The Golden Joystick Awards 2024: Indie Games Shine Bright
The Golden Joystick Awards, celebrating gaming excellence since 1983, returns on November 21st, 2024, for its 42nd edition. This year's awards, recognizing games released between November 11th, 2023, and October 4th, 2024, showcase a strong showing for indie titles. Games like Balatro and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes received multiple nominations.
A noteworthy addition is a new category for self-published indie games, highlighting developers who handle both development and publishing. This category reflects the evolving definition of "indie" and celebrates smaller teams without the backing of major publishers.
Here's a glimpse at some of the nominated games across various categories:
Selected Nominee Highlights:
- Best Soundtrack: A Highland Song, Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Hauntii, Silent Hill 2, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
- Best Indie Game: Animal Well, Arco, Balatro, Beyond Galaxyland, Conscript, Indika, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Thank Goodness You’re Here!, The Plucky Squire, Ultros
- Best Indie Game - Self Published: Arctic Eggs, Another Crab’s Treasure, Crow Country, Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, I Am Your Beast, Little Kitty, Big City, Riven, Tactical Breach Wizards, Tiny Glade, UFO 50
- Console Game of the Year: Astro Bot, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Helldivers 2, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
- PC Game of the Year: Animal Well, Balatro, Frostpunk 2, Satisfactory, Tactical Breach Wizards, UFO 50
(Note: A full list of nominees across all 19 categories is available on the official website.)
Fan Voting and Controversy:
Fan voting is currently open, with the nominees chosen by a jury including representatives from leading gaming publications. The Ultimate Game of the Year nominees will be announced later. The voting period runs from November 4th to 8th, 2024. Games released after October 4th, 2024, are still eligible for Best Performance and Ultimate Game of the Year.
The absence of several fan favorites, including Black Myth: Wukong, from the Game of the Year categories sparked online debate. The Golden Joystick Awards clarified that the Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist is yet to be released.
Voting participants receive a free ebook. Visit the official website for more details and to cast your vote.
