Golden Joystick Awards 2024 Was a Big Showing for Indie Games

The Golden Joystick Awards 2024: A Celebration of Gaming Excellence, with a Focus on Indie Titles

The Golden Joystick Awards, a prestigious gaming awards ceremony celebrating the best in the industry since 1983, is back for its 42nd year on November 21, 2024. This year's awards, recognizing games released between November 11, 2023, and October 4, 2024, showcase a significant rise in recognition for indie games. Titles such as Balatro and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes have earned multiple nominations, highlighting the growing influence of smaller developers.

A notable addition this year is a new category dedicated to self-published indie games. This category specifically acknowledges the achievements of indie developers who handle both development and publishing, often without the backing of larger publishers. The organizers emphasize the evolving definition of "indie" and the importance of supporting these independent teams.

The Golden Joystick Awards 2024 features 19 categories, with nominees spanning a broad range of titles. Here's a glimpse at some of the nominated games:

Selected Nominee Categories:

• Best Soundtrack: A Highland Song, Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Hauntii, Silent Hill 2, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance

• Best Indie Game: Animal Well, Arco, Balatro, Beyond Galaxyland, Conscript, Indika, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Thank Goodness You’re Here!, The Plucky Squire, Ultros

• Best Indie Game - Self Published: Arctic Eggs, Another Crab’s Treasure, Crow Country, Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, I Am Your Beast, Little Kitty, Big City, Riven, Tactical Breach Wizards, Tiny Glade, UFO 50

• Console Game of the Year: Astro Bot, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Helldivers 2, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

(A full list of nominees across all categories is available on the official website.)

Fan Voting and Controversy:

Fan voting is now open on the official website, with the nominees chosen by a jury of gaming industry experts. A separate "Ultimate Game of the Year" (UGOTY) category will be announced later. The absence of several fan favorites, including Black Myth: Wukong, from the initial Game of the Year nominations has sparked controversy, with fans expressing their disappointment on social media. The organizers have addressed the concerns, clarifying that the UGOTY shortlist is yet to be revealed.

Voting for the main awards runs from November 4th to 8th, 2024. Games released between October 4th and November 21st will still be considered for Best Performance and UGOTY. As an incentive for participation, voters can claim a free ebook.