It’s wild to see just how much the games industry has truly changed over the years. A quick glance at the winners over the course of the last forty years is a clear indicator of the growth that video games have seen in terms of tech, design, and audience taste. As the fourth and final part of this retrospective, we finally arrive at the 2010s onward.
While there’s no single correct answer for what makes a game worthy of the GOTY title, we certainly see a theme in recent years; games featuring large open worlds, bombastic action set pieces, and AAA graphics tend to take home the grand prize over others.
But with all of this said, GOTY winners seem to follow a trend of whatever is currently popular – massive open worlds are the trendy thing right now, but a quick glance at GOTY winners in the early 2000’s showed that first person shooters were the most popular. Without further ado, here’s a look back at every GOTY award winner from 2010 to 2021.
2010 – Red Dead Redemption
2010 was another awesome year in gaming, with titles like God of War III, Mass Effect 2, Fallout: New Vegas, and Amnesia: The Dark Descent to name just a few highlights. But it’s easy to see why Red Dead Redemption took home the most GOTY awards for the year. The game took everything that made the Grand Theft Auto series great – an immersive and highly detailed world, excellent gunplay and combat, a huge map filled with tons of things to do, and an exciting story – all while taking place in the Wild West.
Red Dead Redemption captures the tone of old spaghetti westerns such as The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly with a story very much in line with that genre. The game also offers players the same level of freedom as GTA, allowing gamers to do just about anything that they want. Players could play it seriously, or get wrapped up in the most ridiculous scenarios imaginable. Overall, Red Dead Redemption is still an incredibly enjoyable game today. It recently received ports for both the Switch and PlayStation 4.
Back when it launched in 2010, it received Game of the Year awards from over one hundred different gaming sites and award shows, including Spike Video Game Awards, Game Developers Choice Awards, NAVGTR Awards, Game Critics Awards, and more.
Other GOTY Winners:
- Mass Effect 2 – 102
- Super Mario Galaxy 2 – 21
- Heavy Rain – 13
- God of War III – 7
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty – 7
- Call of Duty: Black Ops – 6
- Bayonetta – 5
- Fallout: New Vegas – 4
- Halo: Reach – 4
- Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood – 3
- Deadly Premonition – 3
- Gran Turismo 5 – 2
- Vanquish – 2
- Alan Wake – 1
- Amnesia: The Dark Descent – 1
- Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – 1
- BioShock 2 – 1
- Darksiders – 1
- Enslaved: Odyssey to the West – 1
- Epic Mickey – 1
2011 – The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim launched over a decade ago, and astoundingly, the game still has thousands of active players and new mods created for it every single month. It is the game that never died, a feat that few have achieved.
Taking a look at the community mods, everything ranging from quality of life features, graphical overhauls, and entirely new quest lines have been made for the game, with a large amount of it being incredibly high in quality. Player mods have allowed Skyrim to continue to feel relevant and up-to-date for modern gaming, with a modded version of Skyrim feeling very comparable to current-gen games.
Even without considering fan-created content, Skyrim is absolutely brimming. The massive RPG features a gigantic open world, hundreds of exciting quests, a large variety of skills, weapons, and magic abilities, and tons to do and explore. While the combat itself and story aren’t the best, Skyrim’s greatest asset – like Bethesda’s other games – is the exciting sense of discovery while exploring its world. Few things are more fun than exploring the huge world of Skyrim, as there are details and secrets around just about every corner of the world. Players can play through the main storyline, or go off on their own and do their own thing.
The number of re-releases that Skyrim received over the years – including the Nintendo Switch, VR, and even Amazon’s Alexa – is a testament to just how popular and loved the game truly is. It was showered with praise when it was released in 2011, and received a grand total of 227 GOTY awards; this included awards from Game Developers Choice Awards, Spike Video Game Awards, and many others.
