Game developers reveal their Game of the Year 2023 nominees

Most of us covering the games industry have already announced our Game of the Year 2023 winners. This has as usual lead to many calling us out on our bad taste and ignorance of what a great game is. Fortunately, it seems like the people making these outstanding experiences mostly agree with us.

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has revealed the nominees for the 27th D.I.C.E. Awards. This is, if you didn't know, the Game of the Year awards for members of the non-profit organisation that basically functions has the games industry's protector and common ground. Most of the big and small publishers and developers you know of are members, so the D.I.C.E Awards is a more appropriate comparison to the Academy Awards aka the Oscars than Geoff Keighley's The Game Awards show. That's why it's always interesting to see how their lists differ from ours. This includes giving Marvel's Spider-Man 2 far more credit, only including one remake and remembering how much praise Hogwarts Legacy got at the beginning of 2023.

Here are the nominees for the 27th D.I.C.E. Awards that takes place on the 15th of February American time:

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

• Final Fantasy XVI


• Hi-Fi Rush


• Marvel's Spider-Man 2


• Mortal Kombat 1


• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

• Alan Wake 2


• Hogwarts Legacy


• Marvel's Spider-Man 2


• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor


• Starfield

Outstanding Achievement in Character

• Alan Wake 2's Saga Anderson


• Baldur's Gate III's Astarion


• Baldur's Gate III's Karlach


• Marvel's Spider-Man 2's Miles Morales


• Thirsty Suitors' Jala

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

• Alan Wake 2


• Diablo IV


• Marvel's Spider-Man 2


• Planet of Lana


• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

• Alan Wake 2


• Cocoon


• Hi-Fi Rush


• Marvel's Spider-Man 2


• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Outstanding Achievement in Story

• Alan Wake 2


• Baldur's Gate III


• Dave the Diver


• Thirsty Suitors


• Venba

Outstanding Technical Achievement

• Alan Wake 2


• Marvel's Spider-Man 2


• Hogwarts Legacy


• The Finals


• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Action Game of the Year

• Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon


• Dead Space Remake


• Hi-Fi Rush


• Marvel's Spider-Man 2


• Remnant II

Adventure Game of the Year

• Alan Wake 2


• Cocoon


• Dave the Diver


• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor


• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Family Game of the Year

• Disney Illusion Island


• Fae Farm


• Hello Kitty Island Adventure


• Midnight Girl


• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Fighting Game of the Year

• Granblue Fantasy: Versus - Rising


• Mortal Kombat 1


• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2


• Pocket Bravery


• Street Fighter 6

Racing Game of the Year

• F-Zero 99


• Forza Motorsport


• Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged


• Lego 2K Drive

Role-Playing Game of the Year

• Baldur's Gate III


• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty


• Diablo IV


• Final Fantasy XVI


• Starfield

Sports Game of the Year

• EA Sports FC 24


• MLB The Show 23


• WWE 2K23

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

• Against the Storm


• Cobalt Core


• Dune: Spice Wars


• The Last Spell


• Wartales

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

• Asgard's Wrath 2


• Assassin's Creed Nexus VR


• Horizon Call of the Mountain


• Vertigo 2


• We Are One

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

• Asgard's Wrath 2


• Assassin's Creed Nexus VR


• Horizon Call of the Mountain


• Vampire: the Masquerade - Justice


• Vertigo 2

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

• Cocoon


• Dredge


• El Paso, Elsewhere


• Thirsty Suitors


• Venba

Mobile Game of the Year

• Gubbins


• Hello Kitty Island Adventure


• Honkai: Star Rail


• Terra Nil


• What the Car?

Online Game of the Year

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III


• Diablo IV


• Omega Strikers


• Street Fighter 6


• The Finals

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

• Baldur's Gate III


• Cocoon


• Dave the Diver


• Super Mario Bros. Wonder


• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

• Baldur's Gate III


• Cocoon


• Marvel's Spider-Man 2


• Super Mario Bros. Wonder


• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Game of the Year

• Alan Wake 2


• Baldur's Gate III


• Cocoon


• Marvel's Spider-Man 2


• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Which games are getting the recognition they deserve, and which ones got snubbed?