The 42nd Golden Joystick Awards are delighted to announce the shortlists for this year’s Ultimate Game of the Year and Best Game Adaptation awards.

The 42nd Golden Joystick Awards will honour the people and products that have transformed the games industry in 2024.

The event features over 20 categories, the majority of which are voted for by the global gaming public.

The event was first held in 1983 and is now the world’s oldest publicly voted gaming awards brand.

While most of the awards have been voted for the Ultimate Game of the Year and Best Game Adaptation awards get their own voting window.

Voting is Live Here and will remain open until Friday, November 8, 2024 at 11pm GMT/3pm PST/6pm EST.

Ben Starr (Clive Rosfield, Final Fantasy XVI) will host the awards alongside guest presenters from the world of gaming, including actors Alex McKenna (Sadie Adler, Red Dead Redemption 2), Alix Wilton Regan (Joanna Dark, Perfect Dark), Neil Newbon (Astarion, Baldur’s Gate 3) and Patricia Summersett (Princess Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Ash in Rainbow Six Siege); Monika Janowska from CD PROJEKT RED and actor, game developer and producer Abubakar Salim.

Daniel Dawkins, Content Director – Games, Video and Digital Events commented: “We’ve been blown away by the reception to this year’s Golden Joystick Awards with a record 10 million+ votes in our initial round of categories, including Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design and Most Wanted Game.

“Ultimate Game of the Year is our most prestigious award which sits in its own voting window from Nov 4 to Nov 8, allowing the judging panel more time to assess the big winter releases.

“In what many considered a ‘quiet’ year for video-games, some huge names have made the shortlist, including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Tekken 8, all established series in peak form.

“Elsewhere, it’s a snapshot of the increasingly diverse industry landscape. Solo-developed indie Balatro is the poker-like breakout hit that has dominated players’ free time.

“Satisfactory is an open world factory sim that originally launched in early access back in 2019, before its official launch in September.

“Silent Hill 2 is the acclaimed remake of a 23-year-old survival horror classic… and Astro Bot began life as a celebratory tech demo of Sony’s PS5 DualSense controller.

“As ever the winning game will be chosen by the public, which is why the Golden Joystick Awards is held in such high regard by nominees and winners.

“This year we’re proud to launch a new award, Best Game Adaptation, recognising the cultural impact of games on movies and TV. Join us on Thursday, November 21, as we reveal the winners.”

The nominations for Ultimate Game of the Year are: 

• Animal Well
• Astro Bot
• Balatro
• Black Myth: Wukong
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Helldivers 2
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Satisfactory
• Silent Hill 2
• Tekken 8
   

The nominations for the Best Game Adaptation award are:

• Borderlands
• Fallout
• Halo Season 2
• Knuckles
• Like a Dragon: Yakuza
• Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
   

All the winners will be revealed in a celebration of games in London and live-streamed globally on all major streaming platforms on Thursday, November 21, 2024.

Viewers can watch the ceremony live via YouTube, Twitch, Steam, Facebook and X as well as Future Games Show, GamesRadar, PC Gamer and TechRadar Gaming.