The 28th AnnualD.I.C.E. Awardsceremony has revealed the list of award categories and nominees, and it naturally includesAstro Botand some of 2024’s biggest releases. As a long-running game awards show, the D.I.C.E. Awards are some of the most prestigious that the industry has to offer. While The Game Awards, held in December every year, are voted on primarily by a pool of press outlets, the D.I.C.E. Awards are chosen by members of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.
Available in full on the official website of theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences,the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards nominee lineup includesAstro Bot, Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Helldivers 2, andIndiana Jones and the Great Circleas contenders for the Game of the Year prize.Astro Bot,Helldivers 2, andIndiana Jonesand the Great Circlelead the overall pool with six nominations a piece, qualifying in individual genre categories along with honors for elements like music and art design.
The 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Have Some Heavy Hitters
As the other two Game of the Year nominees,BalatroandBlack Myth: Wukongare also up for a number of awards. With five nominations,Balatrois an obvious frontrunner for categories like Best Independent Game, whileBlack Myth: Wukongqualified for Art Direction and Action Game along with its bid for the top prize.
I Finally Played Balatro And It Confirmed Why 2024 Was Such A Good Year For Games
Balatro is an excellent game and one of 2024’s best. However, it is also illustrative of why 2024 was such a phenomenal year for gaming.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth,Metaphor: Refantazio, andElden Ring: Shadow of the ErdtreewereGOTY contenders at The Game Awards 2024that failed to secure nominations for the same honor at the D.I.C.E. Awards. All three qualified in other categories, however.The overall pool consists of 60 different titles released in 2024.
Our Take: The D.I.C.E. Awards Are A Great Opportunity
A Chance To See Some Fresh Successes
Every awards ceremony will inevitably do a disservice to some games, especially when there’s a crowded playing field, butit’s nice to have multiple major opportunities for games to pick up some honors. Somequalifiers like1000xRESISTdidn’t make the cut at The Game Awards 2024, and the voting on categories with plenty of repeat nominees could still go very differently.
I’m happy to seeIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, one of myfavorite games of 2024, in the running. It came out too late to qualify for The Game Awards 2024, and with plenty of major releases for 2025, it could have an uphill battle to stay in the conversation for next year. While my personal GOTYLorelei and the Laser Eyesonly has a shot at the Game Design award, I’ll be happy to see many of these games get some well-deserved flowers at the 2025D.I.C.E. Awards.
