The Golden Joystick Awards 2024: A Celebration of Indie Games and Heated Debate

The Golden Joystick Awards 2024, celebrating gaming excellence since 1983, unveiled its nominees across numerous categories, notably featuring a new bracket for self-developed and published indie games. The awards ceremony, scheduled for November 21st, 2024, will honor games released between November 11th, 2023, and October 4th, 2024. This year showcases a significant rise in indie game recognition, with titles like Balatro and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes receiving multiple nominations.

A total of 19 categories comprise the awards, including the aforementioned new category for self-published indie developers. This category specifically highlights indie titles developed and published by smaller teams, acknowledging the evolving definition of "indie" and focusing on developers lacking the support of major publishers.

The nominees span various categories, including Best Soundtrack, Best Audio Design, Best Game Trailer, Best Game Expansion, Best Early Access Game, and several "Still Playing" awards for mobile and console/PC games. A comprehensive list of nominees for each category is available below:

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The voting period is now open, with nominees selected by a jury including prominent gaming publications like PC Gamer, GamesRadar, and Edge magazine. Voting is accessible via the official website. A later voting period will determine the Ultimate Game of the Year (UGOTY) award. The UGOTY shortlist will be unveiled on November 4th, with voting running from November 4th to 8th, 2024. Games released between October 4th and November 21st, 2024, remain eligible for Best Performance and UGOTY awards. Voters receive a free ebook as a bonus.

Controversy Sparks Over Game of the Year Snubs

The absence of certain fan-favorite titles from the Game of the Year (GOTY) nominations for PC and Console, including Metaphor: ReFantazio, Space Marine 2, and notably Black Myth: Wukong, has ignited considerable online discussion. Fans expressed their disappointment and criticism, accusing the organizers of bias. The Golden Joystick Awards responded to the backlash, clarifying that the UGOTY shortlist is yet to be released, and that the initial GOTY nominations do not represent the full picture.