The Game Awards / Naughty Dog / BlizzardWinning the Game of the Year award at The Game Awards is the most prestigious achievement of them all in gaming. From instant classics like Elden Ring to revolutionary reboots like God of War, GOTY winners over the last 10+ years are all-timers.
While there are numerous award shows, Geoff Keighley’s TGAs carry the most prestige. After a decade-long stretch presenting the Spike Video Game Awards, Keighley created The Game Awards in 2014, and the show has grown in stature with every passing year.
It rewards gaming excellence from top indie games, to brilliant voice acting, and best-in-class music and art direction. However, there’s one award that stands above the rest. Being crowned Game of the Year is the greatest honour, and you can see the select games that have left their mark on history below. Here’s every single Game of the Year award winner from 2014 onwards.
2014 – Dragon Age: Inquisition
Bioware- Release date: November 18, 2014
- Developer: BioWare
- Platforms: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
- Genre: RPG
What is it? The third entry in BioWare’s Dragon Age RPG series has your custom-made character and ragtag crew of comrades go adventuring in the world of Thedas, battling otherworldly monsters and levelling up in the process. Who you befriend, how you approach combat, and where you go next is entirely your choice.
Why it won: The first-ever Game Awards arrived a year after the release of the PS4 and Xbox One. It was viewed as a relatively weak year as developers grappled with the new consoles, but BioWare released the strongest RPG of 2014, beating the likes of Dark Souls II and Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor to claim the Game of the Year gong.
While not the best-reviewed RPG of the generation, and not even the best-reviewed Dragon Age game, it was nonetheless the most polished release of the year. From its more action-focused combat to the engrossing fantasy narrative, it’s one of the best games in the series.
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2015 – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
CD Projekt Red- Release date: May 19, 2015
- Developer: CD Projekt Red
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
- Genre: RPG
What is it? Stepping into the shoes of Geralt of Rivia, The Witcher 3 takes players on a riveting adventure in one of the richest open worlds ever. Wielding a sword in one hand and magic in the other, you influence the outcome of key world events through an excellently written, character-driven narrative while fulfilling your duties as a world-renowned monster hunter.
Why it won: Over a decade later, The Witcher 3 holds up as one of the best games of all time. There’s a staggering amount of content in the threequel, and you could easily spend a few hundred hours sifting through it all and not see everything. That it beat acclaimed contemporaries like Fallout 4 and Bloodborne to snag Game of the Year speaks volumes.
The tale of Geralt is fascinating, with the likes of Ciri, Yennefer, Triss, and Eredin joining him in the cast of memorable characters. Despite closing out the original trilogy, there’s a reason The Witcher 4 is moving ahead – fans haven’t quite been able to scratch the same itch since CD Projekt Red delivered this all-time great RPG.
2016 – Overwatch
Blizzard- Release date: May 24, 2016
- Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
- Genre: Multiplayer hero shooter
What is it? Unique at the time, Blizzard’s 6v6 hero shooter featured a diverse cast of lovable characters that came together in hectic team fights across several fresh game modes. Every location, ultimate ability, and voice line quickly became etched in our brains as Overwatch became the multiplayer addiction of 2016.
Why it won: Overwatch was a revelation in 2016. Regardless of how you may feel about the game today, or how it’s ebbed and flowed over the years, Blizzard was ahead of the curve when the game originally launched in 2016. It was an incredibly polished multiplayer shooter with wonderful characters like Winston and Tracer that players instantly fell in love with. If Disney created shooters, they would look like this.
Every match was a new opportunity to learn. Even if you were being farmed by multiple Bastions at once, there was still a chance to swap heroes and adapt on the fly. With countless team compositions to test out, the skill ceiling couldn’t have been higher. It took the 2016 Game of the Year award over the likes of Titanfall 2 and Uncharted 4 thanks to its multiplayer excellence.
2017 – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Nintendo- Release date: March 3, 2017
- Developer: Nintendo
- Platforms: Wii U, Nintendo Switch
- Genre: Open-world adventure
What is it? The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an open-world game that lets players explore Hyrule with unprecedented freedom. Breath of the Wild broke the series’ traditional structure, replacing linear dungeons with physics-driven puzzles, survival elements, and a vast world that rewarded player creativity.
Why it won: Breath of the Wild’s rendition of Hyrule is as ambitious as it is beautiful, and traveling around its lush green lands has never been so fun. Whether you’re climbing up craggy cliff faces searching for Koroks, soaring over ancient ruins with your glider, or foraging in forests for a tasty treat to cook, there’s so much to do that you could easily spend hundreds of hours doing other stuff before you even attempt to save Princess Zelda.
