Golden Joystick Awards 2024 Was a Big Showing for Indie Games

The Golden Joystick Awards 2024: Indie Games Shine Bright

The Golden Joystick Awards, celebrating gaming excellence 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, acknowledging the growing indie development landscape and highlighting teams working without the backing of major publishers.

Here's a glimpse at some of the key categories and nominees:

Key Award 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: (Includes titles such as Assassin's Creed Shadows, Death Stranding 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and more.)

The Ultimate Game of the Year Controversy:

The Golden Joystick Awards faced criticism for the initial omission of several fan-favorite titles, including Black Myth: Wukong, from the Game of the Year nominees. The organization clarified that the Ultimate Game of the Year (UGOTY) shortlist, which will include these titles, is yet to be released.

Voting Information:

Fan voting is now open on the official website. A bonus for voters is a free ebook from a selection of titles. The UGOTY 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.

The Golden Joystick Awards 2024 promises a thrilling conclusion, with the final results eagerly awaited by gamers worldwide.