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Inscryption and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart were among the winners at the 2022 Game Developers Choice (GDC) Awards.

An exuberant Osama Dorias provided a steady stream of groan-worthy dad jokes as host of this year’s GDC Awards, the first held in person since 2019.

The achievements of some of last year’s best games were celebrated, with Inscryption the deserved recipient of the coveted Game of Year award. The award capped a memorable night for creator Daniel Mullins following the game’s success at the IGF Awards.

Other winners included Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, which picked up the Best Visual Art and Best Technology awards, and Psychonauts 2 for Best Narrative.

Witch Beam’s Unpacking took home the Best Audio and Innovation awards, and Kitfox’s Boyfriend Dungeon won for Social Impact.

Elsewhere, Valheim won the Best Debut and Audience awards. Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii was also presented with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

AbleGamers COO Steven Spohn was the recipient of the prestigious Ambassador Award. His inspiring and life-affirming acceptance speech was the absolute highlight of the evening and is well worth watching.

Here’s the full list of GDC Award winners and nominations.

GDC Awards 2022 – Winners and 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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

Audience Award

  • Valheim (Iron Gate Studio / Coffee Stain Publishing)

Lifetime Achievement Award

  • Yuji Horii

Ambassador Award

  • Steven Sohn

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)

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