Golden Joystick Awards 2024 Was a Big Showing for Indie Games

The Golden Joystick Awards 2024: A Celebration of Gaming Excellence, with a Focus on Indie Titles

The Golden Joystick Awards, celebrating gaming's finest since 1983, returns on November 21st, 2024, for its 42nd year. This year's awards, recognizing games released between November 11th, 2023, and October 4th, 2024, showcase a significant rise in indie game recognition, with titles like Balatro and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes receiving multiple nominations.

A notable addition is a new category dedicated to self-published indie games, highlighting developers who handle both development and publishing. This acknowledges the evolving definition of "indie" and supports smaller teams lacking the backing of larger publishers.

Here's a glimpse at some of the nominated titles across various categories:

Key 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

(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 nominees selected by a jury including prominent gaming publications. The Ultimate Game of the Year (UGOTY) shortlist will be announced later. The omission of several fan favorites, such as Black Myth: Wukong, from the initial Game of the Year nominations sparked online debate. The organizers clarified that the UGOTY shortlist is yet to be revealed.

Voting for the main awards runs from November 4th to 8th, 2024. Games released after October 4th, 2024, are still eligible for Best Performance and UGOTY. A free ebook is offered as a voting incentive.