Voting for the annual GamesRadarGolden Joystick Awardsis underway now through November 8 at 3 p.m. PST. The choices for the Ultimate Game of the Year include some of the biggest releases of the year, chosen from a large selection across several categories and voted on by more than 10 million fans.
Fans can vote in the42nd Golden Joystick Awards for their favorite game on theGamesRadarwebsite right now.The shortlist for this year’s Ultimate Game of the Year award includes huge names likeBlack Myth: Wukong,Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,Final Fantasy VII Rebirth,andSilent Hill 2. However, among these AAA titles emerge a few massively successful indie titles that rose to popularity this year:Animal Well,Balatro,andSatisfactory.
Also on the shortlist is the gaming darlingAstro Botwhich was released to an overwhelmingly positive reception in September, and the significantly less well-receivedDragon Age: The Veilguard.The final titles on the shortlist areHelldivers 2, Metaphor: ReFantazio,andTekken 8,all of which have seen popularity throughout the past year.Anyone who votes before the polls will also get a free ebook from a selection of titles,including100 Retro Games to Play Before You Die, Ultimate Fan’s Guide to Pokémon,The History of Videogames,and more.
The Golden Joystick Awards Shortlist Includes Some Surprise Names
One Nominated Game Has A Low Rating
There are a few titles on the Joystick Awards that aren’t a surprise to find on the list.Black Myth: Wukong,for instance, was well received by fans and critics alike, whileBlack Ops 6is one ofCall of Duty’sbiggest launchesto date, despite only being out for a little over a week.The belovedAstro Botmaking its way to the listshows how much love players have for the cute little robot and his PlayStation companions. Some of the other titles on the shortlist are a bit more surprising, though.
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard,for instance, has an abysmal score of 3.8 onMetacritic, from over 4,000 votes. The game has been criticized by fans for its cartoonish style, earning it a lot of ire from the community, so it’s surprising to find the game on this shortlist. Other games are a surprise simply becausethey’re lesser-known titles that managed to rise to the topdespite not having big studios behind them.Animal Well, Balatro,andSatisfactoryare all titles from smaller devs, with the latter being a new game from the makers ofGoat Simulator.
Our Take: It’s Great To See Indie Games Represented In The Golden Joystick Best Game
From Multimillion-Dollar Companies To Single Devs With A Dream
A lot can be said for having brand name power, even when it comes to video games.Huge franchises likeCall of Dutytend to come out on top in “best games” listssimply for the power their names carry since the title is so recognizable even to people who have never played the game.
That’s why it’s so nice to see indie developers also represented in the list, sitting comfortably in their well-deserved spots among the gaming giants.This is especially true in the case of the two smallest titles in the list,Balatro,andAnimal Well,which were both developed by single developers.
This year’sGolden Joystick Awardsoffers a great selection of games to choose from. Voting ends on November 8 and the final results across all categories will be revealed on November 21, hosted by Ben Starr (voice actor of Clive Rosfield fromFinal Fantasy 16).
