Indie Games Shine 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, a prestigious event honoring the best in gaming since 1983, returns on November 21, 2024, for its 42nd year. This year's awards, celebrating games released between November 11, 2023, and October 4, 2024, showcase a significant rise in recognition for indie games. Titles like Balatro and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes have earned multiple nominations, highlighting the growing impact of smaller studios.

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

Here's a glimpse at some of the nominated titles across various categories:

Key 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

(A full list of nominees across all 19 categories is available on the official website.)

Fan Voting and Controversy:

Fan voting is currently underway, with the nominees chosen by a jury including prominent gaming publications. The voting period for the Ultimate Game of the Year (UGOTY) category will be announced later. The shortlist will be revealed on November 4th, with voting open from November 4th to 8th, 2024. Games released between October 4th and November 21st will be considered for Best Performance and UGOTY.

A free ebook is offered as an incentive for voting.

The omission of several fan-favorite titles, including Black Myth: Wukong, from the initial Game of the Year nominations has sparked significant online debate. The Golden Joystick Awards organization clarified that the UGOTY shortlist is yet to be released, addressing fan concerns.

The Golden Joystick Awards 2024 promises a thrilling conclusion, with the ultimate winner to be revealed on November 21st.