It’s usually pretty difficult to quantify “Impact” when it comes to this particular reward, so I will give a nod to Goodbye Volcano High. Its focus on LGBT characters and topics was the source of tremendous “controversy” among the usual suspects, and it’s arguably the best-received game in this category overall (outside of Baldur’s Gate 3, of course, which will almost certainly grab its wins elsewhere). 

Best Ongoing Game

Apex Legends

Cyberpunk 2077 

Final Fantasy XIV 

Fortnite 

Genshin Impact

Cyberpunk 2077’s nomination here is…bizarre. I’m a big fan of the 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty, but I just fail to see how Cyberpunk 2077 is being considered an ongoing game in the same ways these other titles were clearly designed to be ongoing games. I don’t know if we’ve ever seen another title in a similar situation be nominated for this particular award.

While its nomination here means that enough people clearly feel differently, I still think this award goes to Final Fantasy 14. Even though there wasn’t a new Final Fantasy 14 expansion released this year, the game still enjoyed a number of notable updates that helped solidify it as arguably the best MMORPG on the market (and one of the best Final Fantasy games ever). 

Baldur’s Gate 3 

Cyberpunk 2077 

Destiny 2

Final Fantasy XIV 

No Man’s Sky 

Unlike Best Ongoing Game, I do see the argument for Cyberpunk 2077 being in this category. I have concerns about its nomination, but I do think it is eligible given the sheer number of updates that Cyberpunk 2077 received this year. 

Since these are my predictions and not my personal votes, though, I think Cyberpunk 2077 grabs the win here. With the exception of Baldur’s Gate 3 (another somewhat odd candidate in this category), no other nominee in this category received more substantial updates than Cyberpunk 2077. Voters may be split on this one, but I suspect that Cyberpunk 2077 will have enough support. 

Best Independent Game

Cocoon 

Dave the Diver 

Dredge 

Sea of Stars 

Viewfinder

Dave the Diver would have been my guess for this category, but given the controversies surrounding that game’s eligibility, I’m not sure if it will have the support needed to go over the top. It may depend on when the votes were cast vs. when that controversy hit, but I think it will ultimately fall out of the running. 

Instead, I think Cocoon grabs the win here. It’s an exceptional experience that most certainly qualifies as an indie title. It’s also a pure passion project that represents the spirit of this award in terms of the work that went into it and how it exists on the margins of the Triple-A scene. 

Best Debut Indie Game

Cocoon 

Dredge 

Pizza Tower 

Venba

Viewfinder 

In the brief time that the Best Independent Game award and this award have existed, the same game has one both. While I hate to go against that kind of precedent when making predictions, I find Pizza Tower’s nomination to be too fascinating to ignore. 

Pretty much everyone I’ve spoken to in the games media industry (which makes up the majority of the voting jury for these awards) has professed their love for Pizza Tower. While I’m a little surprised it didn’t get a nomination for Best Independent Game, I think that the chance to award that title here will be too tempting to pass up on. Of course, that wonderful Wario Land-like title more than deserves to take home some gold. 

Best Mobile Game

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis 

Hello Kitty Island Adventure 

Honkai: Star Rail 

Monster Hunter Now 

Terra Nil 

I don’t have a horse in this particular race, nor can I begin to predict which way the voters may swing on this one. I’ll go with Honkai: Star Rail by virtue of the buzz it has garnered, but it’s a real toss-up. 

Best VR/AR Game

Gran Turismo 7 

Humanity 

Horizon Call of the Mountain 

Resident Evil Village VR Mode

Synapse 

Much like Best Mobile Game, I can’t really pretend that this is a category near my heart or in my wheelhouse. That being the case, I’ll go with Horizon due to the name value and the quality of the experience, but Synapse and Humanity are certainly noteworthy contenders. 

Best Action Game

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon 

Dead Island 2 

Ghostrunner 2 

Hi-Fi Rush 

Remnant 2

I love the fact that this category consists entirely of games not nominated for Game of the Year. That makes this a seemingly wide-open category that could go to a number of notable nominees that may not win any other awards.

That said, I think that this is Armored Core’s award to lose. FromSoftware has obviously enjoyed a history of success at The Game Awards, and Armored Core is probably the best game of 2023 that isn’t well represented elsewhere at The Game Awards. Remnant 2 would get my personal vote, but Armored Core 6 is the obvious leader of this pack.

Best Action/Adventure Game

Alan Wake 2 

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 

Resident Evil 4 

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor 

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom 

Unlike the Best Action Game category, the nominees for this award are certainly well-represented elsewhere. Deservedly so, but that does complicate my prediction in terms of how wins elsewhere may impact the winner of this award. 

However, I think that Tears of the Kingdom will still win this award one way or another. While that’s partially based on the fact that I currently have Baldur’s Gate 3 winning so many other major awards that Tears of the Kingdom is in contention for, I do think that it’s the game that best represents this category. Granted, that does mean that Resident Evil 4 and Alan Wake 2 may continue to struggle to secure wins at this year’s show. 

