The Game Awards has crowned a new Game of the Year, and each and every year, it seems Geoff Keighley’s show grows alongside its influence on the industry. It may be surprising to some, then, to realize that the show has only been around since 2014. This means that, including 2021, it has named 8 Game of the Year titles in its existence.
Of course, Game of the Year is something tossed around by several organizations and outlets, and many have their own personal Game of the Year every year. It’s hard to pick or vote the best out of the best when each and every year brings new, bold games to the table. The nominees for Game of the Year this year were narrowed down to It Takes Two, Resident Evil Village, Psychonauts 2, Metroid Dread, Deathloop, and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. But, with It Takes Two taking that win, it’s worth looking back at the history of the award too.
The Game Awards: Game of the Year 2014-2020
From its first show in 2014 to 2022, here is every game to receive the Game of the Year Award from The Game Awards ceremony.
- (2014) Dragon Age: Inquisition – The third title in a beloved BioWare franchise, Dragon Age: Inquisition wasn’t without its faults, but many loved its worldbuilding and connections to past games. Now, fans look forward to seeing how Inquisition connects to Dragon Age 4 in a few years.
- (2015) The Witcher 3 – Often hailed as one of the greatest games of all time, not just 2015, The Witcher 3 cemented CD Projekt Red’s role in the industry. Cyberpunk 2077 did some damage to that reputation, but with good things on the horizon for both The Witcher and Cyberpunk, it remains to be seen what comes next for this particular franchise.
- (2016) Overwatch – A hero shooter that is still going strong today. Overwatch 2 is also in development, adding PvE elements and still combining with the first game.
- (2017) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – This should come as no surprise, given Breath of the Wild set the bar for all open-world games and has been compared to just as many, including the recently released Halo Infinite.
- (2018) God of War – Many would consider 2018 one of the best years in gaming in a while, as there is simply so many great titles. 2018’s Game of the Year nominees were AC Odyssey, Celeste, God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Monster Hunter: World, and Red Dead Redemption 2; any of these games could have justifiably won, making it a really competitive year.
- (2019) Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – Souls, or Soulslike, games have become increasingly popular year after year. Sekiro is the latest title from FromSoftware, and it broke from the typical formula in some ways, really making it its own while retaining all the heart. Now, fans have eyes on From’s next title—Elden Ring—and if it lives up to the hype, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it at The Game Awards 2022.
- (2020) The Last of Us 2 – Although divisive in story-telling, there’s no denying The Last of Us 2 is a technical marvel. Not only did it win The Game Awards’ Game of the Year title, but it bagged 300 Game of the Year awards across the industry, setting a new record.
The Game Awards: Game of the Year 2021 Goes To…
It Takes Two took the title of Game of the Year 2021 at TGA, and it's arguably a hard-earned victory. Josef Fares and Hazelight Studios have worked hard to deliver quality couch co-op experiences, of which It Takes Two is one of very few. Several games that would benefit from couch co-op launched without this year, hurting the overall experience. Co-op defines It Takes Two, but if anything else, its unique story and gameplay take it to the next level.
The story is centered around rekindling the marriage between Cody and May, who are on the verge of divorce. Their daughter, Rose, believes it to be her fault, especially as Cody and May's real bodies fall unconscious as they take on these new toy-like figures. Meanwhile, the gameplay truly changes from segment to segment of the game, making it something that can be played time and time again. Needless to say, It Takes Two got Game of the Year and deserved it.