Game Developers Choice Awards
The Game Developers Choice Awards are awards annually presented at the Game Developers Conference for outstanding game developers and games.
Introduced in 2001, the Game Developers Choice Awards were preceded by the Spotlight Awards, which were presented from 1997 to 1999. Since then, the ceremony for the Independent Games Festival is held just prior to the Choice Awards ceremony.
Winner selection process
Nominations for games are by made by International Choice Awards Network, a group of leading game creators. Votes are then additionally made by editors of Gamasutra. Any video game released in the preceding calendar year, regardless of medium, is eligible to be nominated, through upgrades, expansions, and mission packs are not eligible to be nominated.The top nominated games are assembled into the list of nominees, typically presented in January, are then voted on by final voting body, made up of ICANs, and editors of Gamasutra. In this final stage of voting, games with the highest votes in a category are the winners.
Winners for Special Awards are decided by a "Special Awards Jury", which appears to consist of a variety of 5 people. This group may consider recommendations from ICAN members.
The winners are announced during the Game Developers Conference, which is typically held in March of the calendar year.
GDC related properties are owned by the UBM technology group.
Historical process
In 2007, gamasutra.com took over management of the awards from the IGDA.An advisory board selected by the editors of gamasutra.com and Game Developer magazine oversees the selection process.
In the past, nominations are accepted from registered gamasutra.com users, confirmed to be game developers, and from the advisory board.
Once the nomination process is complete, the advisory board identifies five finalists for each regular category.
The recipients of the Lifetime Achievement, Pioneer and Maverick awards are selected by the advisory board.
For the other awards, a vote open to all those who participated in the nomination process chooses a recipient from each category's finalists.
List of winners
Note: Events held for awards are held early in the following year. Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.Game of the Year
The Game of the Year Award recognizes the overall best game released during the previous calendar year, as interpreted by the members of the Game Developers Conference.Year | Game | Genre | Platform | Developer |
2000 | The Sims | Life simulation | Mac OS, Microsoft Windows | Maxis |
2001 | Grand Theft Auto III | Action-adventure | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 | DMA Design |
2002 | Metroid Prime | Action-adventure | GameCube | Retro Studios |
2003 | ' | Role-playing | Microsoft Windows, Xbox | BioWare |
2004 | Half-Life 2 | First-person shooter | Microsoft Windows | Valve |
2005 | Shadow of the Colossus | Action-adventure | PlayStation 2 | Team Ico |
2006 | Gears of War | Third-person shooter | Xbox 360 | Epic Games |
2007 | Portal | Puzzle-platformer | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Valve |
2008 | Fallout 3 | Action role-playing | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Bethesda Game Studios |
2009 | ' | Action-adventure | PlayStation 3 | Naughty Dog |
2010 | Red Dead Redemption | Action-adventure | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Rockstar San Diego |
2011 | ' | Action role-playing | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Bethesda Game Studios |
2012 | Journey | Adventure | PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows | Thatgamecompany |
2013 | The Last of Us | Action-adventure | PlayStation 3 | Naughty Dog |
