Critically acclaimed Balatro secured three accolades, including Most Exciting Independent Game
Team Asobi dominated The Game Awards last night, with Astro Bot winning four honors, including Game of the Year.
Astro Bot also claimed Most Exciting Game Direction, Most Exciting Family Game, and Most Exciting Action/Adventure Game.
Studio Zero’s Metaphor: ReFantazio and LocalThunk’s Balatro followed closely behind, each earning awards in three different categories.
Metaphor: ReFantazio was recognized for Most Exciting Narrative, Most Exciting Art Direction, and Most Exciting RPG, while Balatro took home awards for Most Exciting Independent Game, Most Exciting Debut Indie Game, and Most Exciting Mobile Game.
The evening was filled with announcements and reveal trailers. Highlights included a significant preview of CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 4, Prankish Canines’s new project Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and news that a sequel to the 2006 classic Okami is finally in development.
This year’s event also introduced a new category – the Game Changers Award. This recognition was awarded to Tencent industry leader Amir Satvat for his efforts in assisting developers affected by layoffs and studio closures.
Here is the complete list of winners:
- Game of the Year 2023: Astro Bot (Team Asobi)
- Most Exciting Game Direction: Astro Bot (Team Asobi)
- Most Exciting Narrative: Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero)
- Most Exciting Art Direction: Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero)
- Most Exciting Score and Music: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (Square Enix)
- Most Exciting Audio Design: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 (Ninja Theory)
- Most Exciting Performance: Melina Juergens – Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
- Most Exciting Adaptation: Fallout (Amazon Prime Video)
- Most Exciting Ongoing Game: Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studios)
- Most Exciting Independent Game: Balatro (LocalThunk)
- Most Exciting Debut Indie Game: Balatro (LocalThunk)
- Most Exciting Mobile Game: Balatro (LocalThunk)
- Most Exciting VR/AR Game: Batman: Arkham Shadow (Camouflaj)
- Most Exciting Action Game: Dark Tale: Wukong (Game Science)
- Most Exciting Action/Adventure Game: Astro Bot (Team Asobi)
- Most Exciting RPG: Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero)
- Most Exciting Fighting Game: Tekken 8 (Bandai Namco, Arika)
- Most Exciting Family Game: Astro Bot (Team Asobi)
- Most Exciting Sim/Strategy Game: Frostpunk 2 (11 Bit Studios)
- Most Exciting Sports/Racing Game: EA Sports FC 25 (EA Canada)