Summary
- Even though every GOTY winner definitely deserved it, every year had at least one other game that could have also received this prestigious award instead.
- Excellent video games that almost won, like Uncharted 4 and Bayonetta 2, are still fondly remembered to this day.
- Each runner-up, from Bloodborne to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, remains a modern classic, regardless of their loss.
At the end of every year, gamers all around the world watch The Game Awards with one big question in mind: Which video game is going to win Game of the Year (aka GOTY)? Many great titles have received this prestigious award since its inception, which unfortunately means that a handful of beloved nominees had to lose it.
There are a lot of excellent video games that should have won Game of the Year, and these are some of the clearest examples. It’s important to clarify that the actual GOTY winners absolutely deserved to receive that award. It’s just that the following runner-ups are so good that they could have easily won it as well.
The Game Awards: 8 Games That Should Have Been Nominated For GOTY In Previous Years
Over the years, some truly remarkable titles have been nominated for GOTY at The Game Awards. Here are some of the best that didn't make the cut.
Bayonetta 2
Lost To Dragon Age: Inquisition In 2014
Bayonetta 2
- Released
- October 24, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- Action
While Dragon Age: Inquisition was a much-needed return to form for the Dragon Age franchise, and deserved its accolades, 2014 was a great year with many solid GOTY contenders. One of the best was Bayonetta 2, the long-awaited sequel to PlatinumGames’ hack-and-slash masterpiece that Nintendo practically brought back from the dead.
Bayonetta 2 is an over-the-top adventure full of unbelievable action and excellent boss fights, topped with a complex but dynamic combat system. This is one of the games that encouraged people to buy a Wii U, as it made Nintendo’s console feel just as graphically powerful as its competition. Unfortunately, that might have also been the nail in Bayonetta 2’s coffin. It was a Wii U exclusive, which means that not many people got to try it. Fortunately, this has since changed, as the first two Bayonetta games are now available on Nintendo Switch.
Bloodborne
Lost To The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt In 2015
Bloodborne
- Released
- March 24, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
There’s no denying that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the greatest RPGs of the last decade, and it deserved to win Game of the Year in 2015. Still, nobody would have complained if Bloodborne won instead. Players praise this legendary game to this day, more than ten years after its initial release.
Bloodborne was From Software's first Soulslike game that had nothing to do with the Dark Souls IP. The game's bleak, creepy Lovecraftian atmosphere perfectly complemented its ruthless but satisfying combat system, which is even faster and more accessible than previous Soulslike games. Some version of this modern classic may receive this award someday if Sony and FromSoftware ever decide to make a Bloodborne remaster/remake — or better yet, a full-on sequel.
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Lost To Overwatch In 2016
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
- Released
- May 10, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Naughty Dog
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Adventure
Overwatch’s victory in 2016 is still considered one of the most controversial moments in the history of the Game Awards. Of course, Blizzard’s multiplayer FPS was really fun, and became a worldwide phenomenon, but many gamers would have preferred if a single-player adventure won instead. (This sentiment was further justified by Overwatch 1’s servers shutting down in 2021.)
Out of all the excellent single-player video games released in 2016, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End deserved to win GOTY the most. Not only was this the final game in this beloved series, but it was also the first game Naughty Dog made after The Last of Us. Uncharted 4 not only met those high expectations; it surpassed them. It's a thrilling cinematic adventure with incredible set pieces, beautiful environments, and a captivating narrative that closes off Nathan Drake’s story in a satisfying way.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Lost To God Of War In 2018
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
2018 was one of the closest years for the award. Gamers were wondering which legendary new game was going to be named GOTY: God of War or Red Dead Redemption 2. Even though Kratos’ Nordic adventure ended up winning (and deserved it), Red Dead Redemption 2’s loss left a bad taste in many people’s mouths. This is Rockstar’s magnum opus, and is still considered one of the best open-world games ever made.