Best RPG

Baldur’s Gate 3 

Final Fantasy XVI

Lies of P 

Sea of Stars 

Starfield

Again, I think there is a world in which Tears of the Kingdom takes some of the awards that I currently have going to Baldurs’ Gate 3 (including Game of the Year). That said, Baldur’s Gate 3 will win this race by a mile no matter what happens elsewhere. This is basically a free prediction and one of the only guarantees at this year’s show.  

Best Fighting Game

God of Rock

Mortal Kombat 1 

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 

Pocket Bravery 

Street Fighter 6 

This is actually a very competitive category that is obviously highlighted by Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter’s considerable presence. Ultimately, though, I think Street Fighter 6 comfortably secures this win.

In terms of MK 1 vs. Street Fighter 6, I think that the general consensus is that MK 1 is very good but perhaps not quite on the level of recent MK games (and certainly not too far above them). Street Fighter 6, meanwhile, is an absolute triumph of fighting game design that may very well be one of the best Street Fighter games ever. Street Fighter 6 could have (maybe should have) been nominated for Game of the Year. It will almost certainly win this award, though. 

Best Family Game

Disney Illusion Island 

Party Animals 

Pikmin 4 

Sonic Superstars 

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

This is a genuinely interesting category that features both heavy hitters and titles not seen elsewhere. In this case, I think the heaviest of those hitters ends up snagging the win. 

There is a very good chance that Super Mario Bros. Wonder may end up missing out on every other award despite its GotY nomination. Even if that does happen, though, I think it will go home with this one. It’s not quite as specifically family-oriented as some of the other nominees, but it is an incredible Super Mario game that is more of a “for everyone” type of experience rather than a “for kids” type of game. 

Best Sim/Strategy Game

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp 

Cities: Skylines II 

Company of Heroes 3

Fire Emblem Engage 

Pikmin 4

In some ways, I do see this as a race between Pikmin 4 and Fire Emblem Engage. The other candidates certainly aren’t straw men, but those are the two nominees that stand out in terms of their clearly positive critical reception. 

Ultimately, though, I think it goes to Pikmin 4. It’s not only arguably the best Pikmin game yet, but the Pikmin series has always been a fan-favorite franchise that just doesn’t ever seem to get enough love. Giving that game this award would certainly help to close the gap a bit in terms of its popular reception. Pikmin’s dormancy compared to Fire Emblem’s relative prevalence in recent years may also be enough to give it an edge in the voting. 

Best Sports/Racing

EA Sports FC 24 

F1 23 

Forza Motorsport 

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged 

The Crew Motorfest 

This is probably the second easiest prediction of the show. EA Sports FC 24 might have more support than I’m giving it credit for, but I think that Forza Motorsport will be too tough to deny. It’s an incredible entry in an amazing franchise. 

Best Multiplayer (Presented by Discord)

Baldur’s Gate 3

Diablo IV 

Party Animals 

Street Fighter 6

Super Mario Bros. Wonder 

This is a strange selection of candidates that really shows just how diverse this category can be. While I find Diablo 4, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder to all be fantastic outside-the-box candidates, it’s hard to deny Street Fighter 6’s credentials. 

At the very least, Street Fighter 6’s multiplayer is an extension of the exceptional gameplay that the core title has to offer. While Baldur’s Gate 3, Diablo 4, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder certainly intrigue me due to their welcome couch co-op options, Street Fighter 6’s more traditional competitive qualities may be too strong to overlook. 

Best Adaptation

Castlevania: Nocturne

Gran Turismo 

The Last of Us 

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Twisted Metal

I’m stunned by how competitive this category is. Granted, Gran Turismo and Twisted Metal have no chance of winning, but Castlevania, The Last of Us, and Super Mario are all shockingly strong candidates. Of course, this will likely come down to Super Mario and The Last of Us

Even then, I’m 90% confident that this will go to The Last of Us. Super Mario was a blast, but The Last of Us is legitimately in contention for awards much bigger (commercially speaking) than The Game Awards. I think that The Game Awards voters will be more than happy to honor what may be the best drama of the year. 

Most Anticipated Game

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth 

Hades II 

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Star Wars Outlaws 

Tekken 8 

This is a fun category that lacks some of the names that would obviously win this award (GTA 6 or the Elden Ring DLC, to name a couple) if they were eligible. However, I still think that the biggest name on this list ends up taking the award home. 

The hype around Final Fantasy VII Rebirth continues to grow as we near the game’s 2024 release. What was already going to be one of next year’s most anticipated games reached new levels of popularity thanks to some of Rebirth’s recent previews. Granted, there is a chance that the previous remake’s somewhat mixed reception (as well as Final Fantasy 16’s somewhat mixed reception) could sour the anticipation for that title a little bit. If that does happen, then I think Hades 2 actually takes this award. 

Danofgeek