In a year marked by innovative storytelling and breathtaking visual design, the video game industry congregated in London last night for the much-anticipated Gloden Joysticks Awards 2023. The ceremony, live-streamed across the globe, paid tribute to the best games that were released in the previous year.
The award show recognized the diverse facets of gaming excellence with 23 different categories and had some well-deserved winners for each of them. Leading the charge was Larian’s masterpiece, Baldur’s Gate 3, which clinched an incredible seven different Golden Joysticks, including the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year and Studio of the Year. Let’s dive right into the list of all other winners and nominees.
All the Winners of Golden Joystick Awards 2023
Best Storytelling: Baldur’s Gate 3
Still Playing Award: No Man’s Sky
Best Visual Design: Baldur’s Gate 3
Studio of the Year: Larian Studios
Best Game Expansion: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Best Indie Game: Sea of Stars
Best VR Game: Horizon Call of the Mountain
Best Multiplayer Game: Mortal Kombat 1
Best Audio: Final Fantasy XVI
Best Game Trailer: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Best Streaming Game: Valorant
Best Game Community: Baldur’s Gate 3
Best Gaming Hardware: PSVR 2
Breakthrough Award: Cocoon / Geometric Interactive
Critic’s Choice Awards: Alan Wake 2
Best Lead Performer: Ben Starr from Final Fantasy XVI
Best Supporting Performer: Neil Newborn as Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3
Nintendo Game of the Year: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
PC Game of the Year: Baldur’s Gate 3
Xbox Game of the Year: Starfield
PlayStation Game of the Year: Resident Evil 4
Most Wanted Game: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
UGOTY: Baldur’s Gate 3
All Nominees for the Golden Joystick Awards 2023
Best Storytelling
Baldur's Gate 3 (winner)
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood
Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon
Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Still Playing Award
No Man's Sky (winner)
Genshin Impact
The Sims 4
Fortnite
Naraka Bladepoint
GTA Online
Warframe
Valorant
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive / Counter-Strike 2
Apex Legends
Dota 2
Call of Duty
Best Visual Design
Baldur's Gate 3 (winner)
Starfield
Hi-Fi Rush
Viewfinder
Lies of P
Street Fighter 6
Studio of the Year
Larian Studios (winner)
Digital Eclipse
Nintendo EPD
Mimimi Games
Remedy Entertainment
CD Projekt Red
Best Game Expansion
Power Wash Simulator DLC
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (winner)
The Elder Scrolls Online: Necrom
The Case of the Golden Idol Mysteries: The Lemurian Vampire and Spider of Lanka
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania
A Little to the Left: Cupboards & Drawers
Best Indie Game
Dave the Diver
Pizza Tower
Dredge
Cocoon
Viewfinder
Sea of Stars (winner)
Best Multiplayer Game
Exoprimal
Diablo 4
Street Fighter 6
Remnant 2
Mortal Kombat 1 (winner)
We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip
Best Audio
Stray Gods
Hi-Fi Rush
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
Starfield
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Final Fantasy 16 (winner)
Best Game Trailer
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty - Official Cinematic Trailer (winner)
Alan Wake 2 - The Dark Place Gameplay Trailer
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Official Trailer #3
Baby Steps Reveal Trailer
Mortal Kombat 1 - Official It's In Our Blood Trailer
Dave the Diver - Official Release Month And Accolades Trailer
Best Game Community
Final Fantasy 14
Warframe
Baldur's Gate 3 (winner)
Deep Rock Galactic
Dreams
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Best VR Game
C-Smash VRS
Horizon Call of the Mountain (winner)
Synapse
Vertigo 2 VR
F1 23 VR
The Light Brigade
Best Gaming Hardware
PlayStation VR2 (winner)
Turtle Beach Stealth Pro Headset
Alienware 34 AW3423DWF
Nitro Deck
ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96
Samsung 990 PRO
Breakthrough Award
Cocoon / Geometric Interactive
Critic’s Choice Awards
Alan Wake 2
Best Streaming Game
Valorant
Best Lead Performer
Ben Starr - Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy 16 (winner)
Yuri Lowenthal - Peter Parker in Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Cameron Monaghan - Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Ilkka Villi and Matthew Porretta - Alan Wake in Alan Wake 2
Nadji Jeter - Miles Morales in Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Ellise Chappell - Kathy Johanson in Deliver Us Mars
Melanie Liburd - Saga Anderson in Alan Wake 2
Best Supporting Performer
Laura Bailey - Mary Jane in Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Neil Newbon - Astarion in Baldur's Gate 3 (winner)
Cissy Jones - Andreja in Starfield
Amelia Tyler - Narrator in Baldur's Gate 3
Ralph Ineson - Cidolfus Telamon in Final Fantasy 16
Patricia Summersett - Princess Zelda in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Idris Elba - Solomon Reed in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Nintendo Game of the Year
Pikmin 4
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (winner)
Fire Emblem Engage
Metroid Prime Remastered
Octopath Traveller 2
Fae Farm
PC Game of the Year
Baldur's Gate 3 (winner)
Diablo 4
Dave the Diver
Tchia
System Shock
Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew
PlayStation Game of the Year
Final Fantasy 16
Resident Evil 4 (winner)
Street Fighter 6
Humanity
Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Xbox Game of the Year
Starfield (winner)
Chants of Sennaar
Hi-Fi Rush
Planet of Lana
Dead Space
Pentiment
Most Wanted Game
Death Stranding 2
Star Wars Outlaws
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (winner)
Tekken 8
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Hades 2
Fable
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Everywhere
Frostpunk 2
Ark 2
Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater
Persona 3 Reload
Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Pacific Drive
Black Myth: Wukong
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin
Ultimate Game of the Year
Baldur's Gate 3 (winner)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Alan Wake 2
Resident Evil 4
Cocoon
Starfield
Final Fantasy 16
Diablo 4
Forza Motorsport
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
Assassin's Creed Mirage
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Street Fighter 6
Metroid Prime Remastered
Hi-Fi Rush
Lords of the Fallen
Dead Space
Sea of Stars