As the ceremony approaches, it’s time to take a look at all the games that have won Game of the Year at Geoff Keighley’s The Game Awards.

 

 

December 2024 is almost here, and the gaming community is gearing up for The Game Awards, as it always does. The event’s host and organizer, Geoff Keighley, is already finalizing the details surrounding the conference and isn’t shy about raising the bar for the world premiere that will be held alongside the awards.

After all, the TGA is all about honoring the year’s most outstanding titles; and that’s clearly what the upcoming The Game Awards 2024 will be all about. In fact, Keighley has already announced the nominees for all categories at the awards, including the long-awaited GOTY 2024 (Game of the Year).

For this reason, we have compiled a list of games that have received the GOTY award both at the Spike Video Game Awards (a gala also overseen by Keighley, which began in 2003 and whose last edition was in 2013); and at the current The Game Awards. The impressive list below includes some of the best video games in history…

 

GOTY 2003: Madden NFL 2004

 

The first and only sports game to receive the GOTY award at both the Spike Video Game Awards and The Game Awards. Finally, and despite the fact that American football does not have a large audience in Europe, the Madden NFL saga continues to cause a sensation in territories such as the United States, and it is not surprising to know that there was a year when Geoff Keighley presented the award for best game of the year to one of these parts.

 

GOTY 2004: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

 

Not only is this the best game of the year, it’s also one of the most iconic experiences in history. CJ’s adventure has left its mark on the memories of millions of players, and to this day, we still give credit to Rockstar for the detailed development of Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas. As you might guess, this isn’t the only instalment in the Grand Theft Auto saga to win a GOTY…

 

GOTY 2005: Resident Evil 4

 

A widely acclaimed classic, a favourite of many Resident Evil fans, and interestingly, the only survival horror title to win Game of the Year at both the Spike Video Game Awards and The Game Awards. In fact, it was so successful that Capcom triumphed again with a remake released last year, in 2023, which achieved a more than enviable commercial performance.

 

GOTY 2006: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

 

It’s true that Bethesda made a name for itself in fantasy RPGs with the first instalments of The Elder Scrolls, and many fans of the genre especially loved the developer’s Oblivion adventure. At the time, it was considered the definitive role-playing experience thanks to its revolutionary mechanics, magical world, and intriguing story. All of this was, as you might imagine, further refined with Skyrim, a title that, of course, also appears on this list…

 

GOTY 2007: BioShock

 

The shooter genre was already hugely popular before 2007, but Irrational Games’ excellent work on BioShock captivated thousands of gamers. The team not only achieved excellent reviews with its gameplay mechanics, implementation of Plasmids, and setting of Rapture but also triumphed with a story that left no one indifferent.

 

GOTY 2008: Grand Theft Auto IV

 

Earlier, when we talked about GOTY 2004, we said that the Grand Theft Auto saga is a recurring element in the list of the best games of each year. The fact that GTA IV won the 2008 award is a good example of this since Rockstar once again won over gamers with a title that stood out for its open world and plot.

 

GOTY 2009: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

 

This was not the first time we saw Nathan Drake in action; the community was impressed by Naughty Dog’s game, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. In fact, and like many of the titles on this list, this brilliant action-adventure cavalcade won other GOTY awards at galas in addition to the Spike Video Game Awards.

 

GOTY 2010: Red Dead Redemption

 

Red Dead Redemption is still considered by many to be one of Rockstar’s best adventures. Even considering that Red Dead Redemption 2 was released in 2019, hundreds of players still prefer John Marston’s adventure to Arthur Morgan’s. And the recent PC release has lured a good portion of the community back to this Wild West experience in 2024.

 

GOTY 2011: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

 

Skyrim is fantastic. It’s been over 10 years since its release, but many players still want to return to its open fantasy world. This also indicates that, in addition to winning GOTY 2011, Bethesda’s RPG offers a timeless experience.

