• Guide

The Game Awards 2023 nominees & how to vote

The year 2023 has been a gauntlet of great games and today we learn which titles will end up as The Game Awards 2023 category finalists.

TJ Denzer

November 13, 2023 9:43 AM

Image via The Game Awards

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It’s that time of year when we begin to wind down and talk about what the best games of the year were. That’s a tall order in 2023, but games media will take it on nonetheless. The Shacknews Awards will be coming soon enough, but ahead of that, Geoff Keighley and The Game Awards organizers are taking on the task, and that means sharing the award category finalist nominations. What’s more, voting has opened up so audiences can chime in and share their favorites. Want to know what games got nominated for each category and where to vote for them? We have you covered here.

UPDATE (9:43 a.m. PT): All nominees have been announced and the list of finalists and categories are complete.

How to vote for The Game Awards 2023 nominees

If you’re looking to cast your vote and make your voice heard in The Game Awards 2023, then you need to head over to the official Game Awards website. Like previous years, would-be voters can log in and cast their vote for their favorite games via Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter/X accounts. Click the login button of your choice and then get off and on your way with the votes.

Once you’re logged in, you can begin voting for your favorite finalists in each Game Awards category. Bear in mind that you only get one chance to vote for each category, so make sure your decisions are final before you cast your ballot.

The Game Awards 2023 nominees

Below are the full list of Game Awards categories and finalist nominations. The list is broken down alphabetically with the exception of the most-sought award, Game of the Year, at the top.

Game of the Year

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

Best Action Game

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

Best Action/Adventure Game

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

Most Anticipated Game

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

Best Adaptation

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

Best Art Direction

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

Best Audio Design

• Alan Wake 2
• Dead Space remake
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2
• Resident Evil 4

Best Community Support

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Destiny 2: Lightfall
• Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker
• No Man's Sky

Content Creator of the Year

• Iron Mouse
• People Make Games
• Quackity
• Spreen
• SypherPK

Best Debut Indie Game

• Cocoon
• Dredge
• Pizza Tower
• Venba
• Viewfinder

Best Esports Coach

• Potter
• Homme
• Gunba
• XTQZZZ
• Zonic

Best Esports Event

• League of Legends Worlds 2023
• Blast TV Paris Major 2023
• EVO 2023
• Dota 2: The International 2023
• Valorant Champions 2023

Best Esports Game

• Counter-Strike 2
• Dota 2
• League of Legends
• PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Mobile
• Valorant

Best Esports Athlete

• Demon1
• Faker
• Hyrdra
• Imperial-Hal
• Ruler
• ZywOo

Best Esports Team

• Evil Geniuses (Valorant)
• Fnatic (Valorant)
• Gaimin Gladiators (Dota 2)
• JD Gaming (League of Legends)
• Team Vitality (Counter-Strike 2)

Best Family Game

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

Best Fighting Game

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

Best Game Direction

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

Games for Impact

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

Best Indie Game

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

Innovation in Accessibility

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

Best Mobile Game

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

Best Multiplayer Game

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

Best Narrative

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

Best Ongoing Game

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

Best Performance

• Ben Starr (Clive - Final Fantasy 16)
• Cameron Monaghan (Cal Kestis - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor)
• Idris Elba (Solomon Reed - Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty)
• Melanie Liburd (Saga Anderson - Alan Wake 2)
• Neil Newbon (Astarion - Baldur's Gate 3)
• Yuri Lowenthal (Peter Parker - Marvel's Spider-Man 2)

Best Role-Playing Game

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

Best Score and Music

• Alan Wake 2 (Petri Alanko)
• Baldur's Gate 3 (Borislav Slavov)
• Final Fantasy 16 (Masayoshi Soken)
• Hi-Fi Rush (Shuichi Kobori)
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo Sound Team)

Best Sports/Racing Game

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

Best Strategy/Sim Game

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

Best VR/AR Game

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

That covers all nominees for this year’s event. Get to the Game Awards website if you want to make your voice heard and get your voting done before the actual show goes live on December 7, 2023. Want a refresher on how The Game Awards 2022 played out? Be sure to stop by our winners and announcements list to see!

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.