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 year. This year's awards, recognizing games released between November 11th, 2023, and October 4th, 2024, showcase a significant rise in indie game recognition, with titles like Balatro and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes receiving multiple nominations.
A notable addition is a new category dedicated to self-published indie games, highlighting developers who handle both development and publishing. This category acknowledges the evolving definition of "indie" and celebrates smaller teams without the backing of larger publishers.
Here's a glimpse at some of the nominated titles across various categories:
Key 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 across all 19 categories can be found on the official Golden Joystick Awards website.)
Fan Voting and Controversy:
Fan voting is currently open on the official website, with the nominees chosen by a jury including representatives from prominent gaming publications. The voting period for the Ultimate Game of the Year (UGOTY) category will be announced later. The shortlist will be revealed on November 4th, with voting running from November 4th to 8th, 2024. Games released between October 4th and November 21st, 2024, remain eligible for Best Performance and UGOTY.
A notable controversy has arisen regarding the absence of certain fan-favorite titles, such as Black Myth: Wukong, from the Game of the Year nominations. The Golden Joystick Awards has addressed this, clarifying that the UGOTY shortlist is yet to be released.
Voting participants are eligible to receive a free ebook.
The Golden Joystick Awards 2024 promises to be a thrilling event, celebrating the diversity and innovation within the gaming industry.
