The Game Awards have been a staple of game creation since 2014 and give attention to the video games that deserve the spotlight. This year the awards are being announced on Dec. 8, with pre-show starting at 7:30p ET/4:30p PT. The nominees were decided on November 1– consisting of 100+ games published in 2022. 

Awards are considered in parts: 90% by “an international jury of over 100 global media and influencer outlets, selected for their history of critical video game evaluation” (according to the Game Awards official website), and 10% is allotted for public voting, where the public can choose between 5-6 games per category.

31 Categories can be arranged into 3 different types: aspects (specifying games by their elements), genre (specifying games by their genre), and eSports (specifying competition-focused video game personalities and organizations).

This will cover 25 of 31 categories and provides thoughts for the categories that need more discourse/explanation. 

Predictions are subjective and spoiler-free.

Game of the Year: Elden Ring

As the Game Awards’ main focus, the Game of the Year award is made to recognize the best overall game, including each of its elements and facets. This year, the major contention is between Elden Ring and God of War Ragnarok, but Elden Ring will most likely win. 

Elden ring, a FromSoftware-produced game, came out on Feb. 25 and became a hit success. On social media, the number of posts detailing secret passageways, proclaimed “best weapons”, or walkthroughs is night and day compared to its nominee counterparts. In terms of gameplay or combat, Elden Ring is the culmination of all of the praised aspects from fans to FromSoftware. The lore and background are written by George RR Martin, author of the Song of Ice and Fire (the source material for HBO’s Game of Thrones). It’s a game that took the internet by surprise and was easily accessible and tailored to everyone.

However, sophomore Nico LeMay, a fan of video games, contributes the title of “2022 Game of the Year” to God of War Ragnarok, offering a different perspective. 

“Who deserves to win Game of the Year is definitely between Elden Ring and [God of War Ragnarok] because they are a cut above the rest,” LeMay said. “But they don’t really innovate on anything done before them in their genre. Elden Ring is kind of just another ‘Dark Souls’ game and God of War Ragnarok is basically another God of War 2018. For me personally, it’s God of War Ragnarok. I think the acting is incredible and the story really ties together with God of War 2018 but I recognize Elden Ring has reached a massive audience and was incredibly popular.”

Best Game Direction: Elden Ring

Hidetake Miyazaki is the CEO of FromSoftware and was the main director of Elden Ring. In comparison to the other nominees, Elden Ring is unique– able to capture its audience even when it was unprecedented. FromSoftware has been nominated for Game of the Year 4 times, has won once (Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice), and was headed each time by Hidetake Miyazaki and his team, seen again in the form of Elden Ring.

The direction category is difficult to choose, considering the competition. The direction of Horizon: Forbidden West, the sequel to Horizon: Zero Dawn, is done well and deserves similar appreciation, as well as God of War Ragnarok and Stray.

Best Narrative: God of War Ragnarok

God of War Ragnarok is the sequel to Sony Santa Monica’s God of War (2018), following a more evolved version of Kratos. In the God of War (2018) story, he takes on the role of a father as he and his son travel the realm and meet new friends and foes. The story of God of War Ragnarok picks up after the previous installment and develops the world beyond expectations and delivers a heart-wrenching story, worthy of a pre-order.

Plague Tale Requiem, another “Best Narrative” nominee, is narratively amazing and is worthy of its nomination, though it will most likely not get the award.

Best Art Direction: Scorn

On Oct. 14, Ebb Software released Scorn, a perfectly grotesque world of blood and flesh based on illustrations/paintings by HR Giger and Zdzislaw Beksinski. Scorn is a masterclass of stylization and art. Its differences in color palette and portrayed elements are what push it on top. 

LeMay commented on Art Direction, attributing it to Scorn above the other nominees. 

“For Best Art Direction, I really liked Scorn,” LeMay said. “Scorn was really interesting. It was this flesh [world] and it was…not Dystopian…but it was weird and different and they did it really well and it turned out amazing. I also think Stray, God of War Ragnarok, and Elden Ring were all incredible.”

