The Golden Joystick Awards 2024: Indie Games Shine, GOTY Controversy Brews
The Golden Joystick Awards, celebrating gaming excellence since 1983, unveiled its 2024 nominees across numerous categories, notably a new bracket for self-developed, self-published indie games. The awards, set for November 21st, 2024, recognize games released between November 11th, 2023, and October 4th, 2024. This year's nominations highlight a strong showing for indie titles, with games like Balatro and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes receiving multiple nods.
A total of 19 categories are featured, including the aforementioned indie self-publishing category. This new award aims to recognize the evolving definition of "indie" games, focusing on smaller teams lacking the backing of major publishers and those entering less-saturated markets.
Here's a glimpse at some key categories and nominees:
Select Nominee Highlights:
- Best Soundtrack: A Highland Song, Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Hauntii, Silent Hill 2, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
- Best Indie Game: Animal Well, Arco, Balatro, Beyond Galaxyland, Conscript, Indika, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Thank Goodness You’re Here!, The Plucky Squire, Ultros
- Best Indie Game - Self Published: Arctic Eggs, Another Crab’s Treasure, Crow Country, Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, I Am Your Beast, Little Kitty, Big City, Riven, Tactical Breach Wizards, Tiny Glade, UFO 50
- Console Game of the Year: Astro Bot, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Helldivers 2, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- PC Game of the Year: Animal Well, Balatro, Frostpunk 2, Satisfactory, Tactical Breach Wizards, UFO 50
(A full list of nominees across all categories is available on the official Golden Joystick Awards website.)
GOTY Controversy:
The Golden Joystick Awards faced online criticism for excluding titles like Metaphor: ReFantazio, Space Marine 2, and Black Myth: Wukong from the initial Game of the Year (GOTY) nominations. Fans expressed their disappointment, particularly regarding Black Myth: Wukong, accusing the organizers of bias. The organization responded via Twitter, clarifying that the Ultimate Game of the Year (UGOTY) shortlist, which includes these titles, is yet to be released.
Voting Information:
Fan voting is open on the official website. A free ebook is offered as a voting incentive. The UGOTY shortlist will be unveiled on November 4th, with voting running from November 4th to 8th, 2024. Games released after October 4th, 2024, remain eligible for Best Performance and UGOTY.
The controversy surrounding the GOTY nominations highlights the passionate engagement of the gaming community and the ongoing debate surrounding award show selections. The full UGOTY shortlist promises to further fuel this discussion.
