Indie Games Shine at Golden Joystick Awards 2024

The Golden Joystick Awards 2024, celebrating gaming excellence since 1983, unveiled its nominees across numerous categories, notably introducing a new bracket for self-developed and published indie games. The 42nd annual awards ceremony, scheduled for November 21st, 2024, will honor games released between November 11th, 2023, and October 4th, 2024. This year showcases a significant surge in indie game recognition, with titles like Balatro and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes securing multiple nominations.

A total of 19 categories comprise the Golden Joystick Awards 2024, including a dedicated category for self-published indie developers. This new category specifically highlights indie games developed and published by smaller teams, acknowledging the evolving definition of "indie" and focusing on developers lacking the backing of major publishers.

The following lists the nominees across select categories:

Selected Nominee Categories:

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

• Best Audio Design: Astro Bot, Balatro, Robobeat, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Star Wars Outlaws, Still Wakes the Deep

• Best Game Trailer: Caravan Sandwitch Launch Trailer, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach State of Play Announce Trailer, Helldivers 2 Launch Trailer, Kingmakers Official Announcement Trailer, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Narrator Reveal Trailer, The Plucky Squire Launch Trailer

• 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

(Note: A full list of nominees across all categories is available on the official Golden Joystick Awards website.)

Fan Voting and Controversy:

Fan voting is currently underway, with nominees selected by a jury comprising representatives from gaming publications such as PC Gamer, GamesRadar, and Edge magazine. The voting period runs until November 8th, 2024. A separate Ultimate Game of the Year (UGOTY) shortlist will be announced on November 4th.

The omission of certain fan-favorite titles, including Black Myth: Wukong, from the initial Game of the Year nominations sparked online criticism. The Golden Joystick Awards responded, clarifying that the UGOTY shortlist, which will include these titles, is yet to be revealed. The organization emphasized that the GOTY and UGOTY categories are distinct. Voting participants receive a free ebook as an incentive.