The 41st Golden Joystick Awards has unveiled the games, hardware, developers, performers, and publishers who make up the nominees for this year’s categories–and it’s little surprise who leads the pack ahead of the event on Friday, November 10.
Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom top this year’s nominations shortlist with four apiece, while their developers–Larian Studios and Nintendo EPD respectively–have earned a place in the Studio of the Year category. Street Fighter 6, Hi-Fi Rush, Dave the Diver, and Starfield follow close behind with three nominations each.
It’s also a good year for indie games, with the likes of Dredge, Viewfinder, and the newly released COCOON–a real frontrunner for game of the year in its own right–also earning their place in the sun.
The Golden Joystick Awards–the world’s longest-running public-voted games awards show–has shortlisted 100 games, studios, and hardware options across 17 categories. This year’s picks were chosen by a panel of critics from GamesRadar+, Edge Magazine, PC Gamer, Play Magazine, TechRadar Gaming, FGS, and more.
The shortlist and voting for Ultimate Game of the Year, Best Performer, and Best Supporting Performer will go live on October 23 as part of a separate voting window.
How to vote in the 2023 Golden Joystick Awards
Head over to GamesRadar+ to cast your votes ahead of this year’s ceremony. Voting is open now and ends on October 20.
2023 Golden Joystick Awards Nominations in full
Best Audio
- Stray Gods
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
- Starfield
- The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
- Final Fantasy XVI
Best Storytelling
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
- Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon
- Oxenfree II: Lost Signals
- PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Best Game Community
- Final Fantasy XIV
- Warframe
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Deep Rock Galactic
- Dreams
- The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Best Game Expansion
- Power Wash Simulator DLC
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
- 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 Gaming Hardware
- PlayStation VR2
- Turtle Beach Stealth Pro Headset
- Alienware 34 AW3423DWF
- CRKD Nitro Deck
- ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96
- Samsung 990 PRO
Best Indie Game
- Dave the Diver
- Pizza Tower
- Dredge
- COCOON
- Viewfinder
- Sea of Stars
Best Multiplayer Game
- Exoprimal
- Diablo IV
- Street Fighter 6
- Remnant II
- Mortal Kombat 1
- We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip
Best Visual Design
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Starfield
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Viewfinder
- Lies of P
- Street Fighter 6
Nintendo Game of the Year
- Pikmin 4
- The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Metroid Prime Remastered
- Octopath Traveller II
- Fae Farm
PC Game of the Year
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Diablo IV
- Dave the Diver
- Tchia
- System Shock
- Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew
PlayStation Game of the Year
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Resident Evil 4
- Street Fighter 6
- Humanity
- Armored Core VI: Fires Of Rubicon
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Xbox Game of the Year
- Starfield
- Chants of Sennaar
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Planet of Lana
- Dead Space
- Pentiment
Still Playing Award
- No Man’s Sky
- 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
Studio of the Year
- Larian Studios
- Digital Eclipse
- Nintendo EPD
- Mimimi Games
- Remedy Entertainment
- CD Projekt Red
Best Game Trailer
- Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty–Official Cinematic Trailer
- 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
Most Wanted Game
- Death Stranding 2
- Star Wars Outlaws
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Tekken 8
- Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
- Hades II
- Fable
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- EVERYWHERE
- Frostpunk 2
- ARK 2
- METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: 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
Best VR Game (returning for 2023)
- C-Smash VRS
- Horizon Call of the Mountain VR
- Synapse
- Vertigo 2 VR
- F1 23 VR
- The Light Brigade
Daniel Dawkins, content director for games, video, and digital events, said: “What. A. Year. It’s testament to the astonishing quality of 2023’s game releases that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom–an exceptional sequel to one of the best games of all time–isn’t the only game to claim the most nominations. Larian’s critically adored Baldur’s Gate 3 shares that accolade, earning a coveted 10/10 in Edge Magazine, and hailed by PC Gamer’s reviewer as the ‘greatest RPG I’ve played.’
“Bethesda’s epic Starfield achieved lift-off despite the gravity of expectations, while big sequels such as Street Fighter 6 and Mortal Kombat 1 hit the mark. Add a slew of superb AAA remakes, plus indie gems including Dave the Diver, Dredge, and COCOON, and 2023 has a legitimate claim to the best in gaming history.”
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