The organisers of the Game Developers Choice (GDC) Awards have announced this year’s lineup of finalists.
The majestic Deathloop leads the line with an impressive total of six nominations. Arkane Studios’ game is recognised for Best Audio, Best Design, Innovation, Best Narrative, and Best Visual Art, and is also in the mix for Game of the Year.
Just behind is It Takes Two from Hazelight Studios, which follows up its Game Awards success with nominations in five categories.
Deathloop and It Takes Two are joined by Inscryption, Forza Horizon 5, and Resident Evil Village as Game of the Year finalists. Other games to receive recognition include Unpacking, Returnal, Wildermyth, Psychonauts 2.
This year’s awards will be held live for the first time since 2019, taking place at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.
All GDC delegates can attend in person, but if you’re safe at home, you can watch the awards via the official GDC Twitch channel on March 23, 2022.
Here’s the complete list of GDC Award nominees, including honourable mentions for every category.
GDC Awards 2022 Nominees
Best Audio
- Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos-Montréal / Square Enix)
- Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
Honorable Mentions: Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios), It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts), Genesis Noir (Feral Cat Den / Fellow Traveller), Kid A Mnesia: Exhibition (Arbitrarily Good Productions, Namethemachine / Epic Games), Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
Best Debut
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
- Valheim (Iron Gate Studio / Coffee Stain Publishing)
- Wildermyth (Worldwalker Games / WhisperGames)
- The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur / Annapurna Interactive)
- Sable (Shedworks / Raw Fury)
Honorable Mentions: Genesis Noir (Feral Cat Den / Fellow Traveller), ElecHead (Tsuyomi / NamaTakahashi), Unsighted (Studio Pixel Punk, Humble)
Best Design
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
- Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios)
- Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)
Honorable Mentions: Resident Evil Village (Capcom), Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble), Death’s Door (Acid Nerve, Devolver Digital), Loop Hero (Four Quarters, Devolver Digital)
Innovation Award
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
- Wildermyth (Worldwalker Games / WhisperGames)
- Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble)
- Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
Honorable Mentions: Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Chicory: A Colorful Tale (The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji), Loop Hero (Four Quarters, Devolver Digital)
Best Narrative
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos-Montréal / Square Enix)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
- Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios)
- Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble)
Honorable Mentions: Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab), Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine / Square Enix), The Forgotten City (Modern Storyteller / Dear Villagers), Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital), Wildermyth (Worldwalker Games / WhisperGames)
Social Impact Award
- Before Your Eyes (GoodbyeWorld Games / Skybound Games)
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
- Life is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine / Square Enix)
- Boyfriend Dungeon (Kitfox Games)
- Chicory: A Colorful Tale (The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji)
Honorable Mentions: Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
Best Technology
- Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios)
- Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Hitman 3 (IO Interactive)
Honorable Mentions: Battlefield 2042 (EA DICE / Electronic Arts), Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
Best Visual Art
- Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios)
Honorable Mentions: The Artful Escape (Beethoven & Dinosaur / Annapurna Interactive), Resident Evil Village (Capcom), Genesis Noir (Feral Cat Den / Fellow Traveller), Returnal (Housemarque / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Sable (Shedworks / Raw Fury)
Game of the Year
- Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)
- Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games / Xbox Game Studios)
- Resident Evil Village (Capcom)
- Deathloop (Arkane Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
Honorable Mentions: Halo Infinite (343 Industries / Xbox Game Studios), Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos-Montréal / Square Enix), Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine / Xbox Game Studios), Chicory: A Colorful Tale (The Chicory: A Colorful Tale Team / Finji), Death’s Door (Acid Nerve / Devolver Digital)
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