As we leave behind 2015 and forge into a new year, various game, media, and entertainment publications submit their “Game of the Year” award (or awards). And every year, the “Game of the Year Picks Blog” finds those awards and tallies them up, creating what can be viewed as a definitive list. The rules are simple:
- It does not accept Mac-exclusive games, kids games, or free games (Sorry Heroes of the Storm!)
- Professional sites only (No single-person blogs or student newspapers)
- There must be one consensus pick from the publication as The Game of the Year
That third rule eliminates The Nerd Stash from being included. We had each writer submit their game of the year, but did not pick an overall for the entire site. It’s still the best darn list around, and you can get all sorts of great game suggestions by checking it out here. Many of our selections for Game of the Year were also selected by multiple other publications, but one title from 2015 has far more awards than all of its competitors combined:
As of this article’s publication, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has collected a whopping 161 Game of the Year awards, while the next closest competitor, Fallout 4, has only 36. This year, it was difficult to get a foot in the door if you were not accompanied by Geralt of Rivia; the only games that have received more than ten votes are those two, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and Bloodborne.
The site contains data as far back as 2003, although their sample pool was much smaller, as the site was just getting started. It is interesting to wade through and see what games dominated the day of years past, and what games are still viewed as great games to this day. The site is updated often, but it appears the overall 2015 Game of the Year belongs to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
What was your Game of the Year? Let us know!