2015’s Game of the Year Winners

The following games received “Game of the Year” honors from the five major industry award shows in 2015:

    The Game Awards: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
    GDC Awards: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
    DICE Awards: Fallout 4
    SXSW Gaming Awards: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
    BAFTA Games Awards: Fallout 4

A complete list of all winners and nominees can be found below.

The Game Awards
The winners of The Game Awards are chosen by an international panel of journalists and awarded each December. (thegameawards.com)

Game of the Year

  • Bloodborne
  • Fallout 4
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • Super Mario Maker
  • WINNER: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Developer of the Year

  • Bethesda Game Studios
  • WINNER: CD Projekt Red
  • From Software
  • Kojima Productions
  • Nintendo

Best Independent Game

  • Axiom Verge
  • Her Story
  • Ori and the Blind Forest
  • WINNER: Rocket League
  • Undertale

Best Mobile/Handheld Game

  • Downwell
  • Fallout Shelter
  • WINNER: Lara Croft Go
  • Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
  • Pac-Man 256

Best Narrative

  • WINNER: Her Story
  • Life is Strange
  • Tales From the Borderlands
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Until Dawn

Best Performance

  • Ashly Burch as Chloe Price (Life Is Strange)
  • Camilla Luddington as Lara Croft (Rise of the Tomb Raider)
  • Doug Cockle as Geralt (The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt)
  • Mark Hamill as The Joker (Batman: Arkham Knight)
  • WINNER: Viva Seifert as Hannah Smith (Her Story)

Best Art Direction

  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Bloodborne
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • WINNER: Ori and the Blind Forest
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Best Score/Soundtrack

  • Fallout 4
  • Halo 5: Guardians
  • WINNER: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • Ori and the Blind Forest
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Best Shooter

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
  • Destiny: The Taken King
  • Halo 5: Guardians
  • WINNER: Splatoon
  • Star Wars: Battlefront

Best Action/Adventure Game

  • Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • WINNER: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider

Best Role-Playing Game

  • Bloodborne
  • Fallout 4
  • Pillars of Eternity
  • WINNER: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Undertale

Best Fighting Game

  • Guilty Gear Xrd Sign
  • WINNER: Mortal Kombat X
  • Rise of Incarnates
  • Rising Thunder

Best Family Game

  • Disney Infinity: Star Wars
  • Lego Dimensions
  • Skylanders SuperChargers
  • Splatoon
  • WINNER: Super Mario Maker

Best Sports/Racing Game

  • FIFA 16
  • Forza Motorsport 6
  • NBA 2K16
  • Pro Evolution Soccer 2016
  • WINNER: Rocket League

Best Multiplayer

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops III
  • Destiny: The Taken King
  • Halo 5: Guardians
  • Rocket League
  • WINNER: Splatoon

Games For Change

  • Cibele
  • Her Story
  • WINNER: Life Is Strange
  • Sunset
  • Undertale

Game Developers Choice Awards
The winners of the Game Developers Choice Awards (GDC Awards) are chosen by a panel of developers from North America and awarded each year during the Game Developers Conference. (gamechoiceawards.com)

Game of the Year (Winner and Finalists)

  • Fallout 4
  • WINNER: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • Bloodborne
  • Rocket League

Game of the Year (Honorable Mentions)

  • Her Story
  • Super Mario Maker
  • Undertale
  • Splatoon
  • Life Is Strange

Innovation Award (Winner and Finalists)

  • WINNER: Her Story
  • Super Mario Maker
  • Undertale
  • Splatoon
  • The Beginner’s Guide

Innovation Award (Honorable Mentions)

  • Rocket League
  • Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
  • Cibele
  • Life Is Strange
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Best Debut (Winner and Finalists)

  • Ark: Survival Evolved
  • Undertale
  • WINNER: Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Downwell
  • Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

Best Debut (Honorable Mentions)

  • Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
  • The Magic Circle
  • Axiom Verge
  • Mini Metro
  • Read Only Memories

Best Design (Winner and Finalists)

  • WINNER: Rocket League
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • Bloodborne
  • Fallout 4
  • Splatoon

Best Design (Honorable Mentions)

  • Her Story
  • Super Mario Maker
  • Undertale
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Ori and the Blind Forest

Best Handheld/Mobile Game (Winner and Finalists)

  • Lara Croft Go
  • Fallout Shelter
  • Downwell
  • WINNER: Her Story
  • AlphaBear

Best Handheld/Mobile Game (Honorable Mentions)

  • Prune
  • The Room Three
  • Subterfuge
  • Pac-Man 256
  • Sage Solitaire
  • SteamWorld Heist
  • You Must Build A Boat

Best Visual Art (Winner and Finalists)

  • WINNER: Ori and the Blind Forest
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Star Wars: Battlefront
  • Bloodborne
  • Splatoon

Best Visual Art (Honorable Mentions)

  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • The Order: 1886
  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • Fallout 4

Best Narrative (Winner and Finalists)

  • WINNER: Her Story
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Life Is Strange
  • Undertale
  • The Beginner’s Guide

