For the past 25 years, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has been giving away the DICE Awards, one of the most prestigious awards in all of gaming. The AIAS has now announced its nominees for the 2022 event, honoring games released in 2021, with the winners to be announced on February 24 at an event in Las Vegas.
The AIAS gives away a number of awards every year, recognizing games for various accomplishments. Fans may be especially interested in the games that are nominated for Game of the Year, with the AIAS nominating a total of five games at this year's event. The DICE Awards nominees for Game of the Year are Deathloop, Inscryption, It Takes Two, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, and Returnal.
Most of those games were also nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021 in December, with the exception of Inscryption and Returnal. Inscryption, for the uninitiated, is a unique deck-building game where players are trying to defeat a demonic entity in a card game. Returnal, meanwhile, is an action shooter roguelike from developer Housemarque. Both games earned critical acclaim and were considered by many to be snubs at this year's Game Awards, so fans will be happy to see them get the nod at the DICE Awards.
Game of the Year
- Deathloop
- Inscryption
- It Takes Two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Returnal
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Deathloop
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Deathloop
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Deathloop – Colt Vahn
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Kena
- Life is Strange: True Colors – Alex Chen
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Rivet
- Resident Evil Village – Lady Dimitrescu
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Deathloop
- It Takes Two
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Psychonauts 2
- Returnal
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
- Forza Horizon 5
- Halo Infinite
- It Takes Two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Returnal
Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Before Your Eyes
- Inscryption
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Psychonauts 2
- The Forgotten City
Outstanding Technical Achievement
- Battlefield 2042
- Forza Horizon 5
- Moncage
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Returnal
Action Game of the Year
- Deathloop
- Halo Infinite
- Metroid Dread
- Returnal
- The Ascent
Adventure Game of the Year
- Death's Door
- It Takes Two
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Psychonauts 2
- Resident Evil Village
Family Game of the Year
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise
- Cozy Grove
- Mario Party Superstars
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Warioware: Get it Together
Fighting Game of the Year
- Guilty Gear Strive
- Melty Blood: Type Lumina
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
Racing Game of the Year
- F1 2021
- Forza Horizon 5
- Hot Wheels Unleashed
Role-Playing Game of the Year
- Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker
- Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
- Shin Megami Tensei 5
- Tales of Arise
- Wildermyth
Sports Game of the Year
- FIFA 22
- Mario Golf: Super Rush
- NBA 2k22
- Riders Republic
- The Climb 2
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- Age of Empires 4
- Gloomhaven
- Griftlands
- Inscryption
- Loop Hero
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
- Lone Echo 2
- Puzzling Places
- Resident Evil 4 VR
- Song in the Smoke
- Yuki
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
- Demeo
- I Expect You To Die 2
- Lone Echo 2
- Resident Evil 4 VR
- Song in the Smoke
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
- Death's Door
- Inscryption
- Loop Hero
- Sable
- Unpacking
Mobile Game of the Year
- Behind the Frame
- Fantasian
- League of Legends: Wild Rift
- Moncage
- Pokemon Unite
Online Game of the Year
- Back 4 Blood
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker
- Halo Infinite
- Knockout City
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Deathloop
- Inscryption
- It Takes Two
- Loop Hero
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Deathloop
- Inscryption
- It Takes Two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- The Artful Escape
Of course, the DICE Awards has its snubs as well, with some fans likely upset to see the absence of some of the year's biggest games like Resident Evil Village, Psychonauts 2, and Metroid Dread. But while those games weren't nominated for Game of the Year, they did secure nominations in some other categories at least.
It will definitely be interesting to see which game takes home the Game of the Year award at this year's event. The past couple of years saw indie games Untitled Goose Game and Hades take home the Game of the Year award, whereas 2018 went to God of War and 2017 went to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Source: IGN
