The Game Awards 2023: All categories, nominees and winner predictions

THE GAME Awards are almost here, and while we wait, we can vote for our favourite games in each category.

If you want the rundown on who was nominated this year, we’ve got all of the choices for each category.

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We’ve also picked our favourites to win from our hundreds of hours of gameplay this year.

Here are all the categories, nominees, and our winner predictions for The Game Awards 2023.

Game of the Year

While Tears of the Kingdom blew people away, Breath of the Wild already won Game of the Year in 2017.

Baldur’s Gate 3 was outstanding this year, really innovating the RPG genre, and we think it will be recognised with the top prize.

• Resident Evil 4
• Spider-Man 2
• Alan Wake 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Baldur’s Gate 3

Best Game Direction 

Many games had great direction this year, with a special shoutout to Alan Wake 2 and its non-linear style of storytelling.

However, we think Baldur’s Gate 3 will steal this one again, giving multiple paths forward, and letting you play the way you want.

• Spider-Man 2
• Alan Wake 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Baldur’s Gate 3

Best Narrative

You might be seeing a pattern here. Baldur’s Gate 3 has one of the best stories in video games, and you can choose exactly how it plays out.

Our consolation prize once again goes to Alan Wake 2, with its mysterious supernatural story at its core.

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Alan Wake 2
• Final Fantasy 16
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
• Spider-Man 2

Best Art Direction

This was a close race between our two Nintendo entries, but we think that Mario will just creep over the finish line.

Care was put in every one of Mario’s twee animations, with a new style to put 2D Mario back on top.

• Hi-Fi Rush
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Lies of P
• Alan Wake 2

Best Score & Music

The Zelda and Final Fantasy series are known for their amazing soundtracks with beautifully composed and very listenable soundtracks.

However, we absolutely loved the soundtrack for Baldur’s Gate 3, with a special shoutout to Down By The River.

• Hi-Fi Rush
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Final Fantasy 16
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Alan Wake 2

Best Audio Design

Alan Wake 2’s audio design filled us with chills, while Hi-Fi Rush kept us on the beat with perfectly timed audio.

However, we think Resident Evil 4 will take this one home for bringing the fear in ways we didn’t think possible.

• Dead Space
• Alan Wake 2
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Resident Evil 4 
• Spider-Man 2

Best Performance

We loved all of the performances on this list, with a special shoutout to how Neil Newbon made us all thirst for Astarion.

However, Ben Starr blew us away as protagonist Clive, making an amazing video game debut.

• Ben Starr – Final Fantasy 16
• Idris Elba – Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
• Cameron Monaghan – Star Wars Jedi Survivor
• Melanie Liburd – Alan Wake 2
• Neil Newbon – Baldur’s Gate 3
• Yuri Lowenthal – Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Innovation in Accessibility

Accessibility is a hot topic in video games, allowing more people to play more video games than ever before.

Hi-Fi Rush has an incredible array of options, and the visual cues are the benchmark allowing deaf people to play this rhythm game.

• Forza Motorsport
• Diablo 4
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Spider-Man 2
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Street Fighter 6

Games for Impact

Terra Nil impressed us by teaching us more about the environment and how to balance the in-game ecosystem.

However, Venba’s touching portrayal of an immigrant family warmed our hearts and taught us a bit more about cooking.

• A Space for the Unbound
• Venba
• Goodbye, Volcano High
• Tchia
• Chants of Sennar
• Terra Nil

Best Ongoing Game

Cyberpunk 2077 has impressed us this year, taking a game that did terribly at launch and turning it into a must-play in 2023.

Despite this, it’s difficult to topple the might of HoYoverse and how Genshin Impact has only become better year after year.

• Fortnite
• Genshin Impact
• Apex Legends
• Final Fantasy 14
• Cyberpunk 2077

Best Community Support

Final Fantasy 14, No Man’s Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 are all well-known in the gaming community as games that were brought back from the dead as the team listened to player feedback.

Baldur’s Gate 3 has listened to the community from the start, with a great early access period with constant tweaks and changes before its spectacular full release.

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Destiny 2
• Final Fantasy 14
• No Man’s Sky

Best Independent Game

Sea of Stars blew people away this year, bringing the old-school JRPG back into the mainstream.

We still think Cocoon will take home the prize for its innovative never-before-seen gameplay.

• Cocoon
• Dave the Diver
• Sea of Stars
• Viewfinder
• Dredge

Best Debut Indie Game

Cocoon blew us away this year, but it’s not really a debut as director Jeppe Carlsen already took the world by storm with Limbo and Inside.

Dredge mixes the horrors of the deep with the seemingly calming sport of fishing to blow us away.

• Venba
• Dredge
• Viewfinder
• Cocoon
• Pizza Tower

Best Mobile Game

As previously mentioned HoYoverse just cannot be stopped, and its new game Honkai Star Rail will likely take home this prize.

While we loved Terra Nil, Honkai took the world by storm this year, bringing the classic Genshin formula to a new setting.

• Terra Nil
• Honkai Star Rail
• Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis
• Hello Kitty: Island Adventure
• Monster Hunter Now

Best VR/AR Game

Horizon: Call of the Mountain was a great showcase of what VR can do and gave us a reason to buy the PS VR2.

But VR feels it was made for horror games, and like Resident Evil 7 before it, we think fans will go for the fear of RE8.

