The Game Awards: What Won Each Year (And What Should Have Won)

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Ignacio Weil

Gaming - December 10th 2025, 16:00 GMT+1

Game awards 2025 — About This Gallery:

For this list, we went back through every single year of The Game Awards to see which games walked away with the Game of the Year trophy—*and* to point out why another nominee probably deserved the spotlight instead. Maybe you’ll nod along in agreement, or maybe you’ll wonder if we’ve completely lost the plot.

So, where do you land? Team “the judges got it right,” or team “absolutely not, justice for the overlooked”? Drop your take in the comments and let the friendly chaos begin. | © The Game Awards

Dragon Age Inquisition — Game Awards 2014: Dragon Age: Inquisition (And that’s ok)

Looking back at 2014, it’s almost funny how *Dragon Age: Inquisition* managed to charm its way into the spotlight with a mix of sprawling landscapes, political drama, and a party of companions who felt more like messy roommates than heroic allies. The game wasn’t perfect—no one is forgetting those awkwardly empty open-world zones—but it had a certain earnest ambition that carried it over the finish line. Revisiting it now, you can still feel that big-RPG energy: the world trying to swallow itself whole, your Inquisitor desperately improvising through every crisis, and the sense that BioWare really wanted to make something grand. Maybe it wasn’t universally beloved, but it was bold, heartfelt, and it absolutely swung for the fences in a year when many studios played it safe. In the end, its win feels oddly fitting, like a slightly chaotic friend who still manages to pull off a victory dance. | © BioWare

Cropped The Witcher 3 — Game Awards 2015: The Witcher 3 (But it should have been Bloodborne)

Geralt’s adventure sweeping 2015 was hardly a shock—players were hypnotized by its massive world, razor-sharp writing, and the kind of side quests that made you forget the main story even existed. Still, there was a quiet group in the corner clutching their trick weapons and muttering about Yharnam like it was a religious pilgrimage. *Bloodborne* had a different kind of magic: intense, unsettling, and beautiful in a way that didn’t ask for your approval. It demanded patience, punished arrogance, and rewarded curiosity with lore that crawled under your skin. While *The Witcher 3* offered polish and breadth, *Bloodborne* delivered atmosphere so thick you could taste it, and that deserves a crown of its own. Even today, some fans insist the real 2015 champion lurked behind those fog gates. | © CD Projekt Red

Cropped Overwatch — Game Awards 2016: Overwatch (But it should have been DOOM)

The world fell in love with cheerful hero shooters in 2016, and *Overwatch* rode that wave with glossy animation, a lovable cast, and that unmistakable Blizzard shine. It became a cultural moment, sure—but somewhere backstage, *DOOM* was shredding a guitar solo and wondering how pure, unfiltered adrenaline didn’t snatch the trophy. The reboot didn’t just revive a franchise; it reminded everyone how satisfying it is when a game trusts players to think fast, move faster, and embrace the chaos without apology. There was nothing subtle about it, and that was exactly the point. Where *Overwatch* brought friends together, *DOOM* encouraged you to tear everything apart in the most cathartic way possible. A different kind of joy, maybe, but one that arguably hit harder. | © Blizzard Entertainment

Cropped breath of the wild — Game Awards 2017: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (And that’s ok)

Some wins spark endless debate, but 2017 wasn’t one of those years—pretty much everyone nodded in unison when *Breath of the Wild* walked onto the stage. The game redefined exploration in a way that still echoes throughout modern design, turning curiosity into an actual mechanic and letting players solve problems however their brains decided to interpret the rules. It had that rare sense of freedom where even getting lost felt intentional, almost like the world was gently guiding you toward your own stories. Critics adored it, players worshipped it, and the industry took notes for years. Its victory never felt like a surprise; it felt like gravity doing its job. | © Nintendo EPD

Cropped God of War — Game Awards 2018: God of War (But it should have been Red Dead Redemption 2)

2018 delivered one of the toughest matchups in awards history, and while *God of War* earned its acclaim with emotional storytelling and a brilliantly reimagined Kratos, there’s still a lingering debate about whether *Red Dead Redemption 2* deserved the throne. Rockstar’s epic had a weight to it—slow, deliberate, sometimes infuriating, but undeniably crafted with absurd attention to detail. Arthur Morgan’s journey stuck with players in a way that didn’t rely on spectacle; it relied on small moments that built a life worth caring about. *God of War* was tight and efficient, but *Red Dead 2* sprawled like a novel, generous with quiet scenes and uncomfortable truths. Depending on who you ask, the wrong cowboy rode home with the consolation prize that night. | © Santa Monica Studio

Game Awards 2019: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (And that’s ok)

There’s something satisfying about a game that doesn’t bother pretending it wants to be your friend, and *Sekiro* wore that attitude proudly in 2019. Its razor-sharp combat and relentless rhythm turned every victory into a tiny personal triumph, the kind you feel in your shoulders hours later. The award made sense—precision this polished deserves applause—but there’s an alternate universe where *Outer Wilds* actually made the nominee list and floated off with the trophy. That quiet, cosmic tragedy of a game rewired how players thought about exploration and consequence, and had it been eligible, the conversation around the winner would have been a lot louder. Still, *Sekiro*’s win stands strong, a reminder that mastery and perseverance can occasionally steal the show. | © FromSoftware