Best Narrative (Honorable Mentions)

  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • Fallout 4
  • Until Dawn
  • Cibele
  • Soma

Best Audio (Winner and Finalists)

  • Star Wars: Battlefront
  • Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • WINNER: Crypt of the NecroDancer

Best Audio (Honorable Mentions)

  • Fallout 4
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Life Is Strange
  • Soma
  • Bloodborne
  • Splatoon

Best Technology (Winner and Finalists)

  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • WINNER: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Star Wars: Battlefront
  • Fallout 4
  • Just Cause 3

Best Technology (Honorable Mentions)

  • Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Splatoon
  • Super Mario Maker
  • Halo 5: Guardians

DICE Awards
The winners of the DICE Awards are chosen by the members of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and awarded each year during the DICE Summit. (interactive.org)

Game of the Year

  • Bloodborne
  • WINNER: Fallout 4
  • Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Handheld Game of the Year

  • Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space
  • WINNER: Helldivers
  • Pokemon: Super Mystery Dungeon
  • Yo-Kai Watch

Mobile Game of the Year

  • DomiNations
  • WINNER: Fallout Shelter
  • Lara Croft Go
  • Pac-Man 256
  • The Room Three

Action Game of the Year

  • Destiny: The Taken King
  • Helldivers
  • Just Cause 3
  • WINNER: Star Wars: Battlefront
  • Splatoon

Adventure Game of the Year

  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Life Is Strange
  • WINNER: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider

Family Game of the Year

  • Guitar Hero Live
  • Lego Dimensions
  • Rock Band 4
  • WINNER: Super Mario Maker
  • Tearaway Unfolded

Fighting Game of the Year

  • WINNER: Mortal Kombat X
  • Dead or Alive: Last Round
  • Rising Thunder

Racing Game of the Year

  • WINNER: Forza Motorsport 6
  • Need For Speed
  • Project CARS

Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year

  • Bloodborne
  • WINNER: Fallout 4
  • Pillars of Eternity
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Undertale

Sports Game of the Year

  • FIFA 16
  • Madden NFL 16
  • MLB 15: The Show
  • NBA 2K16
  • WINNER: Rocket League

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

  • Cities: Skylines
  • Fallout Shelter
  • Grey Goo
  • WINNER: Heroes of the Storm
  • Kerbal Space Program

Outstanding Achievement in Character

  • Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (Evie Frye)
  • Her Story (Hannah Smith)
  • Life Is Strange (Maxine Caulfield)
  • WINNER: Rise of the Tomb Raider (Lara Croft)
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Geralt of Rivia)

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

  • Fallout 4
  • Her Story
  • Lara Croft Go
  • Massive Chalice
  • WINNER: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

  • WINNER: Fallout 4
  • Life Is Strange
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Undertale

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • WINNER: Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design

  • Destiny: The Taken King
  • Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • WINNER: Star Wars: Battlefront
  • The Order: 1886

Outstanding Achievement in Story

  • Fallout 4
  • Her Story
  • Tales From the Borderlands
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • WINNER: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay

  • Destiny: The Taken King
  • Halo 5: Guardians
  • Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
  • WINNER: Rocket League
  • Splatoon

Outstanding Technical Achievement

  • Just Cause 3
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • Star Wars: Battlefront
  • The Order: 1886
  • WINNER: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

  • Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • WINNER: Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • The Order: 1886

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

  • Lara Croft Go
  • WINNER: Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • The Order: 1886
  • Star Wars: Battlefront

D.I.C.E. Sprite Award

  • Her Story
  • GALAK-Z
  • Kerbal Space Program
  • WINNER: Rocket League
  • Undertale

SXSW Gaming Awards
The winners of the SXSW Gaming Awards are chosen by an advisory board of “industry experts” with input from a public vote. The SXSW Gaming Awards are awarded each year during the SXSW Interactive conference. (sxsw.com)

Game of the Year: Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a distinct gaming experience across all platforms and genres

  • Bloodborne
  • Fallout 4
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • WINNER: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Undertale

Tabletop Game of the Year: Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and ingenuity of any tabletop game in any genre

  • WINNER: Pandemic Legacy
  • Blood Rage
  • Above and Below
  • Lanterns: The Harvest Festival
  • Codenames

Mobile Game of the Year: Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a unique gaming experience on any handheld device

  • Downwell
  • Fallout Shelter
  • WINNER: Her Story
  • Lara Croft Go
  • SteamWorld Heist

Excellence in Gameplay: Awarded to the game with the best gameplay mechanics

  • Bloodborne
  • WINNER: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • Undertale
  • Rocket League
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Excellence in Art: Awarded to the game with the most expressive and creative artistic style

  • WINNER: Bloodborne
  • Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Yoshi’s Woolly World

Excellence in Animation: Awarded to the game with the most outstanding animation effects and graphics

  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • WINNER: Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • Ori and the Blind Forest
  • The Order: 1886
  • Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate

Excellence in Technical Achievement: Awarded to the game that pushed the capabilities of technology and programming