Other GOTY Winners:
- Portal 2 – 57
- Batman: Arkham City – 42
- Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – 20
- The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword – 19
- Battlefield 3 – 8
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution – 6
- Dark Souls – 5
- Gears of War 3 – 5
- The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings – 5
- L.A. Noire – 4
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – 3
- Star Wars: The Old Republic – 2
- Dead Island – 1
- Dead Space 2 – 1
- Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten – 1
- Killzone 3 – 1
- LittleBigPlanet 2 – 1
- Minecraft – 1
2012 – Telltale’s The Walking Dead
When gamers think of games featuring zombies, point-and-click gameplay is probably one of the last things that come to mind. And there has been no shortage of great zombie games through the years, including Dead Rising, Resident Evil, Left 4 Dead, and so many others. And in 2012, licensed games still had a fairly shaky track record. So it’s fairly safe to say that Telltale surprised everyone in 2012 when they released The Walking Dead, an episodic adventure title that served as a spinoff of the award-winning graphic novel and television series.
But Telltale’s The Walking Dead is far more than the sum of its parts; not only did this adventure game feature fun puzzles, a fairly complex choice-based narrative, and excellent suspenseful zombie action, it’s all held together by one of the best video game narratives. The game features a gripping narrative, a wonderfully crafted cast of characters, and an engrossing world.
Featuring loads of memorable characters, the game’s greatest asset is its choice-based storyline. The game offers the player agency over the narrative, such as choosing which character to save during life-or-death situations.
The player steps into the role of Lee, a convict who escapes incarceration as a result of the zombie outbreak. Upon meeting a young girl named Clementine, you must protect her at all costs and serve as both a role model and father figure for her while also fending for yourself. The game smartly shows Clementine’s development over the course of the game, depending on how you behave. Additionally, many details from this game – and how you choose to play it – carry over into the Telltale Walking Dead sequels as well.
All in all, Telltale’s The Walking Dead is a fascinating game that should be played by everyone, at least to experience its excellent narrative. The game won countless GOTY awards from sources such as Polygon, GamesRadar, Destructoid, Spike TV Game Awards, and New York Game Awards.
Other GOTY Winners:
- Journey – 58
- Far Cry 3 – 53
- Dishonored – 52
- Mass Effect 3 – 31
- Borderlands 2 – 28
- Assassin’s Creed III – 25
- Halo 4 – 21
- XCOM: Enemy Unknown – 21
- Guild Wars 2 – 5
- Max Payne 3 – 5
- Call of Duty: Black Ops II – 4
- Sleeping Dogs – 2
- Xenoblade Chronicles – 2
- Blade & Soul – 1
- Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition – 1
- Fez – 1
- FIFA Soccer 13 – 1
- Hitman: Absolution – 1
- NHL 13 – 1
- Spec Ops: The Line – 1
- Trials Evolution – 1
- Tribes: Ascend – 1
- Warface – 1
2013 – The Last of Us
On the subject of story-driven zombie games, The Last of Us was released the following year – and also to critical and commercial success. While it shared many characteristics with Telltale’s The Walking Dead, such as featuring a character-driven drama and even a surrogate father-daughter dynamic with a post-apocalyptic setting, mostly everything else about the game is entirely different.
Developed by Naughty Dog, The Last of Us shares a lot of characteristics with the studio’s previous series, Uncharted. The game is an over-the-shoulder shooter, with survival elements and a strong emphasis on large-scale set pieces, and an overall very cinematic presentation.
Apart from its excellent characters and story, The Last of Us is just plain fun to play. The game has a great crafting system, tight shooting mechanics, and an engaging world that’s exciting to explore. With its recent facelift on the PS5, The Last of Us looks better than ever before and is a must-play for anyone who still hasn’t checked it out yet.
The Last of Us was awarded Game of the Year from Game Informer, Destructoid, Games Radar, Giant Bomb, IGN, BAFTA, The D.I.C.E. Awards, and many others.
Other GOTY Winners:
- Grand Theft Auto V – 163
- BioShock Infinite – 46
- Super Mario 3D World – 13
- Gone Home – 11
- Tomb Raider – 8
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag – 6
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds – 6
- Papers, Please – 5
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons – 3
- Rayman Legends – 3
- The Stanley Parable – 3
- Battlefield 4 – 2
- Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch – 2
- Pokémon X and Y – 2
- Cloud Chamber – 1
- Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen – 1
- Kentucky Route Zero – 1
- Kerbal Space Program – 1
- Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon – 1
- Rain – 1
- Shadowrun Returns – 1
- Spaceteam – 1
- Tearaway – 1
- The Swapper – 1
- Year Walk – 1
2014 – Dragon Age: Inquisition
Over the years, BioWare has become well known for the quality of its RPGs, with games like Star War Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect gaining critical acclaim and propelling the studio to high status within the industry. The studio’s other massive franchise, Dragon Age, is yet another excellent RPG series. The series’ third mainline entry, Dragon Age: Inquisition, was immensely successful and was the most awarded GOTY title in 2014.