 

GOTY 2012: The Walking Dead

 

Indeed, Telltale Games is not in the best shape of its game right now; however, its approach to telling interactive stories through episodic experiences has revolutionized the world of video games. One of its most acclaimed and GOTY-worthy works of 2012 was The Walking Dead, full of difficult decisions and unexpected twists.

 

GOTY 2013: Grand Theft Auto V

 

As expected, especially after GTA: San Andreas was the GOTY of 2004 and GTA IV was the GOTY of 2008, the fifth instalment of the Grand Theft Auto saga was also worthy of the award for the best game of the year. The success of this title was so great that Rockstar, along with the popularity and revenue of GTA: Online, gave the franchise a long rest. Now, with the announcement of GTA VI, we just have to wait for history to repeat itself for the 2025 TGAs…

 

GOTY 2014: Dragon Age: Inquisition

 

We are entering a new era with the GOTY awards. 2014 was the year when Spike announced its decision to abandon its annual gala dedicated to video games. Geoff Keighley then took up the legacy to continue it at the already well-known The Game Awards. The first edition featured a highly acclaimed RPG, Dragon Age: Inquisition, which met the expectations of most fans with its combat system, legendary story and characters.

 

GOTY 2015: The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt

 

Geralt of Rivia had already taken his first steps in the world of video games with the previous instalments of The Witcher. However, CD Projekt RED finally revolutionized the RPG landscape with The Wild Hunt. The adventure is still hugely popular, not only because of the excellent gameplay and spectacular graphics, but also because of the many secrets that fans are still discovering in the game…

 

GOTY 2016: Overwatch

 

Overwatch was a real revolution in the world of video games. This can still be observed today: dozens of developers want a slice of the pie of game-as-a-service and hero shooters, following in the footsteps of Blizzard. While it is true that players are not very happy with the new direction of the industry, the influence of Overwatch is undeniable.

 

GOTY 2017: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

 

An open world full of interesting things, an epic story, challenges between original puzzles, battles against fantastic creatures… Nintendo learned from everything it saw in the video game industry up until 2017 and perfected The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. can captivate players for dozens of hours.

 

GOTY 2018: God of War

 

The spirit of Sparta has returned. Far from his homeland, Kratos has thrown himself into battle with his signature brutality and a son to take care of. The community has welcomed Guerrilla Games’ work in reviving the iconic PlayStation character, and many still return to the world of the Norse gods to test themselves in the wildest challenges.

 

GOTY 2019: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

 

FromSoftware has already captivated thousands of players with the Dark Souls saga, Bloodborne and Armored Core, but it has achieved its first GOTY at The Game Awards with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. A title that takes the Japanese studio’s signature formula of challenging combat to a fantastical setting in Japan, during the Sengoku period.

 

GOTY 2020: The Last of Us: Part II

 

Ellie’s heartbreaking adventure also made it to The Game Awards: specifically, she won GOTY 2020. Naughty Dog has once again been crowned with a tense and shocking experience that has left its mark on the memories of most players who have played it. The community is now preparing to relive the events of the title through the HBO series The Last of Us, which is currently working on season 2.

 

GOTY 2021: It Takes Two

 

A pleasant surprise and one of the funniest titles in history. It Takes Two entertained millions of players with a cooperative simulation designed for two people with unique challenges. In fact, the entire adventure serves to highlight a key concept: this is cooperation. Which is, of course, also reflected in its plot about a married couple who have decided to divorce.

 

GOTY 2022: Elden Ring

 

When FromSoftware announced Elden Ring, we all knew that the game would be a watershed in the Soulslike genre that was born precisely thanks to the work of the Japanese studio. This was proven not only by the millions of players who faced the dangers of the game but also by the title receiving the 2022 GOTY award.

 

GOTY 2023: Baldur’s Gate 3

 

This list features many RPGs that revolutionized the genre with fresh ideas, unprecedented mechanics, and epic stories. But Larian Studios went even further with Baldur’s Gate 3, which is considered by many to be the best RPG of all time. Its combat system is incredibly powerful, and its plot is driven by the choices made by the characters who accompany the player throughout the adventure.

Source: Marca