For the first time, Link’s adventure was no longer silent either, as voice acting helped bring all the Hylian heroes to life like never before. While the series’ green-clad hero still preferred to stay mute besides letting out the odd “hyaaaaaaaaaaa” or sudden “hyup”, being able to sit back and watch fully voiced cutscenes felt special.
Pair this with the wacky ways you can solve puzzles and tackle dungeons in any order, and you have a recipe for a game that was well worth the four-year wait and a worthy Game of the Year winner.
2018 – God of War
Santa Monica Studios- Release date: April 20, 2018
- Developer: Santa Monica Studio
- Platforms: PS4
- Genre: Action-adventure
What is it? Ditching Greek for Norse mythology, the 2018 God of War reboot took Kratos in a direction no one saw coming. Rather than a bloodthirsty, unfeeling artist of violence, what if he were a dad? Enter Atreus, his son, and a mournful quest up a mountain to spread your fallen wife’s ashes. There’s still plenty of third-person hack and slash action and larger-than-life bosses, just with a grittier, more personal tone.
Why it won: Five years on from the previous entry in the series, the surprise pivot proved to be massively successful as the new look at Kratos added fresh layers to a once-generic character. Topping the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, this more linear open-world epic left us stunned with not only its enormous spectacles, but in its quieter moments that hone in on a disjointed father-son relationship.
Five years on from the previous entry in the series, the surprise pivot proved to be massively successful as the new look at Kratos added fresh layers to a once-generic character. Topping the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2 and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, this more linear open-world epic left us stunned with not only its enormous spectacles, but in its quieter moments that hone in on a disjointed father-son relationship.
God of War proved the series could be so much more than just mindless combat and pools of blood. From the unforgettable score to the remarkable performances, it was a triumph in every sense and one of the best games of the PS4 generation.
2019 – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
FromSoftware- Release date: March 22, 2019
- Developer: FromSoftware
- Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
- Genre: Soulslike
What is it? Set in a fictional version of Japan, Sekiro follows the story of a shinobi who finds himself caught in a power struggle far greater than he could have imagined. Fighting unrelenting bladedancers and overwhelming monsters (we’ll never be able to forget those Headless Apes), you have to master FromSoftware’s combat mechanics to make it through the brutally difficult world in one piece.
Why it won: Everyone has their preference when it comes to Soulslikes, and if you happen to prefer chaotically fast-paced combat, then Sekiro is the game for you. With some of the most intimidating bosses in gaming, it’s certainly not for everyone. But if you have the patience to learn the ways of the sword, overcoming dozens if not hundreds of setbacks is among the most satisfying experiences you’ll have with a controller in hand.
The world is gorgeously crafted, enemies exceptionally well designed, and progression tuned just right so that you’re always getting stronger, but never getting ahead of enemies in your path. It’s a delightfully punishing game, and one of FromSoftware’s very best.
2020 – The Last of Us Part II
Naughty Dog- Release date: June 19, 2020
- Developer: Naughty Dog
- Platforms: PS4
- Genre: Third-person action
What is it? Naughty Dog’s follow-up to 2013 hit The Last of Us is a far bigger and bolder journey about the cycle of violence and the harm that stems from seeking revenge. With disturbingly authentic violence and gut-wrenching executions, your favorite characters never feel truly safe as they fight monsters (some of them human) in this post-apocalyptic nightmare.
Why it won: The Last of Us Part 2 is Naughty Dog firing on all cylinders to deliver one of its most richly detailed games. From gruesome kills to incredible motion capture, and even little things like the rope physics, it’s all shockingly realistic. Paired with heartbreaking storytelling and career-best performances from the cast, you’ve got a sequel that builds on everything that made the original so great.
It’s a harrowing experience, one you won’t be excitedly rushing to replay anytime soon, but it’s a brilliant game that showed just what the PS4 was truly capable of.
2021 – It Takes Two
Hazelight Studios- Release date: March 26, 2021
- Developer: Hazelight Studios
- Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, PC
- Genre: Co-op platformer
What is it? It Takes Two is a co-op game that, well, takes two players and throws a series of puzzles, platforming challenges, and hilarious set-pieces at them. Working through relationship issues between struggling husband and wife Cody and May, you’ll learn a little about love, a little about parenting, and a lot about each other.
Why it won: It Takes Two reminded us that co-op games (especially split-screen co-op games) still have a place. It’s an experience built with two players in mind, one that you cannot get through by yourself – you must work together at all times, pairing your reflexes and brainpower to overcome the obstacles in your way.
