The Golden Joystick Awards 2024: A Celebration of Gaming Excellence, with a Focus on Indie Titles
The Golden Joystick Awards, celebrating gaming's finest since 1983, returns on November 21st, 2024, for its 42nd edition. This year's awards showcase games released between November 11th, 2023, and October 4th, 2024, with a notable emphasis on indie games. Titles like Balatro and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes have earned multiple nominations, highlighting the growing influence of smaller developers.
A new category, "Best Indie Game - Self Published," recognizes indie games developed and published by smaller teams without the backing of major publishers. This reflects the evolving definition of "indie" and the increasing success of self-published titles.
Here's a glimpse at some of the nominated titles across various categories:
Key Award Categories and Nominees:
- 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
- Most Wanted Game: (A comprehensive list of nominees is available on the official website)
(Note: A full list of nominees for all 19 categories is available on the official Golden Joystick Awards website.)
Voting and Controversy:
Fan voting is now open! The nominees were chosen by a jury including representatives from prominent gaming publications. Voting runs until November 8th, 2024, with the Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist announced later. The omission of certain fan favorites, such as Black Myth: Wukong, from the Game of the Year categories has sparked online debate. The organizers have clarified that the Ultimate Game of the Year nominees are yet to be revealed.
As a reward for participation, voters can claim a free ebook.
Participate in the voting and help decide the winners of the Golden Joystick Awards 2024!
