Game of the Year Award - Baldur’s Gate 3

VR Game of the Year Award - Labyrinthine

Labor of Love Award - Red Dead Redemption 2

Best Game on Steam Deck Award - Hogwarts Legacy

Better With Friends Award - Lethal Company

Outstanding Visual Style Award - Atomic Heart

Most Innovative Gameplay Award - Starfield

Best Game You Suck At Award - SIFU

Best Soundtrack Award - The Last of Us Part I

Outstanding Story-Rich Game Award - Baldur’s Gate 3

Sit Back and Relax Award - Dave the Diver

  • @djsoren19
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    3211 months ago

    Steam has once again shown us the flaws of a direct democracy, in that idiots get an equal vote to informed people. Really the only winner that makes sense is Baldur’s Gate 3. Even discounting the obviously silly ones, like a game that hasn’t been updated in three years winning Labor of Love, something like Hogwarts Legacy is a generic by-the-numbers open world collectathon that’s nowhere near the best thing you can play on the Deck. Atomic Heart’s visual style is a 2008 shooter with a sprinkle of Sovietpunk. Neither the Last of Us Part 1 or SIFU even came out in 2023.

    On the one hand, you can make a clear argument that 2023 was a pretty shitty year for games, and say “sure the awards look stupid, but nothing good came out.” That’s a pretty fair take for AAA, but a ton of incredible games came out in the AA and indie space. Some of them, like Lethal Company and Dave the Diver, were mentioned, but tons of great games weren’t even nominated. I think Valve needs to do a better job of policing the nominations if they want to show off more of the creative and original titles that go to Steam. Otherwise, we’ll just keep recognizing derivative garbage, since it usually has the most money behind it.

    • @jimjam@lemmy.world
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      611 months ago

      BG3 plays so damn well on the steam deck, too. I don’t see how it wasn’t an option.

    • @Donjuanme@lemmy.world
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      511 months ago

      Also very hard to vote legitimately against a concentrated effort. 4 of the 5 games deserve to be there, should be about 25% of the vote each. 1 “luls” entry will draw the clowns that put it there, along with people who didn’t originally think "burn it down"was an option.

    • @illi@lemm.ee
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      411 months ago

      Neither the Last of Us Part 1 or SIFU even came out in 2023

      Both launched in 2023 - on Steam that is.

      • @Donjuanme@lemmy.world
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        111 months ago

        Strong disagree. My favorite game of the year wasn’t up for game of the year. I feel bad that I actually put some effort into “looking into” the games I hadn’t heard of before (was this valves plan?) To make sure I was giving proper consideration before making my choices.

        I voted for 4 of the 11 winners, none of which went with the “troll” votes

        • Altima NEO
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          111 months ago

          I clearly meant from the choices that were available