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Despite coming out over eight years after its predecessor, this western-themed sandbox title surpassed all expectations by being the perfect cowboy simulator. The map is huge, and it’s full of fun stuff to do, not to mention that every NPC, animal, plant, and object is brimming with detail. But, of course, the narrative is the biggest highlight of Red Dead Redemption 2. Arthur Morgan’s perilous journey is engaging, intense, and emotional, and it sets the stage for John Marston’s story in Red Dead Redemption 1.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Lost To Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice In 2019
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Released
- December 7, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone: Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- Platform(s)
- Switch
FromSoftware got its first GOTY victory in 2019, when the excellent Sekiro: Shadow Die Twice won the award. But, even though Sekiro is one of the studio’s best games, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was another strong contender. This was the definitive Smash Bros. Game that fans had been waiting to see for decades, and it didn’t disappoint.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a perfect celebration of not only Nintendo, but the entire gaming industry. Iconic characters like Mario, Link, Pikachu, Sonic, Pac-Man, Mega Man, Solid Snake, Ryu, Ken, Cloud, Simon Belmont, and countless more face each other in a fun, chaotic, satisfying fighting game that gets even better with other people. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is also brimming with stages, items, modes, bosses, etc. It has given Nintendo Switch users thousands of hours of enjoyment, and is still played by a lot of people on a regular basis.
Ghost of Tsushima
Lost To The Last Of Us Part 2 In 2020
Ghost of Tsushima
- Released
- July 17, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Sucker Punch
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
2020 was a weird but important year for gaming. The COVID-19 pandemic forced people to stay at home, and many ended up playing more video games as a result. While that year’s GOTY, The Last of Us Part 2, is an excellent game with a dark and captivating storyline, a lot of gamers were not happy with its victory. 2020 also saw the release of many other high-quality single-player experiences.
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Sony Interactive Entertainment was the biggest winner of the year, as The Last of Us Part 2 was not the only incredible PS4 exclusive it put out during that time. There was also Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch’s excellent samurai-themed open-world game that pushed the console to its limits. With its breathtaking environments, an intriguing narrative inspired by classic samurai films, and a life-like combat system, Ghost of Tsushima was the biggest surprise of 2020. And it seems like its upcoming sequel, Ghost of Yotei, will be even better.
Metroid Dread
Lost To It Takes Two In 2021
Metroid Dread
- Released
- October 8, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Animated Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- MercurySteam
It Takes Two’s victory was a much-needed breath of fresh air for followers of the Game Awards. It proved that not all GOTY winners had to be ambitious AAA projects, and that more experimental and smaller titles could win this prestigious award as well. Nevertheless, 2021 was still packed with great GOTY contenders. Metroid Dread would have likely received the award if It Takes Two hadn’t come out that year.
Metroid Dread was the unexpected comeback of a game that had allegedly been in development for almost twenty years, and the final version didn’t disappoint. Following the success of Metroid: Samus Returns, developer Mercury Steam built a fantastic 2.5D action-adventure platformer, complete with a massive map and some of the most epic boss fights in the franchise. But the most fascinating aspect of Metroid Dread was its multiple E.M.M.I segments, which turned the experience into a suspenseful stealth/horror game that never feels frustrating or obnoxious.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Lost To Baldur's Gate 3 In 2023
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Released
- May 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Rated E for Everyone 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Action, Open-World
2023 was one of those incredible years in which people had no idea which game was going to win GOTY. There were strong contenders, like Alan Wake 2, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4 Remake, and Baldur's Gate 3. Larian Studios’ magnum opus was the winner of the night, but The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom could have easily won as well.
After waiting six long years, Legend of Zelda fans finally received a full sequel to Breath of the Wild (which won GOTY in 2017) and it was even better than its predecessor. Tears of the Kingdom told a brilliant time-travel story that introduced fans to the best incarnation of the iconic villain Ganondorf. It had a massive open world with three different layers, and it finally brought back the classic Zelda dungeon formula. However, this game especially stood out due to its ambitious and innovative Ultrahand mechanic, which allowed players to mix and match objects to build any vehicle and machine they could think of.
