The Golden Joystick Awards 2023 came and went over the weekend, celebrating a year of frankly fantastic video game releases (and sadly also a year of great loss in the industry), with accolades recognising excellence in everything from storytelling to audio, from AAA to indie.
Larian Studios’ blockbuster RPG, Baldur’s Gate 3, absolutely cleaned up as could have been predicted, taking out seven awards in total including the coveted “Ultimate Game of the Year.”
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Here’s the complete list of winners (via GamesRadar):
Best Storytelling
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (winner)
- The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
- Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon
- Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals
- Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Still Playing Award
- No Man’s Sky (winner)
- Genshin Impact
- The Sims 4
- Fortnite
- Naraka Bladepoint
- GTA Online
- Warframe
- Valorant
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive / Counter-Strike 2
- Apex Legends
- Dota 2
- Call of Duty
Best Visual Design
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (winner)
- Starfield
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Viewfinder
- Lies of P
- Street Fighter 6
Studio of the Year
- Larian Studios (winner)
- Digital Eclipse
- Nintendo EPD
- Mimimi Games
- Remedy Entertainment
- CD Projekt Red
Best Game Expansion
- Power Wash Simulator DLC
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (winner)
- The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom
- The Case of the Golden Idol Mysteries: The Lemurian Vampire and Spider of Lanka
- Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania
- A Little to the Left: Cupboards & Drawers
Best Indie Game
- Dave the Diver
- Pizza Tower
- Dredge
- Cocoon
- Viewfinder
- Sea of Stars (winner)
Best Multiplayer Game
- Exoprimal
- Diablo 4
- Street Fighter 6
- Remnant 2
- Mortal Kombat 1 (winner)
- We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip
Best Audio
- Stray Gods
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
- Starfield
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Final Fantasy 16 (winner)
Best Game Trailer
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – Official Cinematic Trailer (winner)
- Alan Wake 2 – The Dark Place Gameplay Trailer
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Official Trailer #3
- Baby Steps Reveal Trailer
- Mortal Kombat 1 – Official It’s In Our Blood Trailer
- Dave the Diver – Official Release Month And Accolades Trailer
Best Game Community
- Final Fantasy 14
- Warframe
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (winner)
- Deep Rock Galactic
- Dreams
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best VR game
- C-Smash VRS
- Horizon Call of the Mountain (winner)
- Synapse
- Vertigo 2 VR
- F1 23 VR
- The Light Brigade
Best Gaming Hardware
- PlayStation VR2 (winner)
- Turtle Beach Stealth Pro Headset
- Alienware 34 AW3423DWF
- Nitro Deck
- ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96
- Samsung 990 PRO
Breakthrough Award
- Cocoon / Geometric Interactive
Critics’ Choice Award
- Alan Wake 2
Best Streaming Game
- Valorant
Best Lead Performer
- Ben Starr – Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy 16 (winner)
- Yuri Lowenthal – Peter Parker in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Cameron Monaghan – Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Ilkka Villi and Matthew Porretta – Alan Wake in Alan Wake 2
- Nadji Jeter – Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Ellise Chappell – Kathy Johanson in Deliver Us Mars
- Melanie Liburd – Saga Anderson in Alan Wake 2
Best Supporting Performer
- Laura Bailey – Mary Jane in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Neil Newbon – Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3 (winner)
- Cissy Jones – Andreja in Starfield
- Amelia Tyler – Narrator in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Ralph Ineson – Cidolfus Telamon in Final Fantasy 16
- Patricia Summersett – Princess Zelda in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Idris Elba – Solomon Reed in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Nintendo Game of the Year
- Pikmin 4
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (winner)
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Metroid Prime Remastered
- Octopath Traveller 2
- Fae Farm
PC Game of the Year
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (winner)
- Diablo 4
- Dave the Diver
- Tchia
- System Shock
- Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew
PlayStation Game of the Year
- Final Fantasy 16
- Resident Evil 4 (winner)
- Street Fighter 6
- Humanity
- Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Xbox Game of the Year
- Starfield (winner)
- Chants of Sennaar
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Planet of Lana
- Dead Space
- Pentiment
Most Wanted Game
- Death Stranding 2
- Star Wars Outlaws
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (winner)
- Tekken 8
- Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
- Hades 2
- Fable
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Everywhere
- Frostpunk 2
- Ark 2
- Metal Gear Solid ?: Snake Eater
- Persona 3 Reload
- Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles
- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
- Pacific Drive
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
- Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin
Ultimate Game of the Year
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (winner)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Alan Wake 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Cocoon
- Starfield
- Final Fantasy 16
- Diablo 4
- Forza Motorsport
- Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Street Fighter 6
- Metroid Prime Remastered
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Lords of the Fallen
- Dead Space
- Sea of Stars