With a big focus on world-building and story, Inquisition is a BioWare game through and through. The title features excellent characters, deep lore, and a massive open world brimming with personality. If you’ve ever played any of BioWare’s other games or are a fan of high-fantasy RPGs, it’s tough to do much better than Inquisition.
Dragon Age: Inquisition was the winner of over 130 Game of the Year awards, winning the title at The D.I.C.E. Awards, The Game Awards, and many others.
Other GOTY winners:
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – 52
- Mario Kart 8 – 30
- Super Smash Bros. – 28
- Far Cry 4 – 27
- Bayonetta 2 – 26
- Alien Isolation – 24
- Dark Souls II – 15
- Destiny – 14
- Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft – 8
- Divinity: Original Sin – 5
- Kentucky Route Zero – Act III – 5
- Sunset Overdrive – 5
- Forza Horizon 2 – 5
- Shovel Knight – 4
- This War of Mine – 4
- Wolfenstein: The New Order – 4
- Titanfall – 3
- Transistor – 3
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare – 2
- Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc – 2
- Elite: Dangerous – 2
- South Park: The Stick of Truth – 2
- The Evil Within – 2
- The Talos Principle – 2
- The Walking Dead: Season Two – 2
- Assassin’s Creed Unity – 1
- Banished – 1
- Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! – 1
- Child of Light – 1
- Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair – 1
- Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – 1
- FIFA 15 – 1
- Hohokum – 1
- Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes – 1
- Monument Valley – 1
- Papers, Please – 1
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth – 1
- Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire – 1
- Sportsfriends – 1
- The Banner Saga – 1
- The Crew – 1
- The Vanishing of Ethan Carter – 1
- The Wolf Among Us – 1
- TxK – 1
- Valiant Hearts: The Great War – 1
- Velocity 2X – 1
- 80 Days – 1
2015 – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
While The Witcher game series started off strong in its first two installments, it was the third game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, that truly put the series and its developers CD Projekt Red on the map. As somewhat of an adaptation of the Polish fantasy book series of the same name, The Witcher 3 fully embraces its origins by doubling down on its world, lore, and character-driven story. While other elements of the game – including the combat, visuals, and various RPG mechanics – are great in their own right, its story takes center stage.
Compared to other massive fantasy RPGs, which typically have serviceable stories and characters that are fun but fairly surface-level, The Witcher 3 features a story and characters that all feel carefully crafted and excellently written. Heck, even the game’s side quests are great. The world’s many characters, from Triss and Yennefer to Geralt himself, each have their own motivations, likes and dislikes, and quirks, making them feel more than just archetypes. While it may seem like a minor thing, The Witcher 3’s excellent writing takes it from an above-average adventure game to one of the greatest open-world RPGs ever created.
It managed to beat out many other great games that same year including Fallout 4, Metal Gear Solid V, and Xenoblade Chronicles X, and was awarded over 200 GOTY awards. It was awarded the grand prize by NAVGTR, SXSW Gaming Awards, Golden Joystick Awards, and many others.
Other GOTY winners:
- Fallout 4 – 64
- Bloodborne – 34
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain – 31
- Life Is Strange – 14
- Super Mario Maker – 8
- Rocket League – 7
- Undertale – 7
- Rise of the Tomb Raider – 6
- Batman: Arkham Knight – 4
- Her Story – 3
- Assassin’s Creed Syndicate – 2
- Splatoon – 2
- Star Wars: Battlefront – 2
- Until Dawn – 2
- Axiom Verge – 1
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III – 1
- Cibele – 1
- Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – 1
- Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture – 1
- Kerbal Space Program – 1
- Massive Chalice – 1
- Ori and the Blind Forest – 1
- Prune – 1
- Sunless Sea – 1
- Tales from the Borderlands – 1
- Xenoblade Chronicles X – 1
2016 – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
The Uncharted series managed to 1-up itself with every new entry; each sequel felt bigger and better than the rest, with Nathan Drake’s fourth and final adventure also being his greatest. But while the entire series focuses on cinematic, bombastic action set pieces and thrills, A Thief’s End is more than just that – it has more heart, soul, and overall weight to it with the adventure having much higher stakes overall. Uncharted 4 delves deeper into Nathan Drake as a character, and as a result, feels like a much more personal tale.
