The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim felt endless in a way few games ever had before. You could ignore the main quest for dozens of hours and still stumble into stories worth telling, shaping your character however you liked along the way. Some of its design was already showing age, but the sheer scale, freedom, and sense of adventure made its Game of the Year win feel hard to argue with. | © Bethesda Game Studios
The Walking Dead proved that games didn’t need massive combat systems to leave a mark. Its strength came from tense choices, moral grey areas, and characters you genuinely feared losing. The Game of the Year win reflected how powerfully it showed that storytelling alone, when done right, could carry an entire experience. | © Telltale Games
The Last of Us winning Game of the Year marked a shift toward cinematic, character-driven storytelling in mainstream games. The improved visuals and performances brought new life to a story many already knew by heart years later, making familiar moments hit all over again. At the same time, some questioned whether revisiting the same narrative at full price strengthened its legacy or simply capitalized on it. | © Naughty Dog
Dragon Age: Inquisition didn’t reinvent the RPG wheel, but it polished it to a shine. The world of Thedas feels fuller and more alive than before, packed with companions and story beats that carry you through a familiar “save the world” setup. It plays things a bit safe, yet the freedom to shape your Inquisitor and sink dozens of hours into the adventure made its Game of the Year win easy to justify at the time. | © BioWare
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt set a new standard for how big, story-driven RPGs could feel. The world isn’t just vast for the sake of it; it’s packed with quests that often outshine entire games on their own. It has its rough edges, but the scale, writing, and confidence behind it made its Game of the Year win feel less like a surprise and more like a turning point. | © CD Projekt
Overwatch hit multiplayer shooters with color, personality, and a clear sense of purpose. Matches are fast and objective-driven, but beneath the surface sits a surprisingly deep tactical layer that rewards coordination and smart hero picks. The hype was loud, maybe even overwhelming at the time, yet its Game of the Year win reflected just how confidently it reshaped the genre. | © Blizzard Entertainment
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild threw out the old rulebook and trusted players to experiment. Hyrule feels open in a way few games ever have, limited less by design and more by how creative you’re willing to be. The sense of discovery rarely fades, and for many, its Game of the Year win marked the moment open-world games had to start thinking differently. | © Nintendo
God of War reintroduces Kratos not just with a new setting, but with combat that feels deliberate and deeply satisfying. Once you learn the rhythm, every fight turns into a controlled storm of movement and impact. It’s intense without feeling chaotic, and that balance between spectacle and precision is a big reason its Game of the Year win didn’t surprise many. | © Jetpack Interactive
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice doesn’t ease you in; it tests you. The combat demands precision and patience, leaning more on timing and mastery than the build variety players were used to in other FromSoftware titles. It’s punishing, yes, but for those willing to stick with it, the eventual victories feel earned in a way few games can match. | © FromSoftware
The Last of Us Part II refuses to sit neatly in one genre. It blends stealth, survival horror, and long stretches of quiet exploration into something that feels controlled yet strangely open. The themes are heavy and divisive, but the technical ambition and willingness to push AAA storytelling forward made its Game of the Year win feel inevitable to some, and controversial to others. | © Naughty Dog
It Takes Two proves that co-op games don’t have to be side dishes, they can be the main event. Every chapter throws in new mechanics and twists, keeping both players engaged instead of letting one carry the other. It’s playful and surprisingly heartfelt, the kind of shared experience that’s best finished in a couple of long, laughter-filled sessions. | © Hazelight Studios
Elden Ring drops you into a world that doesn’t explain itself; it dares you to figure it out. The challenge can be brutal, but the freedom to approach fights and exploration your own way keeps it from ever feeling rigid. Every hill hides something dangerous or strange, and the sense of accomplishment after finally toppling a seemingly impossible enemy is exactly why so many players couldn’t stop coming back. | © FromSoftware
Baldur’s Gate 3 feels massive in every sense: sprawling storylines, dense lore, and choices that actually stick. The scale can be overwhelming at first, but that depth is exactly what pulls players in for dozens, sometimes hundreds, of hours. It isn’t flawless, yet the care behind it is obvious, and for many, it stood as proof that big and ambitious RPGs can still take risks and win. | © Larian Studios
Astro Bot takes what started as a charming tech demo and expands it into a full-scale adventure that rarely repeats itself. The journey may be compact, but it constantly shifts settings and mechanics, sending Astro through oceans, skies, and even inside giant creatures while nodding to PlayStation’s past. For many players, it felt like the first truly homegrown, family-friendly hit Sony had delivered in years, and one that could stand next to the best platformers. | © Team Asobi
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 arrived as a surprise and quickly turned into a statement. It fuses stylish, reactive turn-based combat with a bold visual identity, feeling like the work of a massive studio rather than a comparatively lean team. For many players, it didn’t just earn Game of the Year, it raised the bar for what modern RPGs are expected to deliver. | © Sandfall Interactive
Game of the Year is supposed to crown the best game released that year. Simple, right? Yet every winner sparks arguments about innovation, hype, timing, and even industry politics. Looking back at the last champions, the real question isn’t just who won… it’s who truly deserved it most.
