Golden Joystick Award for Game of the Year

The Golden Joystick Award for Game of the Year is an award presented annually at the Golden Joystick Awards ceremony, which has its winners voted in by the British general public.[1][2] The award is given in honor to the best video game released in a particular year. The first Golden Joystick Awards were held in 1983, with the Ultimate Play the Game–developed shooter Jetpac winning Game of the Year.[3]

The award was initially given to 8-bit computer games, as 8-bit microcomputers were the most popular home video game platforms in the UK market for much of the 1980s. Following the rise of 16-bit home computers and 8-bit game consoles in the late 1980s, they began awarding separate Game of the Year awards for 8-bit computers, 16-bit computers and game consoles from 1989.[4] From 1991, they began awarding a single Game of the Year award for all platforms.[5]

The award was originally given under the Game of the Year name and held this name from the original 1983 ceremony to the 2002 ceremony, with the exception of the 1991/1992 ceremonies, and later again in 2013 and 2014. From 1988 to 1990, the Golden Joystick Awards handed out several Game of the Year awards, for an 8-bit computer game, 16-bit computer game, and console game. During the 1991 ceremony, the award was presented as the Overall Game of the Year (including all systems), in order to distinguish it from another category (16-Bit Game of the Year, specifically for 16-bit computers), before switching back for the 1992/93 ceremony. In 1996/97, the top award was once again given under the Game of the Year name. However, the Golden Joystick Awards were put on hiatus until 2002. Returning for one year under its original name, the award was then presented as the Ultimate Game of the Year for the 2003 ceremony, a moniker it held until 2012, and then again from 2015 onwards.

Winners
Year Game Developer Publisher Genre Platform(s) Ref.
1983
(1st) 		Jetpac Ultimate Play the Game Ultimate Play the Game Shooter VIC-20
ZX Spectrum		 [3]
1984
(2nd) 		Knight Lore Ultimate Play the Game Ultimate Play the Game Action-adventure ZX Spectrum [3]
1985
(3rd) 		The Way of the Exploding Fist Beam Software Melbourne House Fighting Commodore 64 [3]
1986
(4th) 		Gauntlet Atari Games U.S. Gold Hack and slash Amstrad CPC
Commodore 64
MSX
ZX Spectrum		 [6]
1987
(5th) 		Out Run Sega AM2 U.S. Gold Arcade racing Amstrad CPC
Commodore 64
MSX
ZX Spectrum		 [7]
1988
(6th) 		Operation Wolf (8-bit computers) Taito Ocean Software Light gun shooter Amstrad CPC
Commodore 64
MSX
ZX Spectrum		 [4]
Speedball (16-bit computers) The Bitmap Brothers Image Works Sports Amiga
Atari ST		 [3]
Thunder Blade (game consoles) Sega Sega Combat flight simulator Master System [4]
1989
(7th) 		The Untouchables (8-bit computers) Ocean Software Ocean Software Side-scroller Amstrad CPC
Commodore 64
MSX
ZX Spectrum		 [3]
Kick Off (16-bit computers) Dino Dini Anco Software Sports Atari ST [3]
1990
(8th) 		Rick Dangerous 2 (8-bit computers) Core Design Micro Style Platform Amstrad CPC
Commodore 64
ZX Spectrum		 [3]
Kick Off 2 (16-bit computers) Dino Dini Anco Software Sports Atari ST [3]
Mega Man (8-bit consoles) Capcom Nintendo Action-platformer NES [8]
John Madden Football (16-bit consoles) Park Place Productions Electronic Arts Sports (American football) Sega Mega Drive
1991
(9th) 		Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic Team Sega Platform Sega Mega Drive [5]
1992
(10th) 		Street Fighter II Capcom Capcom Fighting Super NES [9]
1994
(12th) 		Super Mario All-Stars (consoles) Nintendo EAD Nintendo Platformer Super NES [10]
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (handheld) Nintendo EAD Nintendo Platformer Game Boy
1996 / 1997
(14th) 		Super Mario 64 Nintendo EAD Nintendo Platformer Nintendo 64 [3]
2002
(20th) 		Grand Theft Auto III DMA Design Rockstar Games Action-adventure
Third-person shooter		 PlayStation 2
Windows
Xbox		 [3]
2003
(21st) 		Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Rockstar North Rockstar Games Action-adventure
Third-person shooter		 PlayStation 2
Windows
Xbox		 [3]
2004
(22nd) 		Doom 3 id Software Activision First-person shooter Windows [3]
2005
(23rd) 		Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Rockstar North Rockstar Games Action-adventure
Third-person shooter		 PlayStation 2
Windows
Xbox		 [3]
2006
(24th) 		The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Softworks
2K Games		 Action role-playing Windows
Xbox 360
PlayStation 3		 [11]
2007
(25th) 		Gears of War Epic Games Microsoft Game Studios Third-person shooter Windows
Xbox 360		 [12]
2008
(26th) 		Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Infinity Ward Activision First-person shooter Windows
Xbox 360
PlayStation 3		 [13]
2009
(27th) 		Fallout 3 Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Softworks Action role-playing Windows
Xbox 360
PlayStation 3		 [14]
2010
(28th) 		Mass Effect 2 BioWare Electronic Arts Action role-playing Windows
Xbox 360
PlayStation 3		 [15]
2011
(29th) 		Portal 2 Valve Valve
Electronic Arts		 Puzzle platformer Windows
OS X
Linux
Xbox 360
PlayStation 3		 [16]
2012
(30th) 		The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Bethesda Game Studios Bethesda Softworks Action role-playing Windows
Xbox 360
PlayStation 3		 [17]
2013
(31st) 		Grand Theft Auto V Rockstar North Rockstar Games Action-adventure PlayStation 3
Windows
Xbox 360		 [18]
2014
(32nd) 		Dark Souls II FromSoftware Bandai Namco Entertainment Action role-playing PlayStation 3
Windows
Xbox 360		 [19]
2015
(33rd) 		The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt CD Projekt Red CD Projekt Action-adventure PlayStation 4
Windows
Xbox One		 [20]
2016
(34th) 		Dark Souls III FromSoftware Bandai Namco Entertainment Action role-playing PlayStation 4
Windows
Xbox One		 [21]
2017
(35th) 		The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo EPD Nintendo Action-adventure Nintendo Switch
Wii U		 [22]
2018
(36th) 		Fortnite Battle Royale Epic Games Epic Games Battle royale Various [23]
2019
(37th)		 Resident Evil 2 Capcom R&D Division 1 Capcom Survival horror PlayStation 4
Windows
Xbox One		 [24]
2020
(38th)		 The Last of Us Part II Naughty Dog Sony Interactive Entertainment Action-adventure PlayStation 4 [25]
2021
(39th)		 Resident Evil Village Capcom R&D Division 1 Capcom Survival horror PlayStation 5
Windows
Xbox Series X/S		 [26]
2022
(40th)		 Elden Ring FromSoftware Bandai Namco Entertainment Action role-playing PlayStation 5
Windows
Xbox Series X/S		 [27]