2014 | ' | Action-adventure | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Monolith Productions |
2015 | ' | Action role-playing | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | CD Projekt Red |
2016 | Overwatch | First-person shooter | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One | Blizzard Entertainment |
2017 | ' | Adventure | Nintendo Switch, Wii U | Nintendo |
2018 | God of War | Action-adventure | PlayStation 4 | Santa Monica Studio |
2019 | Untitled Goose Game | Puzzle | Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch | House House |
Best Audio
Best Audio award recognizes the overall excellence of audio in a game, including sound effects, musical composition, sound design and orchestration.- 2000: Diablo II
- 2001: '
- 2002: '
- 2003: Call of Duty
- 2004: Halo 2
- 2005: Guitar Hero
- 2006: Guitar Hero II
- 2007: BioShock
- 2008: Dead Space
- 2009: '
- 2010: Red Dead Redemption
- 2011: Portal 2
- 2012: Journey
- 2013: BioShock Infinite
- 2014: '
- 2015: Crypt of the NecroDancer
- 2016: Inside
- 2017:
- 2018: Celeste
- 2019: Control
Best Debut
- 2000: Valve / Minh Le / Jess Cliffe
- 2001: Bohemia Interactive
- 2002: Retro Studios
- 2003: Infinity Ward
- 2004: Crytek
- 2005: Double Fine Productions
- 2006: Iron Lore Entertainment
- 2007: Realtime Worlds / Microsoft Game Studios
- 2008: Media Molecule
- 2009: Runic Games
- 2010: Mojang
- 2011: Supergiant Games
- 2012: Subset Games
- 2013: The Fullbright Company
- 2014: Stoic Studio
- 2015: Moon Studios
- 2016: Campo Santo
- 2017: Studio MDHR
- 2018: Mountains
- 2019: ZA/UM
Best Design
- 2000: Deus Ex
- 2001: Grand Theft Auto III
- 2002: Battlefield 1942
- 2003: '
- 2004: Katamari Damacy
- 2005: Shadow of the Colossus
- 2006: Wii Sports
- 2007: Portal
- 2008: LittleBigPlanet
- 2009: '
- 2010: Red Dead Redemption
- 2011: Portal 2
- 2012: Journey
- 2013: The Last of Us
- 2014: '
- 2015: Rocket League
- 2016: Overwatch
- 2017: '
- 2018: Into the Breach
- 2019: Baba Is You
Best Mobile/Handheld Game
- 2007: '
- 2008: '
- 2009: Scribblenauts
- 2010: Cut the Rope
- 2011: '
- 2012: The Room
- 2013: '
- 2014: Monument Valley
- 2015: Her Story
- 2016: Pokémon Go
- 2017: Gorogoa
- 2018: Florence
- 2019: What the Golf?
Innovation Award
- 2000: Counter-Strike; Crazy Taxi; Deus Ex; Jet Grind Radio; No One Lives Forever
- 2001: Black and White; Grand Theft Auto III; ICO; Majestic; Rez
- 2002: Animal Crossing; Battlefield 1942; '; The Thing
- 2003: '; Viewtiful Joe;
- 2004: Donkey Konga; I Love Bees; Katamari Damacy
- 2005: Nintendogs; Guitar Hero
- 2006: Line Rider; Ōkami; Wii Sports
- 2007: Portal
- 2008: LittleBigPlanet
- 2009: Scribblenauts
- 2010: Minecraft
- 2011: Johann Sebastian Joust
- 2012: Journey
- 2013: Papers, Please
- 2014: Monument Valley
- 2015: Her Story
- 2016: No Man's Sky
- 2017: Gorogoa
- 2018: Nintendo Labo
- 2019: Baba Is You
Best Narrative
- 2002: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
- 2003: '
- 2004: Half-Life 2
- 2005: Psychonauts
- 2006: '
- 2007: BioShock
- 2008: Fallout 3
- 2009:
- 2010: Mass Effect 2
- 2011: Portal 2
- 2012: The Walking Dead
- 2013: The Last of Us
- 2014: Kentucky Route Zero: Episode 3
- 2015: Her Story
- 2016: Firewatch
- 2017: What Remains of Edith Finch
- 2018: Return of the Obra Dinn
- 2019: Disco Elysium
Best Technology
- 2004: Half-Life 2
- 2005: Nintendogs
- 2006: Gears of War
- 2007: Crysis
- 2008: LittleBigPlanet
- 2009: '
- 2010: Red Dead Redemption
- 2011: Battlefield 3
- 2012: Far Cry 3
- 2013: Grand Theft Auto V
- 2014: Destiny
- 2015: '
- 2016:
- 2017: Horizon Zero Dawn
- 2018: Red Dead Redemption 2
- 2019: Control
Best Visual Art
- 2000: Jet Grind Radio