The Last of Us Parte 2 — Game Awards 2020: The Last of Us Part II (But it should have been Hades)

Naughty Dog’s sequel arrived like lightning—loud, divisive, and aching with ambition. The craftsmanship was undeniable, from the performances to the sound design, and it swept awards with the confidence of a studio that knows how to dominate a ceremony. Yet in the corner of 2020’s stage, *Hades* was busy proving how much magic can spark from repetition done right. Every run was a conversation, every failure a little wink from the gods, and no other game that year made death feel like a warm handshake. It wasn’t just stylish; it was alive in a way few roguelikes ever achieve. While *The Last of Us Part II* broke hearts, *Hades* stole them, and many still argue it deserved the crown. | © Naughty Dog

Game Awards 2021: It Takes Two (And that’s ok)

The delight of 2021 came disguised as a chaotic co-op adventure about a dissolving marriage that somehow turned into a therapy session with boss fights. *It Takes Two* thrived on surprise, reinventing itself every hour as if it refused to repeat a single idea. Its win felt refreshing, almost rebellious in a year dominated by bigger, louder contenders. Still, it’s hard not to imagine the ceremony in a timeline where *Inscryption* actually made the nominee list—because if it had, that eerie deck-building fever dream might have hypnotized voters into handing it the whole show. Even so, Hazelight’s victory remains a warm reminder that creativity and playfulness can still outshine brute spectacle. | © Hazelight Studios

ELDEN RING — Game Awards 2022: Elden Ring (And that’s ok)

There was no sneaking up on this outcome; the moment players tumbled out of the Chapel of Anticipation and straight into a lesson about humility, the award basically engraved itself. *Elden Ring* didn’t just expand an established formula—it detonated it across a world so vast and weird that every hill seemed to hide a new obsession. People roamed the Lands Between like wandering bards, trading discoveries and miseries in equal measure. This wasn’t a win born of hype but of sheer cultural takeover. Whether you were chasing lore, perfecting builds, or just falling off cliffs for sport, the game gave everyone a story worth telling, and no one was surprised when it claimed the throne. | © FromSoftware

Baldurs Gate 3 — Game Awards 2023: Baldur’s Gate 3 (And that’s ok)

When a game launches and immediately inspires players to recount their adventures like campfire legends, you know something unusual is happening. *Baldur’s Gate 3* didn’t simply resurrect the CRPG; it turned choice into theater, giving every decision the weight of a plot twist written just for you. The characters felt startlingly real, the chaos endlessly entertaining, and the sheer generosity of content bordered on absurd. Its win reflected a rare, unanimous feeling—this was a game that respected its audience enough to let them break it, fix it, and reshape it as they pleased. In a year stacked with contenders, it walked away as the obvious victor, and no one needed a persuasion check to agree. | © Larian Studios

Game Awards 2024: Astro Bot (But it should have been Black Myth: Wukong)

2024 ended with a surprise that somehow felt inevitable: *Astro Bot* bouncing its way to the top like it had been rehearsing for this moment since the PS5 reveal. Its charm was impossible to resist—every level felt like a postcard from the joyful side of gaming, and its inventiveness reminded everyone that not every GOTY needs to brood in a corner wearing a tragic backstory. Still, it was hard not to stare at *Black Myth: Wukong*—all swagger, mythic weight, and technical wizardry—and wonder whether the trophy should’ve gone to the Monkey King instead. That game hit the industry like a gong, turning heads through sheer presence alone. If spectacle were the sole deciding factor, 2024 might’ve ended very differently. | © Team Asobi

Clair Obscur Expedition 33 — Game Awards 2025: ??? (But it should be Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)

Predicting 2025’s winner is a bit like trying to pin down a dream right after waking up—you’re certain something happened, but the details keep slipping away. What is clear, though, is that *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33* has already carved out a place in the conversation long before the ballots are even printed. Its surreal art direction, painterly combat system, and eerie sense of worldbuilding feel like a dare aimed at the rest of the industry: “Try to out-weird this.” Even without knowing who will actually walk onstage next December, it’s easy to imagine this one turning heads, stirring debates, and stealing hearts from whatever more conventional favorite ends up with the official prize. If ambition counted double, 2025’s champion would already be decided. | © Sandfall Interactive

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Every December, the gaming world gathers around its collective screen to watch a parade of trailers, speeches, and the occasional eyebrow-raising winner. Looking back at those results feels a bit like flipping through an old yearbook—half fond memories, half “wait, that happened?” It’s the perfect excuse to revisit the show’s history with equal parts admiration and gentle second-guessing.

Here, we’ll walk year by year through the official victors and the contenders many fans still quietly (or loudly) champion. No grand pronouncements, no manufactured drama—just a playful audit of past glory, missteps, and the delightful chaos that makes award season worth arguing about long after the lights go down.