References
  1. Weston, D.B. (2012). Greatest Moments in Video Game History. p. 47. ASIN B008ULZ55G.
  2. Gleyo, Fritz (31 October 2015). "'The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt' Wins Ultimate Game Of The Year At Golden Joysticks 2015, Sweeps Four Other Awards". Tech Times. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  3. "Golden Joysticks Awards' Ultimate List of Ultimate Games: 1983 - 2015". GamesRadar+. 15 October 2015. p. 2. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  4. "Golden Joystick Awards 1989". Computer and Video Games. Future Publishing (92): 62–63. June 1989.
  5. Jim Douglas, ed. (May 1992). "News: Luvvies! Dahlings!". The One. EMAP (44): 17.
  6. "Golden Joystick Awards". Computer and Video Games. EMAP (66): 101. April 1987.
  7. "Golden Joystick Awards 1988". Computer and Video Games. Future Publishing (79): 39. May 1988.
  8. "The Golden Joystick Awards '91". Computer and Video Games. EMAP (115): 10. June 1991.
  9. "12 hot facts about the Golden Joystick Awards". GamesRadar+. 14 September 2009. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  10. "News". Nintendo Magazine System. No. 22. July 1994. pp. 10–1.
  11. Orry, James (30 October 2006). "Oblivion takes home the shiniest golden joystick". VideoGamer.com. Pro-G Media. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  12. "Golden Joysticks shift into Gears". GameSpot. 29 October 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  13. "Joystick gold for action shooter". BBC. 31 October 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  14. Fahey, Mike (30 October 2009). "Fallout 3 Wins The Golden Joysticks". Kotaku. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  15. Cocker, Guy (30 October 2010). "Mass Effect 2 wins Golden Joystick double". GameSpot. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  16. Whitworth, Dan (21 October 2011). "Golden Joystick Awards: Portal 2 named ultimate game". BBC. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  17. Nunneley, Stephany (26 October 2012). "2012 Golden Joystick Awards – Skyrim wins Ultimate Game of the Year". VG247. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  18. Nunneley, Stephany (25 October 2013). "Golden Joystick Awards: GTA 5 gets Game of The Year, The Last of Us wins three awards". VG247. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  19. Nunneley, Stephany (24 October 2014). "Dark Souls 2 wins Game of the Year at Golden Joystick Awards". VG247. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  20. "Golden Joysticks 2015: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt wins five gaming awards". BBC. 30 October 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  21. "Overwatch and Dark Souls 3 win big at this year's Golden Joystick Awards". PC Gamer. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  22. "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild named ultimate game at the Golden Joysticks". BBC News. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  23. Sheridan, Connor (16 November 2018). "Golden Joystick Awards 2018 winners: God of War wins big but Fortnite gets Victory Royale". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  24. "Golden Joysticks: Resident Evil 2 wins big award". BBC News. BBC. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  25. Tyrer, Ben (24 November 2020). "Every winner at the Golden Joystick Awards 2020". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  26. Weber, Rachel (November 23, 2021). "Resident Evil Village is the Golden Joysticks 2021 Ultimate Game of the Year".
  27. Loveridge, Sam (22 November 2022). "Here are all the Golden Joystick Awards 2022 winners". Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
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