Today, the organizers of the Game Developers Conference have announced the nominations for the GDC Awards 2024. To the surprise of nobody, Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3 and Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom have dominated them, achieving seven nominations each.
Indie darling COCOON also earned a lot of attention with its five nominations. Tango’s Hi-Fi Rush and Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 both got four nominations, though the latter game also received two honorable mentions. Remedy’s Alan Wake II received three nominations and an honorable mention (for Game of the Year). Bethesda’s Starfield got one nomination in the Best Technology category and three honorable mentions, including one for Game of the Year.
There’s also a special Audience Award that is being chosen via an online poll available on this page. Each of the sixteen games nominated in the regular categories is eligible to be selected.
The GDC Awards 2024 winners will be unveiled alongside the Independent Games Festival Awards (IGF Awards) at the Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) ceremony on Wednesday, March 20 at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center. It will be free to attend for GDC 2024 pass holders, while everyone at home will be able to watch it live via Twitch.
You can find the full nominations below.
BEST AUDIO
Baldur’s Gate 3
Hi-Fi Rush
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Venba
Honorable Mentions: COCOON, Diablo IV, Final Fantasy XVI, Hogwarts Legacy, Humanity
BEST DEBUT
COCOON
Dave the Diver
Dredge
Venba
Viewfinder
Honorable Mentions: BattleBit Remastered, Party Animals, Pizza Tower, Planet of Lana, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
BEST DESIGN
Baldur’s Gate 3
COCOON
Dredge
Hi-Fi Rush
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Honorable Mentions: Dave the Diver, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Sea of Stars, Street Fighter 6, Super Mario Bros. Wonder
INNOVATION AWARD
Baldur’s Gate 3
COCOON
Hi-Fi Rush
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Making of Karateka
Honorable Mentions: Dave the Diver, Dredge, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Starfield, Viewfinder
BEST NARRATIVE
Alan Wake II
Baldur’s Gate 3
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Venba
Honorable Mentions: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Dredge, Goodbye Volcano High, Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, Starfield
SOCIAL IMPACT AWARD
A Space for the Unbound
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Baldur’s Gate 3
Terra Nil
Venba
Honorable Mentions: Goodbye Volcano High, Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Tchia, Thirsty Suitors
BEST TECHNOLOGY
Alan Wake II
Baldur’s Gate 3
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Starfield
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Honorable Mentions: COCOON, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Diablo IV, Final Fantasy XVI, Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
BEST VISUAL ART
Alan Wake II
COCOON
Final Fantasy XVI
Hi-Fi Rush
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Honorable Mentions: Diablo IV, Dredge, Lies of P, Sea of Stars, Super Mario Bros. Wonder
GAME OF THE YEAR
Baldur’s Gate 3
COCOON
Dave the Diver
Dredge
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Honorable Mentions: Alan Wake II, Diablo IV, Final Fantasy XVI, Sea of Stars, Starfield, Super Mario Bros. Wonder
