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Golden Joystick Awards 2024: Predictions, Categories & Dates
Racing against time, you might want to cast your votes for the Ultimate Game of the Year and a new category, Best Game Adaptation. Voting will officially close on November 8, 2024, for the two categories, so be sure to head over to the voting poll and give your flowers to the deserving games, developers, and publishers. Now, the other 19 categories, from best indie game to best soundtrack and most wanted game, have already closed. This means that all there’s left to do is wait for the live broadcast that will air on November 21, 2024, at 4 pm GMT / 11 am EST. Still, you can prepare yourself with expectations of the likely winners using the predictions list we’ve compiled below. So, come along as we explore Golden Joystick Awards 2024: Predictions, Categories & Dates.
What is the Golden Joystick Awards?
Among the most popular award ceremonies is the Golden Joystick Awards. The event started all the way back in 1983 and has since held steady through to the upcoming 2024 event. This year’s event will mark the 42nd ceremony to date. Interestingly, the Golden Joystick Awards is the oldest publicly voted award ceremony in the gaming sphere. Voting is usually conducted globally by the public, so every gamer has the chance to put in their thoughts. For this reason, the ceremony is otherwise known as the “People’s Gaming Awards.” Anyone who buys and plays games gets to have a say in the upcoming awards show. In the past, over 10 million fans have participated in the voting spree.
Our Golden Joystick Awards Predictions
Among the games that have scooped up the most nominations include Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Astro Bot, Helldivers 2, Balatro, Dragon’s Dogma 2, and Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, among many more. These are doubtlessly some big names that are unsurprising to have made it to the list. Games like Black Myth: Wukong, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Silent Hill 2 are major close runners, too. While there are quite a bunch of Triple-A games that have made it to the nominations, some indie games have come out on top, too. Games like Animal Well and Satisfactory could quite possibly scoop some wins.
Ultimate Game of the Year
In the front running for the Ultimate Game of the Year, we predict Astro Bot might win based on the overwhelmingly positive response it received upon release. However, the game does ride heavily on charm over a strong narrative. Metaphor: ReFantazio could win, too, were its genre more in the mainstream. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, on the other hand, is a massive production whose bases – strong story, high performance, etc. – are all covered. Then there are mega indie hits like Balatro to watch out for. Meanwhile, Silent Hill 2 has been a faithful remake while also coloring outside the lines.
Although Triple-A games have typically won Game of the Year, it’s nice to see indie games climb to the top. Balatro and Animal Well are products of a one-person team and have both made it to the Ultimate Game of the Year nominations list. With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Astro Bot scooping up five nominations, we predict they will most likely take some of those wins home. The two games have a Metacritic score of 92% and 94%, respectively. However, Balatro and Animal Well follow closely with 90% and 91%, respectively. Ultimately, it’s difficult to know for sure which games will win, but we sure can’t wait to find out soon.
Golden Joystick Awards Categories
We already have a list of the categories that will feature in the upcoming awards show. Also, this year’s nominees have been picked across the titles released between November 11, 2023 and October 4, 2024. Below is a list of all the available categories.
- (NEW) Best Soundtrack
- (NEW) Best Audio Design
- Best Game Expansion
- Best Game Trailer
- (NEW) Still Playing Award – Mobile
- (NEW) Still Playing Award – Console & PC
- Best Early Access Game
- Best Indie Game
- (NEW) Best Indie Game – Self-Published
- Best Multiplayer Game
- Best Lead Performer
- Most Wanted Game
- Best Supporting Performer
- Best Storytelling
- Studio of the Year
- Best Visual Design
- Best Gaming Hardware
- PC Game of the Year
- (NEW) Console Game of the Year
Voting is still open for two more categories. To acknowledge the cultural crossover from the big screen movies and shows to games, the award ceremony has introduced a new category, Best Game Adaptation. So, be sure to submit your thoughts via the GamesRadar voting poll before the window closes on November 8, 2024.
- (NEW) Best Game Adapatation
- Fallout
- Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
- Borderlands
- Knuckles
- Halo Season 2
- Like a Dragon: Yakuza
- Ultimate Game of the Year
- Silent Hill 2
- Animal Well
- Astro Bot
- Tekken 8
- Dragon Age: The Veilguard
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Satisfactory
- Helldivers 2
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Balatro
- Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Also, by voting, you stand the chance to win a free ebook priced at £12.99 / $18.99, which you can choose from the following categories:
- 100 Retro Games to Play Before You Die
- 100 PlayStation Games To Play Before You Die
- The History of Videogames
- Ultimate Fan's Guide to Pokémon
- Ultimate Guide to Roblox
Additional Awards
There are also additional awards to look out for at the upcoming event, including:
- Streamers' Choice Award
- Breakthrough Award
- Critics’ Choice Award
- Lifetime Achievement
Dates
The Golden Joystick Awards ceremony will be held on November 21, 2024, at 4 pm GMT / 11 am EST. It will take place at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. While the event will be an in-person live show, you can also stream it online from wherever you will be. To book a table at the event, head over to the Future Events website. You have to book your table as soon as you can to get the best spot available. Otherwise, for more information on hosts, special guests, and other surprises, be sure to follow the official Golden Joystick Awards social media handle here.
So, what’s your take? Do you agree with our Golden Joystick Awards 2024: Predictions? Will you be voting and tuning in to the live show? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.