This isn’t to say that Uncharted 4 doesn’t also feature the trademark action set pieces that the series is known for; rather, it has probably more great set pieces than any previous entry. The game also features improved gameplay, visuals, and overall world design.
The PS4 exclusive garnered tons of praise when it was released in 2016, and received GOTY awards from award shows such as SXSW Game Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Empire Awards.
Other GOTY winners:
- Overwatch – 114
- DOOM – 37
- Battlefield 1 – 20
- The Last Guardian – 17
- Dark Souls III – 15
- INSIDE – 14
- Final Fantasy XV – 12
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine – 10
- Dishonored 2 – 10
- The Witness – 8
- Titanfall 2 – 6
- Hitman – 3
- Pokémon GO – 3
- XCOM 2 – 3
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VI – 2
- SUPERHOT – 2
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare – 1
- Deus Ex: Mankind Divided – 1
- FIFA 17 – 1
- Firewatch – 1
- Forza Horizon 3 – 1
- Monster Hunter Generations – 1
- Owlboy – 1
- Quadrilateral Cowboy – 1
- Thumper – 1
- Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE – 1
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege – 1
- Trackmania Turbo – 1
2017 – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
With its sequel still fresh in the minds of many gamers, it’s very easy to look back fondly at Tears of the Kingdoms’ precursor: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. This Nintendo title absolutely dominated 2017, for more reasons than one: not only was it the swansong for the Wii U and the defining launch title for Nintendo’s new game system the Switch, but it also completely redefined open-world adventure games.
Breath of the Wild took what previous open-world RPGs such as Skyrim and Fallout 3 established — the idea of going anyway, doing anything, and traversing its world in any way that you wish was certainly nothing new when BOTW released. However, Breath of the Wild offered players more room for experimentation and did so while providing a world that felt more like an open sandbox than previous games. It swept away a lot of the long-running Zelda franchise’s established conventions, such as a linear progression system and traditional dungeons, but in its place, it introduced tons of additional player freedom.
Breath of the Wild blew away critics, with the game taking home 189 GOTY awards. This includes award shows such as Game Developers Choice Awards, The Game Awards, Famitsu Awards, The D.I.C.E. Awards, and more.
Other GOTY winners:
- Horizon: Zero Dawn – 69
- Super Mario Odyssey – 37
- NieR: Automata – 17
- Persona 5 – 15
- PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds – 12
- Assassin’s Creed Origins – 10
- Divinity: Original Sin II – 10
- Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – 5
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus – 5
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – 4
- Prey – 4
- Agents of Mayhem – 1
- Cuphead – 1
- Dragon Quest XI – 1
- Hollow Knight – 1
- Night in the Woods – 1
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII – 1
- Thimbleweed Park – 1
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands – 1
- Uncharted: The Lost Legacy – 1
- What Remains of Edith Finch – 1
- Yakuza 0 – 1
2018 – God of War
Reboots are certainly nothing new in video games; however, Santa Monica Studio really thought outside the box when they developed God of War 2018. Somewhere in between a sequel and a series reboot, the game shifts from its Greek mythos setting to Norse mythology, opening the door to great new gameplay and storytelling possibilities. And speaking of its story, God of War is no slouch in that department – unlike the original God of War trilogy, which had a fairly straightforward story that was largely driven by Kratos’ violent and rash behavior, the PS4 game’s story is much more nuanced and deep.
More aged and mature, Kratos feels like a different character in God of War 2018, and as a result, the story takes a very different direction than the preceding games. Additionally, the game also plays incredibly differently; instead of playing like a hack-and-slash, the new game is more of an over-the-shoulder third-person action/adventure, with a whole new set of weapons and moves to learn.
All in all, God of War absolutely nails everything it sets out to accomplish – the combat feels satisfying and rewarding, the world is rich and filled with life, and its story and characters are interesting and exciting.
The Game Awards, BAFTA, NAVGTR, Game Developers Choice Awards, and over 200 others awarded God of War Game of the Year.
