Takes Twois a unique cooperative game, where players control a middle-aged couple as they go on a fantasy-filled adventure. The couple decides to go forth with a divorce, but their daughter is unable to come to terms with it. The parents then get turned into dolls and go through many obstacles to return to their daughter.
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows
Overwatchis a team-based first-person multiplayer game, also known as a hero shooter, developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The developers took inspiration from games likeTeam Fortress 2and the success of the multiplayer genre and brought forth one of the most revolutionary games of the last decade in the form ofOverwatch.
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In it, players are divided into two teams of six and can choose their characters from a large roster, each having a unique playstyle and gimmicks. The two teams then battle it out to capture each other’s flags without losing their own.Overwatchwas initially released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, later making its way onto the PC in 2016 and the Switch in 2019.
Action Role-Playing, Adventure, Strategy
Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
Dragon Age Inquisitionis an action role-playing game developed by BioWare and released back in 2014. This game has the prestige of being the first winner of the Game Awards’ Game of the Year Award.Dragon Age Inquisitionis the third entry in the franchise, expanding upon the lore ofDragon Agein the best way possible.
The game stars a custom player character simply called the Inquisitor, who must quench the unrest in the lands of Thedas, by dealing with a brewing civil war. The player must also uncover the mystery surrounding a “breach” in the sky above Thedas and stop the monsters being unleashed from within it.
Action Role-Playing, Action-Adventure,
Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceisan action-adventure game, developed by the popular FromSoftware developers, known for games likeDark SoulsandBloodborne. It blew away fans back in 2019 with its detail to combat, stealth, exploration, and most importantly its fun boss fights. The game follows a shinobi called Wolf, who delves down the path of revenge on the Samurai clan that attacked him.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twicewas released across most platforms, even making its way onto Google’s Stadia service. The developers wanted to branch out from their usual souls-like formula and create a new thrilling IP. Seeing the success ofSekiroat the Game Awards 2019, it is safe to say that they succeeded.
PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
The Last of Us Part 2is an action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and is a sequel to 2013’s critically acclaimedThe Last of Us. The game was released in 2020 and became a hot topic due to the narrative direction that it took. Controversies aside, however,The Last of Us Part 2improved upon the first game in every possible way and integrated some of the most polished gameplay seen across all action games.
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The story unfolds five years after the events of the first game andplayers now control an older Ellie and a soldier named Abbyas both of their fates become intertwined amidst the ongoing zombie apocalypse.
Action Role-Playing
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis the third entry in theWitcher Saga, developed by the renowned CD Projekt Red, and released in 2015. The game is athird-person action role-playing gameset in a fantasy world inspired by Slavic Mythology.
Players control the ferocious witcher, Geralt of Rivia, as he traverses the lands in order to find his adopted daughter, as an otherworldly threat known as the Wild Hunt races to end her life.The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis regarded as one of the best games of all time due to its epic narrative, fun combat, and sheer scope.
Action Role-Playing, Action-Adventure, Hack and Slash
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows
God of War (2018)is an action-adventure and narrative-driven game developed by the famous Santa Monica Studios and was one of Sony’s best first-party exclusive games to be released for the PlayStation 4. The game performed exceptionally well, which later prompted Sony to make a PC port of it.God of War (2018)is the eighth chronological entry in the franchise and follows Kratos and hisyoung son Atreusas they embark on a dangerous journey to spread the ashes of Kratos’ second wife at the highest peak in all nine realms.
Following the momentum of 2017 game launches, 2018 saw the release of many big hits as well, butGod of War (2018)reigned supreme over all of them at the Game Awards 2018, being crowned the Game of the Year overMarvel’s Spider-Man,Red Dead Redemption 2andMonster Hunter World, etc.
Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo Switch
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildis an action-adventureopen-world game developed by Nintendofor the Nintendo Wii and the Switch, and was released in 2017. Players control theZeldaseries' protagonist Link as he awakens from a hundred-year slumber but does not have his memories intact. With minimal instructions, players are then left to explore the world ofBreath of The Wildand uncover the mysteries lying within.
2017 was one of the best years for gamers and saw the release of many critically acclaimed titles. However, in the end,Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildcame out on top at the Game Awards 2017, grabbing the title of Game of the Year, and beating the likes ofPersona 5,Horizon Zero Dawn, andSuper Mario Odyssey.
