Board 8 > What six games will be nominated for GotY at the Game Awards?

(+) Yeah! (+)

MacArrowny posted...

It was November 18 last year.

which was a Monday, so would track for Nov 17 this year I suppose, hmmm....

adding in two new consensusers for the new page, maybe winner predictions will happen after the noms are released but tazzy's DS2 winner prediction at first glance feels like a gutsy pick, but I'm playing through Expedition 33 now and while I'm still early I'm not quite getting GOTY vibes from it just yet (though I also haven't played my like 5-year old copy of DS yet, let alone DS2, lol...)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/b93f002f.png

Clair Obscur is the GOTY winner this year, I do not think there is a discussion to be had

After finishing episode 8, my money is on:

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Donkey Kong Bananza
Hades 2
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Death Stranding 2
Dispatch

Dispatch is having a late surge. The Opencritic has risen to 90 now though it only has 17 reviews. When it gets more it might end up as one of the top reviewed games of the year. Overall the real question is if enough people have played it in time to get it in. Feels like it will win Narrative though. Very tempted to remove Blue Prince for it though.

It all reminds me of The Walking Dead, which wound up being the best reviewed game of that year once all episodes were out quite late on. That game went on to win as well.

Oh, it's episodic? Far too late to make it into the field. This is the first I've even heard of it. Not a chance.

It was episodic in the sense that it released everything over the course of a month (2 episodes per week). Not the months-long breaks like TWD.

Dispatch has done well for itself. It isn't huge but it's gotten a fair amount of traction since it came out and has sold well.

Paratroopa1 posted...

Oh, it's episodic? Far too late to make it into the field. This is the first I've even heard of it. Not a chance.

Well I think it has a better chance than ARC Raiders as far as late breaking games go. It has momentum which is important. Should we carry on the oscar analogy, Dispatch could be like Im Still Here where it surges at the last minute to a surprise nomination. Thinking on The Game Awards themselves, Titanfall 2 came out very late but still pulled it off.

Arc Raiders doesn't have a chance either.

KCD2 had a free weekend last week and it made me wonder if it could help people remember it to grab the Split Fiction spot (which we all feel in agreement is the disputed one here)

LiquidOshawott posted...

KCD2 had a free weekend last week and it made me wonder if it could help people remember it to grab the Split Fiction spot (which we all feel in agreement is the disputed one here)

They had that sales announcement which made me think they were campaigning for a nomination as well.

Again, Fares is like tga bff there's zero chance a 90+ scored game gets snubbed by Geoff

FFDragon posted...

Again, Fares is like tga bff there's zero chance a 90+ scored game gets snubbed by Geoff

I mean I still have it, just think of the top 6 choices its the weakest

They might lean towards him but I dunno if the voting public at large sees Fares at a similar level to Kojima or Miyazaki where anything he touches is a shoe in

LiquidOshawott posted...

They might lean towards him but I dunno if the voting public at large sees Fares at a similar level to Kojima or Miyazaki where anything he touches is a shoe in

The voting public doesn't have any involvement in the noms. I think Hades or DK are a bigger snub risk than Split Fiction, but who knows.

Yeah Geoff Keighly has no impact on the nominations beyond assembling the panel which is not only done by him. There is a jury of over a hundred outlets that give a list of their top games which is translated into the nominations and I doubt there are many of them that think like that. After all Geoff can just invite Josef Fares anyway!

Yotei is still the most likely snub.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Donkey Kong Bananza
Hades II
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Split Fiction

LightningStrikes posted...

Yeah Geoff Keighly has no impact on the nominations beyond assembling the panel which is not only done by him. There is a jury of over a hundred outlets that give a list of their top games which is translated into the nominations and I doubt there are many of them that think like that. After all Geoff can just invite Josef Fares anyway!

Oh I misunderstood, yeah I see what you mean. Still I think Hazelight is popular with that crowd, Split Fiction reviewed excellently and stands out in the group of potential noms, and ITT won (in an admittedly weak year).

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Donkey Kong Bonanza
Death Stranding 2
Ghosts of Yotei
Split Fiction
Kingdom Come II

I've seen some people suggest that the nominations are being delayed so the jury can play Half-Life 3 when it shadow drops next week, lol.

In all seriousness, regarding Dispatch and Arc Raiders, I think if there were 10 nominees, they would probably make it.

I think the nominations in that case would be:
Arc Raiders, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Dispatch, Donkey Kong Bananza, Ghost of Ytei, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and Split Fiction.

Also, I'm still sticking with my current six, but I feel even queasier about GoY being there. The other five still feel like locks to me, though.

I just gave no respect to indies with my guess, except for goty frontrunner clair obscur

Given Balatro got in last year, think both Silksong and Hades II get in this year

It is quite unusual to not have at least one indie rep, and in such a huge year for indie games it would basically been criminal. Especially since the first Hades was already nominated, was probably top two that year, and Hades II is this years best reviewed game. That one would be a truly shocking snub I think.

They usually have *a* indie game. The question this year is (a) if Clair Obscur counts as that indie game, and (b) if HKSS and Hades 2 individually have enough clout to crack the top 6. Most of us here believe that they do, but we're not the type of people who are responsible for deciding these things.

There is a non-zero chance Death Stranding wins just because it's Kojima. Kojima is 62, and who knows how long he'll keep making high profile games, and we know that Keighley loves Kojima. I think at the very least he gets the "runner-up" award of Best Game Direction.

I sincerely thought I posted a list when this topic went up, but at this point I only see locks for Clair Obscur, Death Stranding, Bananza, and one of Silksong or Hades. I don't think Split/Fiction feels like a contender the way It Takes Two was, but I'm also not sure what else creeps in besides Yotei. I know there are some feel-good picks like KCD2 and Blue Prince, but I think maybe the final indie game makes the pack simply in lieu of other high profile AAA games in the discussion, but I'm gonna float an odd-ball pick instead just to be a contrarian.

