Indie Games Take Center Stage at Golden Joystick Awards 2024

The Golden Joystick Awards 2024: A Celebration of Gaming Excellence, with a Focus on Indie Titles

The Golden Joystick Awards, celebrating gaming's finest since 1983, returns on November 21st, 2024, for its 42nd edition. This year's awards, recognizing games released between November 11th, 2023, and October 4th, 2024, showcase a significant rise in indie game recognition, with titles like Balatro and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes receiving multiple nominations.

A notable addition is a new category dedicated to self-published indie games, highlighting developers who handle both development and publishing without the backing of larger publishers. This reflects the evolving landscape of the indie gaming scene.

Below are some key categories and their nominees:

Selected Nominee Highlights:

• Best Soundtrack: A Highland Song, Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Hauntii, Silent Hill 2, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
• 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
• Console Game of the Year: Astro Bot, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Helldivers 2, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
• PC Game of the Year: Animal Well, Balatro, Frostpunk 2, Satisfactory, Tactical Breach Wizards, UFO 50

Voting and Controversy:

Fan voting is now open on the official website. The Ultimate Game of the Year (UGOTY) shortlist will be announced on November 4th, with voting running from November 4th to 8th. Games released after October 4th are still eligible for Best Performance and UGOTY. A free ebook is offered as a voting incentive.

The omission of several fan-favorite titles, including Black Myth: Wukong, from the initial Game of the Year nominations has sparked considerable online debate and criticism. The organizers have responded by emphasizing that the UGOTY shortlist is yet to be revealed.

The Golden Joystick Awards 2024 promises a thrilling conclusion, with the final results eagerly awaited by gamers worldwide.