The Golden Joystick Awards has published its shortlist of 12 games that could take home its Ultimate Game of the Year trophy, and voting's open now
You've got until November 7 to make your opinion known.
Can you believe videogames have been around for, at minimum, 43 years? That's probably longer than any human has ever lived, and they show no sign of letting up, despite the many letters I've written to the government.
And wouldn't you know it—the Golden Joystick Awards return for their 43rd annual show this November 20, hosted by none other than actor Maggie Robertson (who you almost certainly know as the alarmingly tall Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil 8, or possibly as Baldur's Gate 3's Orin the Red).
Joining her are Alix Wilton Regan (Alt Cunningham from Cyberpunk 2077), Doug Cockle (Geralt in The Witcher games), Ciara Berkely (the new voice of Ciri in The Witcher 4), Ben Starr (Verso in Clair Obscur, that one meme where he is impassive and bright), and Shai Matheson (the upcoming Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight).
Which game will end up taking home the Ultimate Game of the Year award? Well, that depends on the whims of democracy—voting is live now, if you want to make your voice heard—but it'll be one of 12 games on the official shortlist. Those games are:
- Blue Prince
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Ghost of Yōtei
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
- Peak
- Silent Hill f
- Split Fiction
As an entirely neutral observer, it's not my place to tell you that the right answer is clearly Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, so I won't do that. But imagine the delight on Henry actor Tom McKay's face if it wins? Do you want to take that away from the world? Could you live with yourself if you did?
Voting runs until November 7 at 4 pm PST / 7 pm EST / midnight GMT, so submit your ballot before then, then tune in for the show on November 20 to see if justice prevails.
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One of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been irreparably game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.
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