• Resident Evil Village VR mode
• Gran Turismo 7
• Horizon: Call of the Mountain
• Synapse
• Humanity

Best Action Game

This is a category that we think will have a runaway winner despite some strong competition coming from Hi-Fi Rush.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is not only a return to a very popular series, but another FromSoftware gem.

• Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
• Dead Island 2
• Remnant 2
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Ghostrunner 2

Best Action/Adventure Game

We think Tears of the Kingdom will be snubbed for Game of the Year, if only because its predecessor already received the award.

However, it’s sure to take home the best action/adventure game award as one of this year’s best titles overall.

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
• Alan Wake 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Resident Evil 4
• Spider-Man 2

Best Role-Playing Game

As with pretty much every category that Baldur’s Gate 3 has been nominated for, it’s sure to win the award for its genre.

All of the nominees surprised us this year, especially Lies of P and Sea of Stars, which came from much smaller teams.

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Lies of P
• Sea of Stars
• Starfield
• Final Fantasy 16

Best Fighting Game

This is another category that we don’t think will even be close, as Street Fighter 6 is not only the best fighting game of the year, but one of the best games of the year overall.

Mortal Kombat 1 sincerely tried to give it a run for its money, but we think SF6 will better stand the test of time.

• God of Rock
• Street Fighter 6
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Pocket Bravery
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2

Best Family Game

We absolutely adored Pikmin 4 this year and spent hours with our new tiny friends, but another Nintendo title blew us away.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is almost certain to win this category as it shows just how good classic Mario games can be.

• Pikmin 4
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Sonic Superstars
• Party Animals
• Disney Illusion Island

Best Sim/Strategy Game

While Nintendo is not exactly known for its strategy games, it has absolutely torn through this category this year.

Cities: Skylines 2 is the traditional choice for this category, but we think Pikmin 4 will take best strategy this year.

• Cities: Skylines 2
• Advance Wars 1+2: ReBoot Camp
• Company of Heroes 3
• Fire Emblem Engage
• Pikmin 4

Best Sports/Racing Game

This category seems overrun with racing games this year, and there is one standout that we loved.

Forza Motorsport is possibly the best motorsport simulation we have played and well deserving of the win.

• EA Sports FC 24
• F1 23
• Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged
• The Crew Motorfest
• Forza Motorsport

Best Multiplayer Game

Another category, another prize that we predict Baldur’s Gate 3 will take home allowing friends to play this RPG together.

While Street Fighter 6 deserves more recognition for its excellence, it likely won’t get it in this category.

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• Party Animals
• Diablo 4
• Street Fighter 6

Best Adaptation

This is another category where there is no competition. The Last of Us made us laugh, made us cry, and made us believe that film and TV based on video games can actually be good. 

It opened the eyes of non-gamers to just how amazing video game stories can be, and we’re sure it will be recognised for this.

• Gran Turismo
• The Last of Us
• Castlevania: Nocturne
• Twisted Metal
• The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Most Anticipated Game

We want to play all of these games, but there has been never-ending hype for the FF7 remake, as we eagerly await the second episode.

Hades 2 is similarly the long-awaited sequel, but as a triple-A game FF7R will likely take this one.

• Hades 2
• Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth
• Star Wars Outlaws
• Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth
• Tekken 8

Content Creator of the Year

There are hundreds of content creators that entertain us every year, but one of these nominees is doing particularly important work.

People Make Games do reports and excellent exposés on the industry that more people need to know about.

• People Make Games
• Quackity
• Ironmouse
• Sypherpk
• Spreen

Best Esports Game

Counter-Strike 2 surprised long-time CS:GO fans this year, finally upgrading one of the most played games in the world.

CS:GO dominated online competitive games for years, and we expect CS2 to do the same.

• DOTA 2
• Counter-Strike 2
• League of Legends
• PUBG Mobile
• Valorant

Best Esports Athlete

Zywoo is on the rise this year, but Faker is always the one to watch when it comes to esports.

• Lee “Faker” Sang-Hyeok – League of Legends
• Mathieu “Zywoo” Herbaut – CS:GO
• Max “Demon1” Mazanov – Valorant
• Paco “Hydra” Rusiwiez – Call of Duty
• Park “Ruler” Jae-Hyuk – League of Legends
• Phillip “Imperialhal” Dosen – Apex Legends

Best Esports Team

Team Vitality has been incredible this year, and as we enter Counter-Strike’s next era, we expect them to go from strength to strength.

• Evil Geniuses – Valorant
• FNATIC – Valorant
• Gamin Gladiators – DOTA 2
• JD Gaming – League of Legends
• Team Vitality – Counter-Strike

Best Esports Coach

It’s wonderful that The Game Awards has finally chosen to recognise the excellent women in gaming, and we hope Potter is recognised for her brilliance.

• Christine “Potter” Chi – Evil Geniuses
• Danny “Zonic” Sorenson – Team Falcons
• Jordan “Gunba” Graham – Florida Mayhem
• Remy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam – Team Vitality
• Yoon “Homme” Sung-Young – JD Gaming

Best Esports Event

In a year of brilliant events, we think the Blast TV Paris Major will end up on top.

• 2023 League of Legends Championship
• Blast TV Paris Major 2023
• EVO 2023
• The International DOTA Championships 2023
• Valorant Championships 2023

The winners will be announced on Thursday, December 7, 2023, when The Game Awards 2023 show is broadcast live.

If you want to have your say in the outcome, then you can vote on The Game Awards’ official website.

Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk