The prizes awarded by video game developers at the Game Developers Conference also have Sekiro and Untitled Goose Game as a possible game of the year.
The GDC Awards ( Game Developers Choice Awards ), the awards given by video game developers in the framework of the Game Developers Conference to be held between March 16 and 20 in San Francisco, have revealed the list of nominees. Five titles appear in the Game of the Year category: Death Stranding, Control, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Untitled Goose Game and Outer Wilds. Prizes will be delivered on March 20.
The work of Kojima Productions is the title with the most nominations of the year: you can opt for seven prizes, among which are the best design and the most innovative matching award. Control and Outer Wilds are nominated for five categories. Disco Elysium, which appears as “honourable mention” in GOTY, is nominated for four awards (including the best debut of a studio) as well as Untitled Goose Game. Sayonara Wild Hearts and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice have three nominations.
At the gala, two awards will also be given to industry personalities. The Ambassador Award will be received by Kate Edwards, executive director of the Global Game Jam and former leader of the International Game Developers Association. The Pioneer Award has not yet been announced.
Nominations are made by the ICAN (International Choice Awards Network), a closed group of video game developers. Members of the ICAN and editors of the media industry then make the ratings dedicated to the game Gamasutra. Any title that has been published in 2019 can be nominated.
All nominees for the GDC Awards 2020
Game of the Year (GOTY)
- Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Control (Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games)
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware / Activision)
- Untitled Goose Game (House House / Panic)
- Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital / Annapurna Interactive)
Honourable mention: Disco Elysium (ZA / UM), The Outer Worlds (Obsidian Entertainment / Private Division), Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts), Apex Legends (Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts).
Best audio
- Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo / Annapurna Interactive)
- Control (Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games)
- Untitled Goose Game (House House / Panic)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward / Activision)
Honourable mention: Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring the Legend of Zelda (Brace Yourself Games / Nintendo), Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts), Disco Elysium (ZA / UM), Ape Out ( Gabe Cuzzillo, Bennett Foddy, Matt Boch / Return Digital), Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital / Annapurna Interactive).
Best debut of a studio
- ZA / UM (Elysium Disk)
- Mobius Digital (Outer Wilds)
- William Chyr Studios (Manifold Garden)
- Foam Sword Games (Knights and Bikes)
- Chance Agency (Neo Cab)
Best design
- Baba Is You (Hempuli)
- Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital / Annapurna Interactive)
- Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware / Activision Publishing, FromSoftware)
- Untitled Goose Game (House House / Panic)
Honorable mention : Disco Elysium (ZA / UM), Control (Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games), Apex Legends (Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts), The Outer Worlds (Obsidian Entertainment / Private Division), Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts), Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Next Level Games / Nintendo).
Innovation Award
Untitled Goose Game (House House / Panic)
Disco Elysium (ZA / UM)
Baba Is You (Hempuli)
Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital / Annapurna Interactive)
Honourable mention: Control (Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games), Hypnospace Outlaw (Tendershoot, ThatWhichIs Media / No More Robots), Kind Words (Popcannibal), Ring Fit Adventure (Nintendo EPD / Nintendo), Wattam (Funomena / Annapurna Interactive)
Best mobile game
- Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo / Annapurna Interactive)
- What the Golf? (Triband Productions / The Label Limited)
- Grindstone (Capybara Games)
- Sky: Children of the Light (thatgamecompany)
- Call of Duty: Mobile (TiMi Studios / Activision)
Honourable mention: Mutazione (Die Gute Fabrik / Akupara Games), Assemble with Care (ustwo), Pilgrims (Amanita Design), Archero (Habby), Card of Darkness (Choice Provisions), Mini Motorways (Dinosaur Polo Club)
Best narrative
- Elysium disk (ZA / UM)
- Control (Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games)
- Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Outer Worlds (Obsidian Entertainment / Private Division)
- Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital / Annapurna Interactive)
Honourable mention: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts), Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Intelligent Systems, Koei Tecmo Games / Nintendo), A Plague Tale: Innocence (Asobo Studio / Focus Home Interactive), Heaven’s Vault (inkle), Mutazione (Die Gute Fabrik / Akupara Games), Telling Lies (Drowning a Mermaid Productions, Furious Bee / Annapurna Interactive)
Better technology
- Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Control (Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (Infinity Ward / Activision)
- Apex Legends (Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts)
- Noita (Nolla Games)
Honourable mention: Gears 5 (The Coalition / Xbox Game Studios), Resident Evil 2 (Capcom), Manifold Garden (William Chyr Studios), Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware / Activision), The Outer Worlds (Obsidian Entertainment / Private Division ), Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts), Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital / Annapurna Interactive).
Best visual art
- Control (Remedy Entertainment / 505 Games)
- Death Stranding (Kojima Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (FromSoftware / Activision)
- Sayonara Wild Hearts (Simogo / Annapurna Interactive)
- Elysium disk (ZA / UM)
Honourable mention: Outer Wilds (Mobius Digital / Annapurna Interactive), Untitled Goose Game (House House / Panic), The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Grezzo / Nintendo), Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Next Level Games / Nintendo), Void Bastards (Blue Manchu / Humble Bundle).
Best virtual / augmented reality game
- Immortal Vader (ILMxLAB / Disney)
- Blood & Truth (SCEE Studio London / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Asgard’s Wrath (Sanzaru Games / Oculus Studios)
- Boneworks (Stress Level Zero)
- Pistol Whip (Cloudhead Games)
Honourable mention: Trover Saves the Universe (Squanch Games), Falcon Age (Outerloop Games), Ghost Giant (Zoink), Vacation Simulator (Owlchemy Labs), Stormland (Insomniac Games / Oculus Studios).