Best Score and Music: Tsukasa Saitoh

Tsukasa Saito is the main producer of the Elden Ring soundtrack and is able to create a story in music. The tone of Elden Ring’s music perfectly elevates the game, making its players feel truly a part of and immersed in the “Lands Between”.

Best Audio Design: Horizon Forbidden West

In Horizon Zero Dawn, the audio design feels realistic and satisfying but wasn’t nominated for Audio Design in 2017 when it came out. This year, Horizon Forbidden West came back with better and more stylized audio that has earned its nomination and the award.

Best Performance: Charlotte McBurney

Charlotte McBurney is the motion capture actor of Amicia in A Plague Tale: Requiem. The involved manner of A Plague Tale: Requiem and its emotional story wouldn’t have worked as well as it did without the acting of its main character being as good as it is. The main story of A Plague Tale: Requiem follows a 15-year-old girl named Amicia who travels across France, searching for a cure for her brother’s illness. The ending is beautiful and Charlotte McBurney makes it work.

For God of War Ragnarok, nominations were given to both Sunny Suljic (Atreus) and Christopher Judge (Kratos), who both are worthy of the award.

Best Indie: Stray

Stray is a story that follows a cat trying to find its way through a futuristic city of dystopia and technology. The game looks and feels great and is good enough to be nominated for Game of the Year.

Innovation In Accessibility: The Last of Us Part I

The Last of Us Part I is a remastered version of The Last of Us, with fresh animations and new mechanics. The Last of Us had a story good enough to be the 2013 Game of the Year, but its technology was the reason it rose to the success it had. 

Best VR/AR: After the Fall

Best Action Game: Sifu

Sifu is an indie game by Sloclap, following the protagonist, Sifu, who seeks revenge for their father’s death. As it is a martial arts-oriented game, the fighting system is done well and the action is smooth. In terms of the overall narrative, the story is concise, considering its emphasis on combat and replayability (though it suffers from a lack of content).

Best Action/Adventure Game: God of War Ragnarok

God of War Ragnarok, similar to Sifu, has a smooth combat system and can be tailored to a player’s style with many options and combat trees to unlock. Outside of controls/combat, the game is done well.

Best Family: LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Best Family is a toss-up between LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and Nintendo Sports. Both games are done well for their intentions and have their own ties to nostalgia and the audience. However, the sheer amount of content and elements of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga makes it feel like the right fit for the Best Family award. 

Best Multiplayer: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II

It is hard not to see the response to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. It is a revitalization of a previous installment, designed to perform better on unnecessary or 

Best Debut Indie: Stray

BlueTwelve Studios produced their first game, Stray, which is already considered Game of the Year material. An honorable mention goes to Tunic. Tunic is a Zelda-inspired game that is highly rated and reviewed.

Best Adaption: Cyberpunk Edgerunners

The Cyberpunk Edgerunners show is phenomenal. The show, based on Cyberpunk 2077 (originally an adaptation of the Cyberpunk TTRPG), is set in Night City and shows the depth of the story and world. The show looks amazing and is written perfectly for its episode constraint.

The impact of Cyberpunk Edgerunners can be seen in the sales of Cyberpunk 2077. Following its release in 2019, the game was considered bad due to its bugs. As the public’s eyes fell from the game, most of its major issues were fixed. Cyberpunk Edgerunners drew the attention of the public back to the game and gave it over a million players at one time, making it one of the most-played games on Steam.

Most Anticipated Game: Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be the long-awaited sequel to the world-loved game, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. A part of the decades-long franchise, the game has been (one of) the most anticipated games of recent times.

Players’ Voice: Unknown

The Players’ Voice Award is a bonus award, consisting of the most-voted games overall categories, and allows players to choose between 10 games. The list is up to players only and is purely based on audience votes. The amount of games to choose from is vast and it is hard to pick which one will be considered the “Players’ Choice game”.

Best Roleplaying: Elden Ring

Best Fighting: Sifu

Games for Impact: As Dusk Falls

Best Ongoing: Apex Legends

Best Mobile Game: Genshin Impact

Best Community Support: Final Fantasy XIV

Best Sim/Strategy: Dune: Spice Wars

Best Sports/Racing: NBA 2K23