At times incredibly endearing, at others, laugh-out-loud funny, it’s a refreshing story centered on love and compassion for others. Metroid Dread and Deathloop were also nominated in 2021, but this was unlike any other game that year, and to this day, unlike anything else you’ll play.
2022 – Elden Ring
FromSoftware- Release date: February 25, 2022
- Developer: FromSoftware
- Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, PC
- Genre: Soulslike
What is it? Trekking through the Lands Between, either on foot or with your mystical mount, Torrent, you’ll encounter colossal monsters, fight all-powerful bosses, and venture through one dungeon after another. It’s your choice how you fight these enemies and where you’ll explore next, but one thing is always certain: death is just around the corner.
Why it won: With Elden Ring, FromSoftware took its winning recipe for brutally difficult games and mixed it with an enormous open world. Little is explained, and nothing is marked on your map. You’re left to your own devices right out of the gate and have to learn how to get by in this cold, cruel world packed full of surprises.
Combat is brutally difficult as you’d expect, but your options for how to conquer any given fight are near-endless. The lore is utterly fascinating too, immersing you in ways earlier FromSoft titles couldn’t quite match. Elden Ring stood well ahead of the competition in 2022, beating the likes of God of War Ragnarok and Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and for our money, it’s the best game ever made.
2023 – Baldur’s Gate 3
Larian Studios- Release date: August 3, 2023
- Developer: Larian Studios
- Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X | S, PC, macOS
- Genre: RPG
What is it? Imagine if Dungeons & Dragons came to life with a level of reactivity never before seen. That’s essentially Baldur’s Gate 3, as you pick how every conversation and every battle unfolds, shaping the cast of characters around you and the world they all inhabit.
Why it won: While 2023 was chock-full of incredible releases like Resident Evil 4 Remake, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Alan Wake 2, to name a few, Baldur’s Gate 3 edged out the win. There’s nothing else quite like it. The sheer variety in gameplay experiences is unparalleled, as you can play through a hundred times and still discover new details like minor story moments or even entire characters you may have missed.
From picking who joins you on adventures to deciding who to fight and at what time, you are given near-limitless freedom to craft your desired story in its richly detailed sandbox. Baldur’s Gate 3 remains a remarkable feat of game design.
2024 – Astro Bot
PlayStation- Release date: September 6, 2024
- Developer: Team Asobi
- Platforms: PS5
- Genre: Platformer
What is it? Astro Bot is a charming 3D platformer that celebrates PlayStation’s history by having you rescue gaming icons trapped in each level. You’ll be jumping, swinging, shrinking, absorbing, and monkey-barring your way through increasingly difficult stages, setting your best times while tracking down every hidden collectible.
Why it won: Much like It Takes Two’s big win in 2021, Astro Bot reminded us that games don’t have to be overly serious at all times. The best game of the year isn’t always the one with the most violence or the heaviest emotional impact. Sometimes, it can be a cute little 3D platformer.
Astro Bot is all about soaking up the sights, sounds, and secret delights packed into every beautifully designed area. Each new legendary PlayStation character found only helps your home world come to life, and by the time it’s all over, you’re left hoping Astro Bot’s next adventure isn’t too far off.
2025 – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Sandfall Interactive- Release date: April 24, 2025
- Developer: Sandfall Interactive
- Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X | S, PC
- Genre: Turn-based RPG
What is it? Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a stylish, story-driven RPG set in a surreal world where humanity lives under a deadly countdown. Each year, a godlike figure known as the Paintress erases everyone of a certain age, and Expedition 33 is the latest doomed group sent out to stop her. Blending classic turn-based combat with real-time inputs, painterly visuals, and a heavy focus on character-driven storytelling, it quickly stood out as one of the boldest RPGs of the generation.
Why it won: Clair Obscur’s emotional story and characters were what really made it stand out. Performances from Ben Starr, Charlie Cox, and the wider cast give the journey real weight, capturing the fear, hope, and exhaustion of a group racing against time. The voice acting helps even smaller moments land, while the soundtrack quietly lifts key scenes and lets the game’s heavier beats breathe.
What sets the gameplay apart is its turn-based combat, which feels refreshingly different from many RPGs. The fights are fast and active, eschewing menu-heavy battles. It rewards timing and quick thinking, making every encounter engaging and every boss fight rewarding. Paired with its striking art style and beautiful environments, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 earned its record-breaking spot as 2025’s Game of the Year.