- 2001: ICO
- 2002: Kingdom Hearts
- 2003: '
- 2004: World of Warcraft
- 2005: Shadow of the Colossus
- 2006: Gears of War
- 2007: BioShock
- 2008: Prince of Persia
- 2009: '
- 2010: Limbo
- 2011:
- 2012: Journey
- 2013: BioShock Infinite
- 2014: Monument Valley
- 2015: Ori and the Blind Forest
- 2016: Inside
- 2017: Cuphead
- 2018: Gris
- 2019: Control
Best VR/AR Game
- 2016:
- 2017: Superhot VR
- 2018: Beat Saber
- 2019: Vader Immortal
Special Awards Recipients
Audience Award
These awards are voted by the audience for best game of that year.- 2012: Dishonored
- 2013: Kerbal Space Program
- 2014: '
- 2015: Life Is Strange
- 2016: Battlefield 1
- 2017: '
- 2018: Beat Saber
- 2019:
The Pioneer Award
- 2000: Chip Morningstar and Randy Farmer
- 2001: Hubert Chardot
- 2002: David Crane, Larry Kaplan, Jim Levy, Alan Miller, Bob Whitehead
- 2003: Masaya Matsuura
- 2004: Richard Bartle
- 2005: Don Woods, Will Crowther
- 2006: Alexey Pajitnov
- 2007: Ralph Baer
- 2008: Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy
- 2009: Gabe Newell
- 2010: Yu Suzuki
- 2011: Dave Theurer
- 2012: Steve Russell
- 2013: Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill
- 2014: David Braben
- 2015: Markus "Notch" Persson
- 2016: Jordan Mechner
- 2017: None
- 2018: Rieko Kodama
- 2019: Roberta Williams
[|Ambassador Award]
The Ambassador Award is given to individuals within or outside the industry who helped video games "advance to a better place." It replaced the IGDA Award for Community Contribution after 2008.- 2007: Jason Della Rocca
- 2008: Tommy Tallarico
- 2009: Jerry Holkins, Mike Krahulik and Robert Khoo
- 2010: Tim Brengle and Ian Mackenzie
- 2011: Kenneth Doroshow and Paul M. Smith
- 2012: Chris Melissinos
- 2013: Anita Sarkeesian
- 2014: Brenda Romero
- 2015: Tracy Fullerton
- 2016: Mark DeLoura
- 2017: Rami Ismail
- 2018: None given
- 2019: Kate Edwards
Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2000: Will Wright
- 2001: Yuji Naka
- 2002: Gunpei Yokoi
- 2003: Mark Cerny
- 2004: Eugene Jarvis
- 2005: Richard Garriott
- 2006: Shigeru Miyamoto
- 2007: Sid Meier
- 2008: Hideo Kojima
- 2009: John Carmack
- 2010: Peter Molyneux
- 2011: Warren Spector
- 2012: Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk
- 2013: Ken Kutaragi
- 2014: Hironobu Sakaguchi
- 2015: Todd Howard
- 2016: Tim Sweeney
- 2017: Tim Schafer
- 2018: Amy Hennig
Retired awards
Best Downloadable Game
Best Downloadable Game Award recognizes the overall best game released on console or PC platforms specifically and solely for digital download - with an emphasis on smaller, more 'casual'-friendly titles.- 2007: flOw
- 2008: World of Goo
- 2009: Flower
- 2011: Minecraft
- 2012: Bastion
- 2013: Journey
- 2014: Papers, Please
Character Design
- 2004: Half-Life 2
- 2005: Shadow of the Colossus
- 2006: Ōkami
Excellence in Level Design
- 2000: American McGee's Alice
- 2001: ICO
- 2002: Metroid Prime
Excellence in Programming
- 2000: The Sims
- 2001: Black and White
- 2002: Neverwinter Nights
- 2003:
IGDA Award for Community Contribution
- 2000: John Carmack
- 2001: Jeff Lander
- 2002: Doug Church
- 2003: Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk
- 2004: Sheri Graner Ray
- 2005: Chris Hecker
- 2006: George Sanger
Original Game Character of the Year
- 2000: Seaman from Seaman
- 2001: Daxter from '
- 2002: Sly Cooper from Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
- 2003: HK-47 from '
Maverick Award
- 2003: Brian Fiete, Jason Kapalka, and John Vechey
- 2004: Matt Adams, Ju Row Farr, and Nick Tandavanitj
- 2005: Mike Dornbrook, Eran Egozy, Greg LoPiccolo, and Alex Rigopulos
- 2006: Greg Costikyan
Best New Social/Online Game
- 2009: FarmVille