During the Game Developers Conference, the winners of the 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards were announced. The awards went to the developers of the best games of the past year.
As expected, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3. The latter received the honorary title «Game of the Year» and several other awards. Venba is also worth mentioning. Let’s take a look at the nominees and winners in each category.
Game of the year
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Dave the Diver (Mintrocket)
- Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
The best sound
- Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- Venba (Visai Games)
Honorable Mentions: COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive), Diablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment), Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix), Hogwarts Legacy (Avalanche Software / Portkey Games), Humanity (tha ltd. and Enhance / Enhance)
Best debut
- Venba (Visai Games)
- COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Dave the Diver (Mintrocket)
- Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17)
- Viewfinder (Sad Owl Studios / Thunderful Publishing)
Honorable Mentions: BattleBit Remastered (SgtOkiDoki, Vilaskis, and TheLiquidHorse / SgtOkiDoki), Party Animals (Recreate Games / Source Technology), Pizza Tower (Tour De Pizza), Planet of Lana (Wishfully Studios / Thunderful), Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical (Summerfall Studios / Humble Games)
The best design
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17)
- Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Honorable Mentions: Dave the Diver (Mintrocket), Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Sea of Stars (Sabotage Studio), Street Fighter 6 (Capcom), Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo)
Award for innovation
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
- The Making of Karateka (Digital Eclipse)
Honorable Mentions: Dave the Diver (Mintrocket), Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17), Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks), Viewfinder (Sad Owl Studios / Thunderful Publishing)
Best short story
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- Venba (Visai Games)
Honorable mentions: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (CD Projekt), Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17), Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP), Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
Award for social impact
- Venba (Visai Games)
- A Space for the Unbound (Mojiken Studio / Toge Productions)
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage (Ubisoft Bordeaux / Ubisoft)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Terra Nil (Free Lives / Devolver Digital)
Honorable mentions: Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP), Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Tchia (Awaceb / Kepler Interactive), Thirsty Suitors (Outerloop Games / Annapurna Interactive)
The best technologies
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
Honorable mentions: COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive), Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (CD Projekt), Diablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment), Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix), Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The best visual art
- Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
- COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)
- Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Honorable Mentions: Diablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment), Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17), Lies of P (Neowiz Games and Round8 Studio / Neowiz Games), Sea of Stars (Sabotage Studio), Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo)