Astro Bot and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth lead the shortlist for the Golden Joystick Awards 2024, nudging out Helldivers 2 and Balatro for the most nominations

Have you ever disagreed with Game of the Year lists? Well, now is your chance to help shape them. 12DOVE is happy to confirm that voting is live for the 42nd Golden Joystick Awards – where your input will help create conversations around the best video games of the year. 

Voting is now live in 19 categories, including ‘Console Game of the Year,’ ‘PC Game of the Year,’ ‘Best Multiplayer Game,’ and more. If you want to have your say, you've got until Friday, November 1, to make your opinions heard. This year, new categories have been introduced, such as 'Best Soundtrack,' 'Best Audio Design,' and 'Best Indie Game – Self Published,' as we look to celebrate a wider range of releases from 2024. 

Click to vote in the Golden Joystick Awards 2024!

There's plenty to get through, but here are some highlights you might find interesting. Astro Bot and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth lead the shortlist with five nominations each, followed by Helldivers 2 with four nominations and Balatro with three nominations. Naturally, Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree made the shortlist, as well as scores of other amazing games. 

If you're wondering where 'Ultimate Game of the Year' is, don't worry. That shortlist will go live on Monday, November 4, with voting in that category opening the same day. The winners for all the categories will be revealed in a star-studded award ceremony in central London and live-streamed globally on Thursday, November 21, 2024. 

You can check out the full Golden Joystick Awards 2024 categories and shortlists below, and then be sure to head over to the official page to cast your votes. It's well worth doing – not only will you make your voice heard in the world's longest-running public-voted games awards show, but you'll also be able to claim a free gaming ebook created by our friends here at Future. 

Golden Joystick Awards 2024 nominations

Best Storytelling

• 1000xResist
• Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club
• Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• Lorelei and the Laser Eyes
• Tactical Breach Wizards

Best Multiplayer Game

• Abiotic Factor
• EA Sports College Football 25
• Helldivers 2 
• Sons Of The Forest
• Tekken 8
• The Finals

Best Visual Design

• Astro Bot
• Black Myth: Wukong
• Harold Halibut
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

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

Still Playing Award - PC and Console

• Apex Legends
• Counter-Strike 2
• EA Sports FC 
• Dota 2
• Fortnite
• GTA Online
• Minecraft
• Naraka: Bladepoint
• Roblox
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
• Valorant
• Warframe

Still Playing Award - Mobile

• Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile
• Free Fire
• Honkai: Star Rail
• Roblox
• Marvel Snap
• Monopoly Go!
• Mini Motorways
• PUBG: Battlegrounds
• Squad Busters
• Star Wars: Hunters
• Subway Surfers
• The Sims Mobile

Studio of the Year

• 11 Bit Studios
• Arrowhead Game Studios
• Capcom 
• Digital Eclipse
• Team ASOBI
• Visual Concepts

Best Game Expansion

• Alan Wake 2 Expansion Pass
• Destiny 2: The Final Shape
• Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred
• Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
• God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla
• World of Warcraft: The War Within

Best Audio Design

• Astro Bot
• Balatro
• Robobeat
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
• Star Wars Outlaws
• Still Wakes the Deep

Best Soundtrack

• A Highland Song
• Astro Bot
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Hauntii
• Silent Hill 2 
• Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance 

Best Lead Performer

• Cody Christian as Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Kaiji Tang as Ichiban Kasuga in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• Humberly Gonzalez as Kay Vess in Star Wars Outlaws
• Luke Roberts as James Sunderland in Silent Hill 2
• Melina Juergens as Senua in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
• Sonequa Martin-Green as Alvilda in Asgard’s Wrath 2

Best Supporting Performer

• Abbi Greenland & Helen Goalen as The Furies in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
• Briana White as Aerith Gainsborough in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Dawn M. Bennett as Aigis in Persona 3 Reload
• Debra Wilson as Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad
• Matt Berry as Herbert in Thank Goodness You’re Here!
• Neve McIntosh as Suze in Still Wakes the Deep

PC Game of the Year

• Animal Well
• Balatro
• Frostpunk 2
• Satisfactory
• Tactical Breach Wizards
• 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

Best Early Access Game

• Enshrouded
• Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
• Hades 2
• Manor Lords
• Lethal Company
• Palworld

Best Gaming Hardware

• Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
• Backbone One (2nd Gen)
• LG UltraGear 32GS95UE
• Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super
• Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra
• Steam Deck OLED

Best Game Trailer

• Caravan Sandwitch - Launch Trailer
• Death Stranding 2 On The Beach - State of Play Announce Trailer
• Helldivers 2 - “The Fight for Freedom Begins” Launch Trailer
• Kingmakers - Official Announcement Trailer
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VII - Narrator Reveal Trailer
• The Plucky Squire - Launch Trailer

Most Wanted Game

• Atomfall
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows
• Sid Meier’s Civilization VII
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Deadlock
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• Exodus
• Fable
• Ghost of Yotei
• Grand Theft Auto VI
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Light No Fire
• Mafia: The Old Country
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• Skate.
• Slay the Spire 2
• South of Midnight

Additional category winners – including 'Breakthrough Award' and 'Critics Choice Award' will be selected by a panel of journalists from brands including 12DOVE.com, pcgamer.com, FGS, Edge magazine and Retro Gamer, plus Future’s trusted network of freelance writers. These winners will be revealed on the night.