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 reflects the evolving definition of "indie," focusing on smaller teams lacking the backing of major publishers and those entering less saturated markets.
Here's a glimpse at some of the nominated titles across various categories:
Key Nominee Highlights:
- 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
The Ultimate Game of the Year (UGOTY) Controversy:
The Golden Joystick Awards' announcement has sparked debate among gamers. The omission of several fan favorites, including Metaphor: ReFantazio, Space Marine 2, and Black Myth: Wukong, from the initial Game of the Year nominations, has led to significant criticism. The organizers have clarified that the UGOTY nominees are yet to be revealed, and will be announced on November 4th.
Voting Information:
Fan voting is now open on the official website. Voting for the Ultimate Game of the Year category will open later. The shortlist will be revealed on November 4th, with voting running from November 4th to 8th, 2024. Games released after October 4th, 2024, will still be eligible for Best Performance and UGOTY. Voting participants can claim a free ebook.
The Golden Joystick Awards 2024 promises a thrilling conclusion to the year's gaming celebrations, despite the current controversy surrounding the UGOTY nominations. The full list of nominees across all categories can be found on the official website.
