The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3 lead the nominations at the 24th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards.
If you’re looking for an awards ceremony that truly recognises and celebrates the best games of the year, the Game Developers Choice (GDC) awards should offer a refreshing contrast to other unnamed events that grab the headlines.
This year’s GDC awards feature a lineup of finalists that range from independent gems like Cocoon and Dredge to big hitters like Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3 are both nominated in seven categories, including Innovation and Design. They also go head-to-head for the Game of the Year prize, along with Cocoon, Dave the Diver, Dredge, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Geometric Interactive’s Cocoon is also up for an impressive five awards, including Best Debut.
Other highlights include three nominations for Alan Wake II and three apiece for Venba and Hi-Fi Rush.
In addition to the categories listed below, the Audience Award lets the public vote for their favourite release of last year. You can find the ballot here.
The 2024 GDC awards will be held during the Game Developers Conference at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center on March 20, 2024. The whole event — plus the IGF Awards — will be live-streamed on the official GDC Twitch channel.
2024 Game Developers Choice Awards
Best Audio
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- Venba (Visai Games)
Best Debut
- Cocoon (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Dave the Diver (Mintrocket)
- Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17)
- Venba (Visai Games)
- Viewfinder (Sad Owl Studios / Thunderful Publishing)
Best Design
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Cocoon (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17)
- Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Innovation Award
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Cocoon (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- The Making of Karateka (Digital Eclipse)
Best Narrative
- Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- Venba (Visai Games)
Social Impact Award
- A Space for the Unbound (Mojiken Studio / Toge Productions)
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage (Ubisoft Bordeaux / Ubisoft)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Terra Nil (Free Lives / Devolver Digital)
- Venba (Visai Games)
Best Technology
- Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Best Visual Art
- Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
- Cocoon (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)
- Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Game of the Year
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Cocoon (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Dave the Diver (Mintrocket)
- Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
