Video Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a distinct gaming experience across all platforms and genres.
• Dishonored 2 – Bethesda Softworks / Arkane Studios
• DOOM – Bethesda Softworks / id Software
• Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
• Titanfall 2 – Electronic Arts / Respawn Entertainment
• WINNER: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog
Mobile Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a unique gaming experience on any handheld device.
• Clash Royale – Supercell
• WINNER: Pokémon GO – Niantic
• Pokémon Sun and Moon – The Pokémon Company / Game Freak
• Reigns – Devolver Digital / Nerial
• Severed – DrinkBox Studios
Tabletop Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and ingenuity of any tabletop game in any genre.
• WINNER: Arkham Horror: The Card Game – Fantasy Flight Games
• Captain Sonar – Matagot
• Inis – Matagot
• Mechs vs Minions – Riot Games
• The Others – CMON Inc.
Esports Game of the Year
Awarded to the online game that has the best competitive scene, or potential to grow one, and most entertainment value.
• Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – Activision / Infinity Ward
• Gears of War 4 – Microsoft Studios / The Coalition
• Killer Instinct: Season 3 – Microsoft Studios / Iron Galaxy Studios
• WINNER: Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
• Street Fighter V – Capcom
Trending Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that consistently entertained and kept us watching on social platforms with its humor, stories, and more.
• Dead by Daylight – Starbreeze Studios / Behaviour Digital Inc.
• Job Simulator – Owlchemy Labs
• WINNER: Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
• SUPERHOT – SUPERHOT Team
• Who’s Your Daddy – Evil Tortilla Games
Fan Creation of the Year
Awarded to the most compelling fan-made piece of work across all games and platforms. This includes, but isn’t limited to, artwork, writing, videography, special effects, and more.
• WINNER: Brutal Doom 64 – Sergeant_Mark_IV
• Enderal – The Shards of Order – SureAI Team
• Fallout 1.5: Resurrection – Resurrection Team
• Fallout: Revelation – MechanicalCakeTV
• Jack – A Stanley Parable Short Film – Vesio Productions
Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award
Awarded to the game that best challenges the “norm” of everyday gaming and offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character, or gameplay.
• 1979 Revolution: Black Friday – INK Stories
• Fragments of Him – Sassybot
• Orwell – Surprise Attack / Osmotic Studios
• Quadrilateral Cowboy – Blendo Games
• WINNER: That Dragon, Cancer – Numinous Games
Excellence in Narrative
Awarded to the game with the best storyline and dialogue.
• Firewatch – Panic Inc. / Campo Santo
• The Last Guardian – Sony Interactive Entertainment / SIE Japan Studio
• Oxenfree – Night School Studio
• That Dragon, Cancer – Numinous Games
• WINNER: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog
Excellence in Design
Awarded to the game with the best overall design concept and best execution.
• WINNER: Dishonored 2 – Bethesda Softworks / Arkane Studios
• INSIDE – Playdead
• Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog
• The Witness – Thekla, Inc.
Excellence in Gameplay
Awarded to the game with the best gameplay mechanics.
• Dark Souls III – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment / FromSoftware, Inc.
• Dishonored 2 – Bethesda Softworks / Arkane Studios
• WINNER: DOOM – Bethesda Softworks / id Software
• Firewatch – Panic Inc. / Campo Santo
• I Expect You To Die – Schell Games
Most Fulfilling Community-Funded Game
Awarded to the game that was primarily produced via crowdfunding platforms and had excelled beyond the expectations set before it.
• Darkest Dungeon – Red Hook Studios
• Hyper Light Drifter – Heart Machine
• WINNER: Starbound – Chucklefish Games
• SUPERHOT – SUPERHOT Team
• That Dragon, Cancer – Numinous Games
Most Promising New Intellectual Property
Awarded to a new property that risked creating something fresh and that excelled within its genre or category for the year.
• Firewatch – Panic Inc. / Campo Santo
• WINNER: Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
• Stardew Valley – Chucklefish Games / ConcernedApe
• SUPERHOT – SUPERHOT Team
• Tom Clancy’s The Division – Ubisoft / Ubisoft Massive
Most Memorable Character
Awarded to the best game character that left an overwhelming impression.
• Firewatch – Henry & Delilah
• The Last Guardian – Trico
• Overwatch – Tracer
• Titanfall 2 – BT-7274
• WINNER: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Nathan Drake
Excellence in Multiplayer
Awarded to the game with the best player-to-player interaction experience.