  • Fallout 4
  • Just Cause 3
  • Until Dawn
  • WINNER: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Excellence in Visual Achievement: Awarded to the game with the most well-designed and stunning visuals

  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • Star Wars: Battlefront
  • WINNER: The Order: 1886
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Rise of the Tomb Raider

Excellence in Narrative: Awarded to the game with the best storyline and dialogue

  • Life Is Strange
  • Her Story
  • Soma
  • WINNER: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Tales From the Borderlands

Excellence in Design: Awarded to the game with the best overall design concept and best execution

  • Fallout 4
  • Rocket League
  • Super Mario Maker
  • WINNER: Bloodborne
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Excellence in SFX: Awarded to the game with the most outstanding and impactful sound effects

  • Rise of the Tomb Raider
  • Bloodborne
  • The Order: 1886
  • WINNER: Star Wars: Battlefront
  • Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege

Excellence in Musical Score: Awarded to the game that best exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it progresses the narrative of the game

  • WINNER: Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Crypt of the NecroDancer
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture

Excellence in Multiplayer: Awarded to the game with the best player-to-player interaction experience

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops III
  • Halo 5: Guardians
  • Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
  • WINNER: Rocket League
  • Splatoon

Excellence in Convergence: Awarded to the game that excels in crossover to other entertainment mediums such as film, music, toys, animation, sports and more

  • Disney Infinity: Star Wars
  • Rock Band 4
  • Guitar Hero Live
  • WINNER: Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Star Wars: Battlefront

Most Enduring Character: Awarded to the best game character that left an overwhelming impression

  • WINNER: Rise of the Tomb Raider (Lara Croft)
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Geralt of Rivia)
  • Batman: Arkham Knight (The Joker)
  • Her Story (Hannah Smith)
  • Ori and the Blind Forest (Ori)

Most Fulfilling Crowdfunded Game: Awarded to the game that was primarily produced via crowdfunding platforms and had excelled beyond the expectations set before it

  • Broken Age
  • Kingdom Death: Monster
  • Pillars of Eternity
  • Kerbal Space Program
  • WINNER: Undertale

Most Promising New Intellectual Property: Awarded to a new property that risked creating something fresh and that excelled within its genre or category for the year

  • Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Bloodborne
  • Life Is Strange
  • WINNER: Splatoon
  • Undertale

Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award: Awarded to the game that best challenges the “norm” of everyday gaming and offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character, or gameplay

  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • Her Story
  • Emily Is Away
  • Life Is Strange
  • WINNER: Undertale

British Academy Games Awards
The winners of the British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards) are chosen by a jury of “industry experts” and awarded each year in the Spring. (bafta.org)

Best Game

  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • WINNER: Fallout 4
  • Life Is Strange
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • Rocket League
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Best British Game

  • WINNER: Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • Her Story
  • Prison Architect
  • Tearaway Unfolded
  • Until Dawn

Mobile & Handheld

  • Alphabear
  • Fallout Shelter
  • WINNER: Her Story
  • Lara Croft Go
  • Prune
  • The Room Three

Original Property

  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • Her Story
  • Life Is Strange
  • Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Splatoon
  • WINNER: Until Dawn

Debut Game

  • WINNER: Her Story
  • Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
  • Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
  • Mini Metro
  • Ori and the Blind Forest
  • Prune

Performer

  • Ashly Burch (Chloe Price in Life Is Strange)
  • Doug Cockle (Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt)
  • WINNER: Merle Dandridge (Kate Collins in Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture)
  • Oliver Dimsdale (Stephen Appleton in Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture)
  • Mark Hamill (The Joker in Batman: Arkham Knight)
  • Masasa Moyo (Vella in Broken Age: Act 2)

Artistic Achievement

  • Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • WINNER: Ori and the Blind Forest
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Audio Achievement

  • Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • WINNER: Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • Star Wars: Battlefront
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Game Design

  • WINNER: Bloodborne
  • Grow Home
  • Her Story
  • Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
  • Rocket League
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Game Innovation

  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • WINNER: Her Story
  • Life Is Strange
  • Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
  • Splatoon
  • Until Dawn

Story

  • Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • Her Story
  • WINNER: Life Is Strange
  • Undertale
  • Until Dawn
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Multiplayer

  • Destiny: The Taken King
  • Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
  • WINNER: Rocket League
  • Splatoon
  • Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege
  • World of Warships

Music

  • Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
  • Batman: Arkham Knight
  • WINNER: Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
  • Fallout 4
  • Halo 5: Guardians
  • Ori and the Blind Forest

Family

  • Disney Infinity: Star Wars
  • FIFA 16
  • Guitar Hero Live
  • Lego Dimensions
  • Super Mario Maker
  • WINNER: Rocket League

Persistent Game

  • Destiny: The Taken King
  • Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
  • Guitar Hero Live
  • Lego Dimensions
  • WINNER: Prison Architect
  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Sport

  • Dirt Rally
  • FIFA 16
  • Football Manager 2016
  • Forza Motorspot 6
  • Pro Evolution Soccer 2016
  • WINNER: Rocket League