Other GOTY winners:
- Red Dead Redemption 2 – 178
- Marvel’s Spider-Man – 24
- Celeste – 9
- Monster Hunter: World – 6
- Fortnite Battle Royale – 5
- Return of the Obra Dinn – 5
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 5
- Astro Bot Rescue Mission – 4
- Tetris Effect – 4
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance – 3
- Florence – 2
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – 1
- Beat Saber – 1
- Detroit: Become Human – 1
- Frostpunk – 1
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – 1 (counted toward 2017)
- Into the Breach – 1
- PUBG Mobile – 1
- Subnautica – 1
- Two Point Hospital – 1
- Yakuza 6: The Song of Life – 1
- 11-11: Memories Retold – 1
2019 – Death Stranding, Resident Evil 2, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
2019 was a great year of gaming, and that can be clearly seen just by glancing at the list of Game of the Year winners for the year. Without one clearly defined GOTY winner, there were several different titles that nearly split the awards across award shows and mainstream outlets. The three biggest winners were Hideo Kojima’s PlayStation exclusive Death Stranding, survival horror remake Resident Evil 2, and From Software’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. With each game excellent in its own way, they could not be more different than one another.
Death Stranding is perhaps one of the most unconventional blockbuster games to release in recent years, with the game lacking most of the characteristics seen in modern AAA games. The first project created by Hideo Kojima after his separation from Konami, Death Stranding goes against modern gaming conventions, lacking common things such as the use of guns or really any sort of minute-to-minute fast-paced gameplay. The game’s main gameplay focuses on delivering packages – with traversal from point A to point B being a large element.
The game has a very slow pace, which allows the player to really soak in the game’s world through excellent art direction, sound design, and a thought-provoking story. A game truly unlike any other, Death Stranding isn’t for everyone but it may appeal to you if you’re open to trying something different.
From the same developers of Dark Souls and Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a fast-paced action-adventure game that takes inspiration from Buddhist mythology. The game was praised by many (and criticized by others) for its high difficulty level and unforgiving nature. Similarly to some of From Software’s other titles, Sekiro is not an easy game; players will have to work hard to master the game. The game won the hearts of tons of gamers and critics, with major shows such as The Game Awards awarding it Game of the Year.
Since the release of the first Resident Evil remake, gamers have been wondering when its sequel would receive the full remake treatment as well. In 2019, Capcom finally delivered, and they absolutely nailed it. Resident Evil 2 garnered tons of praise for its modernization of the PlayStation 1 classic with a new over-the-shoulder perspective, a huge graphical overhaul, and a nice balance between action gameplay and horror.
Resident Evil 2 is many players’ new favorite entry into the long-running horror franchise, and it’s understandable why. The game took the series back to its roots and faithfully recreated the original game. While many video game remakes lose the magic of the original, Resident Evil 2 improves upon it in many ways and keeps the heart and soul intact. Additions and changes – such as adding Mr. X into the first playthrough and revamping the Ivy Zombies – make RE2 feel like a unique experience and not just simply a carbon copy. The game strikes the perfect balance of feeling both old and new, and for that reason, it’s arguably one of the best remakes ever made.
Tons of gaming outlets felt the same, with Golden Joystick Awards honoring it as Game of the Year.
Other GOTY winners:
- Control – 36
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order – 21
- Disco Elysium – 20
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses – 12
- The Outer Worlds – 11
- Outer Wilds – 10
- Untitled Goose Game – 8
- Devil May Cry 5 – 7
- Metro Exodus – 6
- A Plague Tale: Innocence – 5
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – 5
- Gears 5 – 3
- Astral Chain – 2
- Borderlands 3 – 2
- Days Gone – 2
- Judgment – 2
- Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield – 2
- Super Mario Maker 2 – 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – 2
- Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown – 1
- Assetto Corsa Competizione – 1
- Baba Is You – 1
- FIFA 20 – 1
- Knights and Bikes – 1
- Life Is Strange 2 – 1
- Luigi’s Mansion 3 – 1
- Monster Hunter World: Iceborne – 1
- Sky: Children of the Light – 1
- Spirit Hunter: NG – 1
- Sunless Skies – 1
- Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair – 1
2020 – The Last of Us Part II
There was a lot of uproar in 2020 when The Last of Us Part II took home Game of the Year. Unlike the first game which garnered pretty much universal praise, the sequel had a fairly mixed reception from players. Without spoiling anything, Part II took a rather bold storytelling approach, and went a very different direction than the original The Last of Us. With this all said, most of the hate is largely unfounded. Mechanically, the game is a huge improvement over the original, with tighter controls, better combat gameplay, and more exhilarating action. The game’s world is also greatly expanded, with traversal feeling more exciting, with far more open areas.