Clair Obscur
Death Stranding
DK Bananza
HK Silksong
Ghost of Yotei
Mario Kart World

LightningStrikes posted...

It is quite unusual to not have at least one indie rep, and in such a huge year for indie games it would basically been criminal. Especially since the first Hades was already nominated, was probably top two that year, and Hades II is this years best reviewed game. That one would be a truly shocking snub I think.

I think people generally get confused about indie games and think the game awards just automatically snub them. I think in a lot of cases indie games have legs and are more popular in the years that follow than the initial year that they came out as word of mouth grows (Undertale, Stardew, Hollow Knight, wanna throw Minecraft here you can) Even critical darlings like Outer Wilds and Disco Elysium could be thrown here too.

Silksong and Hades II are exceptions. They are sequels to arguably 2 of the top 5 most popular modern indie games. There is anticipation and expectation there that I think most fans feel like have been met. I am more sold on them being here than Ytei, which just feels like people throwing Sony a nomination when Death Stranding 2 already exists

I'm completely out of the loop with Death Stranding 2. Did people actually like that game a lot? Or is it just the type of nomination that typically plays well for the Game Awards?

it's kojima

basically it

I wasn't super high on DS1 and bailed on DS2 about 10 hours in. It's... fine. But basically just more DS1.

DS2 got much better reviews than DS1. The gameplay/characters/story are all a good deal better. The only aspect where it loses is novelty, which is why it won't win GotY, IMO.

It's much better than Yotei tho.

KamikazePotato posted...

I'm completely out of the loop with Death Stranding 2. Did people actually like that game a lot? Or is it just the type of nomination that typically plays well for the Game Awards?

It is generally viewed as an improvement on the first game that got nominated and is the third best reviewed AAA game of the year behind Clair Obscur (if we count it) and Donkey Kong Bananza. It is currently sitting at a 90 on Opencritic while the original has an 83 for instance. What really counts against it though is that it is very much an iterative sequel, it is extremely similar to the first game which is unusual for a Kojima game. To the point where I quite liked it but it would be very disappointed if it won.

"There's Kojima. Look! Did you know Geoff Keighley is friends with him?"

https://www.gematsu.com/2025/11/the-indie-game-awards-2025-set-for-december-18

Indie game awards nominees.

Not sure I want to see E33 in best indie/best debut indie at TGAs...

Is it technically any worse than Dave the Diver being nominated for best indie

No, I just like to see different games get recognized, haha. Ideally Debut Indie and Best Indie would have different games, too.

Running out of room, gotta start shrinking!!

(finally, a Mario Kart World appearance...)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/f037dd2f.png

https://x.com/geoffkeighley/status/1989072589814395383

Monday is the day.

Blessings upon us from the dorito pope

I expect 50 bonus points in the NFL pickem if I'm correct

I'll give up gaming for a month if Mario Kart World is a GotY nominee.

Mario Kart World being nominated for GOTY would be funny as fuck, please let it happen

oh I didn't realize this turned into a Pick'em challenge. Well if there's bragging rights involved:

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Death Stranding 2
Hades II
Split Fiction
Blue Prince

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Monster Hunter Wilds yet, I don't think it's really that far out of the question, I think it would make a 10-game field

Paratroopa1 posted...

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Monster Hunter Wilds yet, I don't think it's really that far out of the question, I think it would make a 10-game field

while it was well received at the time of release I think fans have kinda started to turn against it as the game has gone on

a fun little comp would be bringing in Diablo IV for 2023

Yeah but like, TGA's GOTY isn't decided by disgruntled MH fans

As someone who played a LOT of Wilds... eh

I think the enthusiasm for it died off pretty quickly, so that kinda hurt it

Disgruntled MH Wilds players are the norm, not the exception. That game's word of mouth has been radioactive

Paratroopa1 posted...

Yeah but like, TGA's GOTY isn't decided by disgruntled MH fans

It didn't make the Golden Joystick Awards, and they had 12 nominees. And that was before Arc Raiders and Dispatch. MHW is probably like 15th place if I had to guess.

Yeah, I guess negative word of mouth after the fact could impact its legacy pretty hard, that's true

For reference, these were the Golden Joystick nominees:

• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• PEAK
• Ghost of Yotei
• Hades II
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Blue Prince
• Silent Hill f
• Split Fiction
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Multiplayer heavy games that have gotten in:

Hearthstone
Overwatch
Titanfall 2 (although would argue that the campaign is one of the premier parts of it)
PUBG
Monster Hunter World
Smash Ultimate
AC New Horizons
Deathloop
It Takes Two

basically since 2021 (2023 if you want to count Wonder) thats the list unless you want to count pseudo ones like the Dooms or Elden Ring/Bloodborne

LiquidOshawott posted...

basically since 2021 (2023 if you want to count Wonder) thats the list unless you want to count pseudo ones like the Dooms or Elden Ring/Bloodborne

Kind of crazy that The Dark Ages wasn't brought up even once! I thought that game was really fun, though admittedly I haven't played the other 2 recent ones as a comparison point. That game feels like it would be in the "Yotei" level odds realm, where if it had come out a month ago people would be talking about it but because it came out in March it's forgotten about.

Oh right, Indiana Jones. Videos on this topic were saying even 6 months ago that everyone would forget about it.

I did mention both Indiana Jones and Monster Hunter Wilds in the topic post!

No Doom though. Consensus on that one seems to be just "pretty good" so it doesn't feel like a contender to me.