Winning an award is usually a good thing. But in the world of video games, specifically when we talk about the IGN Game of the Year, it’s a lightning rod for the kind of internet drama that keeps Reddit servers humming for weeks. Every December, the largest gaming outlet on the planet crowns a single title as the king of the mountain. Some years it feels like a coronation for a masterpiece everyone already loves. Other years? It feels like a tactical nuke dropped into the middle of the community.
Honestly, it’s kinda fascinating.
If you look back at 2023, the choice of Baldur’s Gate 3 was almost too easy. Larian Studios basically reinvented what people expect from an RPG. It was a rare moment of near-universal consensus. But go back further, or look at the "People’s Choice" metrics compared to the staff vote, and you see where the cracks start to form. The IGN Game of the Year isn't just a trophy; it's a snapshot of what the industry values at any given moment—and those values change faster than a Call of Duty patch cycle.
The Secret Sauce of How IGN Picks a Winner
You’ve probably wondered how they actually reach a decision. Is it one guy in a dark room? Is it a rigged marketing deal? Neither. The actual process is way more bureaucratic and, frankly, exhausting for the people involved. It’s a massive democratic exercise involving dozens of staff members across their global offices. Editors, video producers, and reviewers all submit their personal rankings. Then comes the math.
The weight of the IGN Game of the Year carries a different kind of baggage than the Game Awards (The Game Awards, or "The Keighleys," use a jury of global media outlets). IGN is a single entity. When they pick something like God of War over Red Dead Redemption 2, it’s a statement of their specific editorial identity. They aren't trying to represent the whole world; they are telling you what they, as a collective of critics, think matters most.
💡 You might also like: Swimmers Tube Crossword Clue: Why Snorkel and Inner Tube Aren't the Same Thing
Why the "Review Score" Doesn't Always Match the Win
Here is something that drives people absolutely insane: a game can get a 10/10 on IGN and still lose the IGN Game of the Year title. How? It’s basically about the timing and the competition. If three different games get 10s in a single year, the staff has to fight it out. The person who reviewed Elden Ring might fight tooth and nail for it, while the person who reviewed Horizon Forbidden West tries to make a case for technical brilliance.
In 2021, It Takes Two won the big prize. It was a smaller, co-op-only game that managed to charm its way past massive blockbusters. That’s the thing about this specific award—it tends to reward innovation and "feel" just as much as raw graphical power. It’s not a contest of who spent the most money on marketing. If it were, we'd see a lot more sequels winning than we actually do.
The Most Controversial Winners in History
If we're being real, some years are just messier than others. 2020 was a bloodbath. The Last of Us Part II took the win at IGN, which mirrored many other outlets, but the user-base was divided. The gap between what critics see—pacing, narrative courage, animation tech—and what players feel—emotional resonance, character loyalty—is where the friction lives.
Then there was 2017. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Okay, that one wasn’t controversial because it won, but because of what it beat. That year was stacked. Super Mario Odyssey, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Persona 5 were all in the mix. When the IGN Game of the Year was announced, it felt like Zelda was the only possible choice, yet fans of the other titles felt like their favorites were "robbed." It’s a zero-sum game. For one game to win, everything else has to lose.
📖 Related: Stuck on Today's Connections? Here is How to Actually Solve the NYT Grid Without Losing Your Mind
- 2023: Baldur's Gate 3 (The RPG Renaissance)
- 2022: Elden Ring (The Open World Shift)
- 2021: It Takes Two (The Co-op Surprise)
- 2020: The Last of Us Part II (The Narrative Divider)
Sometimes, the "People’s Choice" award that IGN runs alongside the main event tells a completely different story. In the 2024 cycle, the discourse around Black Myth: Wukong showed a massive divergence between the editorial staff's criteria and what the general public was playing. The staff might value "polish" and "accessibility," while the audience might value "cultural impact" and "difficulty."
Understanding the "IGN 10" vs. The Industry Standard
We have to talk about the scale. IGN’s 10-point scale has been the subject of memes for a decade. "7.8/10: Too much water" is practically etched into the tombstone of gaming journalism. But when it comes to the IGN Game of the Year, the scale basically resets. They aren't looking at the score anymore; they are looking at the legacy.
Will people still be playing Hades in five years? (The answer was yes). Will Outer Wilds change how we think about space exploration? (Yes, it did). The editorial board usually looks for "The Game that Defined the Year." It’s a subtle distinction. A game might be technically perfect but feel like something we’ve played before. Another game might be slightly buggy but offer an experience that is totally, 100% fresh. Usually, the "fresh" game wins the IGN Game of the Year over the "safe" one.
The Role of Genre Bias
Let’s be honest: certain genres have a harder time winning. Sports games like FC 25 or Madden basically never win. Racing games like Forza might get a nomination for their visuals, but they rarely take the top spot. The IGN Game of the Year leans heavily toward third-person action-adventures and massive RPGs. It’s a reflection of what the core enthusiast audience considers "prestige" gaming.
👉 See also: Straight Sword Elden Ring Meta: Why Simple Is Often Better
Is that fair? Maybe not. But it’s the reality of the medium. We value storytelling and world-building because those are the areas where games are still evolving the fastest. A jump-shot in a basketball game can only change so much year-over-year. A narrative structure like the one in Alan Wake 2? That’s something new.
What to Watch for in Future Awards
As we move deeper into this current console generation, the criteria for the IGN Game of the Year is shifting again. We’re seeing a massive influx of indie titles that have the budget of AA games but the soul of a passion project. The line is blurring.
When you’re trying to predict the next winner, don’t just look at the Metacritic score. Look at the conversation. If a game is being talked about in non-gaming circles—like Animal Crossing was in 2020 or Elden Ring was in 2022—it has a massive advantage. Cultural footprint matters. If your grandma knows the name of a game, it's a strong contender for the top spot.
How You Can Participate
IGN usually opens up their "Best of" voting in early December. If you think the editors are wrong, go vote. They track the "People’s Choice" separately, and often, that’s the award that developers care about the most because it represents the actual buyers.
Don't get too hung up on the "objectivity" of these lists. Objectivity in art is a myth anyway. The IGN Game of the Year is an opinion. It’s a very loud, very influential opinion, but it’s still just a group of people talking about the toys they liked playing with the most.
Practical Steps for Following the Awards
- Check the Nominees Early: IGN usually drops the category nominees (Best Action, Best Story, etc.) a week before the big reveal. This gives you a shortlist of what to play if you want to be "in the know."
- Compare the "Best of" Categories: Often, the Game of the Year winner will also win things like "Best Art Direction" or "Best Music." If a game is sweeping the sub-categories, it’s a lock for the main event.
- Read the Individual Reviewer Top 10s: IGN editors often publish their personal lists. This is actually where the best recommendations are. A weird indie game might not win the big prize, but if three editors have it as their #1, it’s probably worth your time.
- Ignore the Rage-Bait: People will get angry on Twitter. It’s a tradition. Don’t let someone else’s list ruin your enjoyment of a game you loved. If your personal game of the year was a 100-hour farming sim and it didn't even get nominated, that doesn't make your experience any less valid.
The IGN Game of the Year is meant to celebrate the industry. Sometimes it feels like a popularity contest, and sometimes it feels like a niche art show. But at the end of the day, it’s the best way to see where the medium is heading next. Keep an eye on the nominees, ignore the loudest trolls, and just play what looks fun.