Whereas the first game focuses on themes of family, love, and survival, The Last of Us Part II focuses on ideas of revenge, trauma, and moving forward. Part II also did what few games have the courage to do: throwing the player into the role of the antagonist for a large chunk of the game, and forcing them to see the world from a different perspective. This gives the player better insight into both sides of a single conflict, illustrating that there are always two sides to every story. The Last of Us Part II was praised by many news outlets and took home GOTY from BAFTA, The Game Awards, Golden Joystick Awards, Titanium Awards, and many others.
Other GOTY winners:
- Ghost of Tsushima – 74
- Hades – 74
- Cyberpunk 2077 – 41
- Final Fantasy VII Remake – 36
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 32
- Doom Eternal – 14
- Half-Life: Alyx – 13
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – 6
- Yakuza: Like a Dragon – 6
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps – 5
- Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – 4
- Microsoft Flight Simulator – 4
- 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim – 3
- Immortals Fenyx Rising – 3
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 – 2
- Demon’s Souls – 1
- Dreams – 1
- Kentucky Route Zero – 1
- Persona 5 Royal – 1
- Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin – 1
- Spiritfarer – 1
- Streets of Rage 4 – 1
- Tell Me Why – 1
2021 – It Takes Two
It’s not every day that you see a family-friendly couch co-op game take-home Game of the Year; It Takes Two is not your average game, however. This little platformer defies all expectations by delivering some of the most fun minute-to-minute gameplay ever seen, with tight controls, a wide variety of moves at the player’s disposal, and an exciting world that’s truly fun to explore. Everything from the level design to the specific platforming puzzles is ingeniously crafted, and there’s just so much personality around every single corner of the game’s world.
But perhaps the most impressive part of this game is the variety of gameplay it offers. While most other 3D platformers such as Crash Bandicoot or Little Big Planet are content with introducing the player to one gameplay type, and then building upon it over the course of the game, It Takes Two isn’t satisfied doing the same thing for more than ten minutes at a time. It constantly throws new and inventive gameplay ideas at the player left and right, ranging from a top-down twin-stick shooter segment to a rhythm-based mini-game and so much more.
Surprisingly, It Takes Two won the most GOTY awards in 2021, taking home the grand prize at The Game Awards, The D.I.C.E. Awards, and many others.
Other GOTY winners:
- Resident Evil Village – 60
- Forza Horizon 5 – 54
- Deathloop – 40
- Metroid Dread – 36
- Halo Infinite – 26
- Returnal – 22
- Psychonauts 2 – 19
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – 19
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy – 14
- Inscryption – 10
- Tales of Arise – 4
- Chicory: A Colorful Tale – 3
- Halo Infinite (multiplayer) – 3
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – 3
- Shin Megami Tensei V – 3
- Unpacking – 3
- Age of Empires IV – 2
- Disco Elysium: The Final Cut – 2
- Lost Judgment – 2
- Monster Hunter Rise – 2
- Nier Replicant ver. 122474487139… – 2
- Back 4 Blood – 1
- Before Your Eyes – 1
- Black Book – 1
- Blue Reflection: Second Light – 1
- Death’s Door – 1
- Emily Is Away <3 – 1
- Far Cry 6 – 1
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker – 1
- Hitman 3 – 1
- Jurassic World Evolution 2 – 1
- Life Is Strange: True Colors – 1
- Loop Hero – 1
- NEO: The World Ends with You – 1
- Old World – 1
- Out of Line – 1
- Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous – 1
- Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl – 1
- Scarlet Nexus – 1
- The Artful Escape – 1
- The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles – 1
- The Forgotten City – 1
- Wildermyth – 1
- Valheim – 1
Nominate Your Game Today
The Game of the Year award is one of the highest honors that a game developer can receive. If your team has recently developed a game that it feels is worthy of winning, then consider submitting. NAVGTR invites all developers to submit their games to its annual game awards. Nominate your game today.