• Battlefield 1 – Electronic Arts / EA DICE
• Gears of War 4 – Microsoft Studios / The Coalition
• WINNER: Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
• SpeedRunners – tinyBuild / DoubleDutch Games
• Titanfall 2 – Electronic Arts / Respawn Entertainment
Excellence in Convergence
Awarded to the game that excels in crossover to other entertainment mediums such as film, music, toys, animation, sports and more.
• Batman: Arkham VR – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / Rocksteady Studios
• WINNER: Batman: The Telltale Series – Telltale Games
• FIFA 17 – EA Sports / EA Canada
• NBA 2K17 – 2K Sports / Visual Concepts
• Total War: WARHAMMER – SEGA / Creative Assembly
Excellence in Art
Awarded to the game with the most expressive and creative artistic style.
• ABZÛ – 505 Games / Giant Squid
• WINNER: Firewatch – Panic Inc. / Campo Santo
• INSIDE – Playdead
• Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
• The Witness – Thekla, Inc.
Excellence in Animation
Awarded to the game with the most outstanding animations.
• DOOM – Bethesda Softworks / id Software
• INSIDE – Playdead
• The Last Guardian – Sony Interactive Entertainment / SIE Japan Studio
• Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
• WINNER: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog
Excellence in Visual Achievement
Awarded to the game with the most well-designed and stunning visuals.
• Battlefield 1 – Electronic Arts / EA DICE
• DOOM – Bethesda Softworks / id Software
• Final Fantasy XV – Square Enix
• Titanfall 2 – Electronic Arts / Respawn Entertainment
• WINNER: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog
Excellence in Technical Achievement
Awarded to the game that pushed the capabilities of technology and programming.
• WINNER: Battlefield 1 – Electronic Arts / EA DICE
• No Man’s Sky – Sony Interactive Entertainment / Hello Games
• Overwatch – Blizzard Entertainment
• Pokémon GO – Niantic
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog
Excellence in Musical Score
Awarded to the game that best exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it progresses the narrative of the game.
• WINNER: DOOM – Bethesda Softworks / id Software
• Final Fantasy XV – Square Enix
• Hyper Light Drifter – Heart Machine
• The Last Guardian – Sony Interactive Entertainment / SIE Japan Studio
• Thumper – Drool
Excellence in SFX
Awarded to the game with the most outstanding and impactful sound effects.
• WINNER: Battlefield 1 – Electronic Arts / EA DICE
• Dishonored 2 – Bethesda Softworks / Arkane Studios
• INSIDE – Playdead
• Titanfall 2 – Electronic Arts / Respawn Entertainment
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Sony Computer Entertainment / Naughty Dog
Gamer’s Voice Award
Awarded to the best game created by indie developers, selected by SXSW Gaming Expo attendees.
Gamer’s Voice Single Player
• Ape Out – Gabe Cuzzillo
• Asura – Ogre Head Studio
• Bootleg Systems – NEONABLE
• CHKN – Katapult
• Circles – Illusive Games
• Code 7 – Episode 0: Allocation – Goodwolf Studio
• Cryptark – Alientrap
• Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor – Sundae Month
• Event [0] – Ocelot Society
• Far From Noise – George Batchelor
• Haimrik – Below the Game
• Hollow Knight – Team Cherry
• Katana Zero – Askiisoft
• MachiaVillain – Wild Factor
• Mages of Mystralia – Borealys Games
• Night in the Woods – Infinite Fall
• No Truce With The Furies – ZAUM STUDIO OÜ
• Obduction – Cyan
• WINNER: Owlboy – D-Pad Studio
• Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Mimimi Productions
• She Remembered Caterpillars – jumpsuit entertainment
• Sundered – Thunder Lotus Games
• The Hex – Daniel Mullins Games
• The Metronomicon – Puuba
• The Pedestrian – Skookum Arts
• The Shrouded Isle – Kitfox Games
• Tumbleseed – AEIOWU
• Where the Water Tastes Like Wine – Dim Bulb Games
Gamer’s Voice Multiplayer
• Akuto: Mad World – Hut 90
• Antihero – Tim Conkling
• WINNER: ARENA GODS – Supertype
• Beasts of Balance – Sensible Object
• Flat Heroes – Parallel Circles
• Friday Night Bullet Arena – Red Nexus Games
• Human: Fall Flat – No Brakes Games
• Invisigun Heroes – Sombr Studio
• Overcooked – Ghost Town Games
• Schlicht – Team Schlicht
• Red Rope: Don’t Fall Behind – Yonder
• Saltlands – Antler Games
• Sky Noon – Lunar Rooster
• Strikers Edge – Fun Punch Games
• Tooth and Tail – Pocketwatch Games
• Vast: The Crystal Caverns – Leder Games
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