The 24th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) winners have been announced, with Baldur’s Gate 3 leading the way with four awards, including Game of the Year. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, our favorite game of 2023, won two awards for Innovation and Best Technology. The narrative cooking game Venba matched Tears of the Kingdom’s award count, winning in both the Best Debut and Social Impact categories. Other winners include Alan Wake 2 and Hi-Fi Rush.
The event honored Yoko Shimomura with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Fawzi Mesmar with the Ambassador Award. Shimomura, a Japanese composer and pianist, has crafted some of my favorite video game soundtracks, including those for Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy XV. Mesmar, an award-winning creative director, game designer, author, public speaker, and mentor, has contributed to franchises like Battlefield, Candy Crush, Mario + Rabbids, Star Wars, and Persona.
Below, you’ll find the full list of nominees and winners, as well as a montage video celebrating the winners.
Best Audio
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- Venba (Visai Games)
Best Debut
- COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Dave the Diver (Mintrocket)
- Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17)
- Winner: Venba (Visai Games)
- Viewfinder (Sad Owl Studios / Thunderful Publishing)
Best Design
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17)
- Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Innovation Award
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- The Making of Karateka (Digital Eclipse)
Best Narrative
- Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- Venba (Visai Games)
Social Impact Award
- A Space for the Unbound (Mojiken Studio / Toge Productions)
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage (Ubisoft Bordeaux / Ubisoft)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Terra Nil (Free Lives / Devolver Digital)
- Venba (Visai Games)
Best Technology
- Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Best Visual Art
- Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
- COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)
- Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Game of the Year
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
- COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
- Dave the Diver (Mintrocket)
- Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Audience Award
- Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
Ambassador Award
- Fawzi Mesmar
Lifetime Achievement Award
- Yoko Shimomura
