The 2020s have been a complicated decade for gaming thus far.
It was supposed to kick off with a bang, closing out the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One era and ushering in a new generation of gaming with the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Additionally, Nintendo was supposed to continue their momentum with the Nintendo Switch, building off their incredibly strong start by notably releasing the long-awaited Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Then, COVID-19 happened and changed everything, drastically altering the gaming landscape as we knew it. Development timelines were affected, delays were common, and some studios struggled to adapt to remote working environments.
Eventually, the industry would regain its rhythm, resulting in 2025 being one of the strongest years in recent memory. But are this year’s Game of the Year nominations the best of the decade thus far? Let’s find out and see how they stack up to the rest.
The Game Awards 2025: Game Of The Year Nominees, Ranked
2025’s gaming year is one for the record books.
6 2021
Feeling The Effects Of COVID-19
Game of the Year nominations, winner in bold.
- It Takes Two
- Deathloop
- Metroid Dread
- Psychonauts 2
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
We’ll talk more about COVID-19 in just a bit, but this is where you could tell it was disrupting the video game industry.
This is, without a doubt, the weakest all-around lineup from The Game Awards’ Game of the Year nominees in the 2020s.
It Takes Two winning was a major story, but I want to make one thing clear: it’s not because this was a “down year” for the industry. Metroid Dread was a breath of fresh air for the franchise, proving that a 2D Metroid can still innovate. Resident Evil Village was a fantastic follow-up to Resident Evil 7, blending the right amount of action and survival horror. It’s just that the rest of the lineup is very good, but falls short compared to other years. All of these games are solid entries, but I feel most of these titles aren’t often brought up in gaming discourse.
5 2020
The End Of A Generation
Game of the Year nominations, winner in bold.
- The Last of Us Part 2
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Doom Eternal
- Final Fantasy VII Remake
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Hades
While the biggest story of 2020 was the COVID-19 pandemic, it hadn’t affected game development quite yet, helping to lead a solid group of Game of the Year nominees, headlined by The Last of Us Part 2‘s win.
Having said that, there’s one game that sticks out like a sore thumb. Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a game that greatly benefited from the COVID-19 lockdown procedures. While we weren’t able to congregate in real life, we still found solace in socializing within Animal Crossing. However, we quickly learned that New Horizons is a little bit on the shallow end in terms of content, and as a result, it feels like we burned out on Animal Crossing quicker than intended.
Looking back, there’s also a glaring omission from this list. Yakuza: Like a Dragon has aged like fine wine and is arguably responsible for the massive surge in popularity of the Yakuza franchise. If we had a chance to do this all over again, I feel like it would take Animal Crossing’s spot.
4 2022
Oh, Elden Ring
Game of the Year nominations, winner in bold.
- Elden Ring
- A Plague Tale: Requiem
- God of War Ragnarok
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Stray
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
To be perfectly honest, Elden Ring is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. It’s that good of a game, and while others on this list are also solid, there are undoubtedly some weak spots.
Stray’s runaway critical success hasn’t necessarily aged well, and looking back, there are some glaring omissions on this list. Vampire Survivors, Tunic, and Immortality were all worthy of seeing a Game of the Year nomination. Instead, they were iced out. A Plague Tale: Requiem also notably didn’t win a single award despite several nominations.
The biggest thing that stands out is that despite Elden Ring looming over the competition, there’s not the depth that a year like 2025 has. You can easily make the argument that in 2025, every game nominated is worthy of winning Game of the Year. Looking back at 2022, though, there are some that feel like they simply don’t belong.
The Game Awards 2025: 5 Games That Feel Over-Represented
These games didn’t deserve their nominations at The Game Awards.
3 2024
The Winner No One Expected
Game of the Year nominations, winner in bold.
- Astro Bot
- Balatro
- Black Myuth: Wukong
- Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
Now things are starting to get a little tricky.
There’s one thing I want to make clear, though: Astro Bot‘s win is not an indictment on a “weak” lineup of nominees. Instead, it’s a testament to how great a platformer Astro Bot is. The reality is that all of these games were worthy of a nomination.
Once again, the Yakuza franchise gets iced out, with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth stuck on the outside looking in. The hard part this time, though, is that there isn’t an obvious game you would take out. Well, if you want to revive that discussion about DLC being nominated for awards, there is, I suppose, but we don’t have enough time for that debate.
2 2023
The Winner Everyone Expected
Game of the Year nominations, winner in bold.
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Alan Wake 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Resident Evil 4
- Super Mario Wonder
You know it’s a strong year when you can’t be upset that games like Super Mario Wonder, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Tears of the Kingdom don’t take home Game of the Year. Baldur’s Gate 3 is just that special. There is, however, one thing about 2023 that holds it back.
Remember when I just mentioned the entire “DLC shouldn’t be nominated” discourse? Well, about that. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is essentially DLC, but it also completely reshapes the base game of Cyberpunk 2077, helping CD Projekt RED achieve their original vision.
That’s the only thing I’d change: sub out Resident Evil 4 for Cyberpunk, and this would be a perfect lineup of nominees. Yet even with that change, it doesn’t hold a candle to this year.
1 2025
Can All Of These Games Win?
Game of the Year nominations.
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
- Donkey Kong Bananza
- Hades 2
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Call it recency bias, I don’t care. Every game on this list is, without a doubt, is worthy of taking home the gold. Heck, in most years, they would be the favorite.
You know it’s a strong list of Game of the Year nominees when, even though there is a glaring omission in Ghost of Yotei, there isn’t a clear-cut option to take away. Maybe Death Stranding 2, but it’s still a massive improvement over the original that delivers in every facet. The only reason people didn’t expect a nomination for Kingdom Come: Deliverance II was that it came out so long ago; most people assumed it would be forgotten.
Yes, Expedition 33 looms large over not just Game of the Year, but the entire show, echoing memories of Titanic, Return of the King, and Ben-Hur at the Academy Awards. It might not sweep, but I don’t think anyone would be surprised if it did. If that game didn’t exist this year, though, then this would be one of the most anticipated Game of the Year races in recent memory.
The Game Awards 2025: Every Nomination
Let the debate begin!
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Author: 360 Technology Group
