The SXSW Gaming Awards has announced the winners of this years game awards for a wide range of categories. These categories include:

Video Game of the Year

Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a distinct gaming experience across all platforms and genres.

Winner: Hades — Supergiant Games

Nominees

• DOOM Eternal — id Software / Bethesda Softworks
• Ghost of Tsushima — Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Hades — Supergiant Games
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps — Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios
• The Last of Us Part II — Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Indie Game of the Year

Awarded to the indie game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a distinct gaming experience across all platforms and genres.

Winner: Deep Rock Galactic— Ghost Ship Games / Coffee Stain Publishing

Nominees

• Bugsnax — Young Horses
• Cloudpunk — Ion Lands
• Crown Trick — NExT Studios / Team17
• Deep Rock Galactic — Ghost Ship Games / Coffee Stain Publishing
• Huntdown — Easy Trigger Games / Coffee Stain Publishing
• Ikenfell — Happy Ray Games / Humble Games
• Monster Sanctuary — Moi Rai Games / Team17
• Raji: An Ancient Epic — Nodding Heads Games / Super.com
• Risk of Rain 2 — Hopoo Games / Gearbox Publishing
• The Last Campfire — Hello Games

Tabletop Game of the Year

Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and ingenuity of any tabletop game in any genre.

Winner: The Search for Planet X— Renegade Game Studios / Foxtrot Games

Nominees

• Calico — Flatout Games
• Fort — Leder Games
• Oceans — North Star Games
• The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine — KOSMOS
• The Search for Planet X — Renegade Game Studios / Foxtrot Games

VR Game of the Year

Awarded to the VR game that exemplifies overall excellence in gameplay and design across any VR platform.

Winner: Half-Life: Alyx— Valve

Nominees

• Down the Rabbit Hole — Cortopia Studios / Beyond Frames Entertainment
• Half-Life: Alyx — Valve
• Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond — Respawn Entertainment / Electronic Arts
• Star Wars: Squadrons — Motive Studios / Electronic Arts
• The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners — Skydance Interactive

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.

Winner: Dreams— Media Molecule / Sony Interactive Entertainment

• Astro’s Playroom — Team ASOBI! / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Dreams — Media Molecule / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• If Found… — Dreamfeel / Annapurna Interactive
• Tell Me Why — DONTNOD Entertainment / Xbox Game Studios
• The Last of Us Part II — Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Excellence in Animation, Art, & Visual Achievement

Awarded to the game with well-designed and stunning visuals including animation effects and graphics.

Winner: Ghost of Tsushima— Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Nominees

• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla — Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft
• Cloudpunk — Ion Lands
• Final Fantasy VII Remake — SQUARE ENIX
• Ghost of Tsushima — Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps — Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios

Excellence in Game Design

Awarded to the game with the best overall design concept, gameplay mechanics, and best execution.

Winner: Hades — Supergiant Games

Nominees

• Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time — Toys for Bob / Activision
• Desperados III — Mimimi Games / THQ Nordic
• Hades — Supergiant Games
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps — Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios
• Watch Dogs: Legion — Ubisoft Toronto / Ubisoft

Excellence in 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 Will of the Wisps — Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios

Nominees

• Cyberpunk 2077 — CD Projekt Red / CD Projekt
• DOOM Eternal — id Software / Bethesda Softworks
• Final Fantasy VII Remake — SQUARE ENIX
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps — Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios
• Trials of Mana — Xeen / SQUARE ENIX

Excellence in Multiplayer

Awarded to the game with the best player-to-player interaction experience.

Winner: Deep Rock Galactic — Ghost Ship Games / Coffee Stain Publishing

Nominees

• Deep Rock Galactic — Ghost Ship Games / Coffee Stain Publishing
• Huntdown — Easy Trigger Games / Coffee Stain Publishing
• Risk of Rain 2 — Hopoo Games, Gearbox Publishing
• Star Wars: Squadrons — Motive Studios / Electronic Arts
• VALORANT — Riot Games

Excellence in Narrative

Awarded to the game with the best storyline and dialogue.

Winner: The Last of Us Part II — Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Nominees

• Ghost of Tsushima — Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Hades — Supergiant Games
• Immortals Fenyx Rising — Ubisoft Quebec / Ubisoft
• Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales — Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• The Last of Us Part II — Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment

Excellence in Audio Design

Awarded to the game with the most outstanding and impactful sound effects.

Winner: DOOM Eternal — id Software / Bethesda Softworks

Nominees

• Bugsnax — Young Horses
• DOOM Eternal — id Software / Bethesda Softworks
• Observer: System Redux — Bloober Team
• Star Wars: Squadrons — Motive Studios / Electronic Arts
• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 — Vicarious Visions / Activision

Excellence in Technical Achievement

Awarded to the game that pushed the capabilities of technology and programming furthest or most effectively.

Winner: Microsoft Flight Simulator — Asobo Studio / Xbox Game Studios

Nominees

• Astro’s Playroom — Team ASOBI! / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Dreams — Media Molecule / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Genshin Impact — miHoYo
• Ghost of Tsushima — Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Microsoft Flight Simulator — Asobo Studio / Xbox Game Studios

The SXSW Gaming Awards is an award show collaborating with IGN and sponsored by XR Games with the goal of honoring excellence throughout the gaming industry and to recognize the talent behind video games.