The Game Awards 2017 Nominees

Dec 06, 2017

By: Max Cannon

The Game Awards is the biggest award show in video gaming, as if the title didn't make that clear enough. While Kidzworld is going to be running through our favorite games of 2017, here are the nominees just in time to catch up before the award show later this week.

And the Nominees are...

The awards, which are decided by a panel of over 50 different gaming outlets, cover multiple different categories and represent the best gaming experiences you'll get throughout the year. Here's how things start:

Game of The Year

Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Odyssey
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
Persona 5
Horizon Zero Dawn

The new Zelda is the game to beat at this year's award show.Courtesy of Nintendo

Best Game Direction

Awarded to a game studio for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design.

Wolfenstein II
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Odyssey
Horizon Zero Dawn

Best Narrative

For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.

What Remains of Edith Finch
NieR: Automata
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Wolfenstein II
Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn was one of Kidzworld's highest reviewed games of the year.Courtesy of PlayStation

Best Art Direction

For outstanding creative and/or technical achievement in artistic design and animation.

Destiny 2
Cuphead
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Persona 5
Horizon Zero Dawn

Best Score/Music

For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song and/or licensed soundtrack.

Destiny 2
Cuphead
NieR: Automata
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Odyssey
Persona 5

Best Audio Design

Recognizing the best in-game audio and sound design.

Destiny 2
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Super Mario Odyssey

The Game Awards - Live in 4K on YouTube, December 7!

Best Performance

Awarded to an individual for voice-over acting, motion and/or performance capture.

Melina Juergens, Hellblade as Senua
Laura Bailey, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy as Nadine Ross
Claudia Black, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy as Chloe Frazer
Brian Bloom, Wolfenstein II as BJ Blazkowicz
Ashly Burch, Horizon: Zero Dawn As Aloy

Games for Impact

For a thought provoking game with a profound pro-social meaning or message.

Bury Me, My Love
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Night in the Woods
Please Knock on My Door
What Remains of Edith Finch

Best Ongoing Game

Awarded to a game for outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience over time.

Destiny 2
Grand Theft Auto Online
Overwatch
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
Rainbow Six: Siege
Warframe

Destiny 2, an online heavy game, is still getting new content.Courtesy of PlayStation

Best Independent Game

For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system.

Cuphead
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Night in the Woods
Pyre
What Remains of Edith Finch

Best Mobile Game

For the best game playable on a dedicated mobile device.

Fire Emblem Heroes
Hidden Folks
Monument Valley 2
Old Man's Journey
Super Mario Run

Best Handheld Game

For the best game playable on a dedicated portable gaming system.

Ever Oasis
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Metroid: Samus Returns
Monster Hunter Stories
Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World

With all these nominations, it looks like the long wait for Cuphead was worth it.Courtesy of Xbox

Best VR/AR Game

For the best game experience playable in virtual or augmented reality, irrespective of platform.

Farpoint
Lone Echo
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Star Trek: Bridge Crew
Superhot VR

Best Action Game

For the best game in the action genre focused on combat.

Cuphead
Destiny 2
Nioh
Prey
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Best Action/Adventure Game

For the best action/adventure game, combining combat with traversal and puzzle solving.

Assassin's Creed: Origins
Horizon Zero Dawn
Super Mario Odyssey
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

Best Role-Playing Game

For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression, including massively multiplayer experiences.

Divinity: Original Sin II
Final Fantasy XV
NieR: Automata
Persona 5
South Park: The Fractured But Whole

Best Fighting Game

For the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat.

Arms
Injustice 2
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
Nidhogg 2
Tekken 7

Best Family Game

For the best game appropriate for family play, irrespective of genre or platform.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Sonic Mania
Splatoon 2
Super Mario Odyssey

The Wii U's re-release is one of the family game of the year nominees.Courtesy of Nintendo

Best Strategy Game

Best game focused on real time or turn-based strategy gameplay, irrespective of platform.

Halo Wars 2
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Total War: Warhammer II
Tooth and Tail
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen

Best Sports/Racing Game

For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game.

FIFA 18
Forza Motorsport 7
Gran Turismo Sport
NBA 2K18
Pro Evolution Soccer 2018
Project Cars 2

Best Multiplayer

For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game genre.

Call of Duty: WWII
Destiny 2
Fortnite
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
Splatoon 2

Fortnite's inclusion of a free-to-play mode won over millions of players.Courtesy of Epic Games

Most Anticipated Game

Awarded to an upcoming game that has shown significant ambition and promise. Title must be announced and scheduled for release after December 7, 2017.