There are the best games of the year, and then there are the best games among them — the ones that received the most Game of the Year (GOTY) awards ever. While there could be a year in gaming with no clear overall winner, some games truly stand out from time to time, sending waves across the entire industry and shaping genres for years ahead.
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The ultimate list below ranks all the best video games ever released based on the number of GOTY awards they’ve received from industry critics and authoritative player votes so far. Keep in mind that as time passes, gaming coverage widens, potentially explaining why the vast majority of the titles listed here are from the past decade. Get ready for some of the most celebrated titles in history!
178 Total Awards
If the latest huge release byGTAseries developer atRockstarends up at the bottom of this list, just how extraordinary are the games that manage to surpass this acclaimed masterpiece? Released in 2018,Red Dead Redemption 2is considered a major milestone in the industry, the impact of which is hard to overstate.
An exemplary take on the open-world action genre thatstill has no rivals more than five years later, RDR 2 is a meticulously crafted western with spectacular attention to detail that continues to captivate gamers long after its launch. Its deeply engaging dynamic systems make the world around you feel more believable than any other.
Red Dead Redemption 2
9Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (2016)
190 Total Awards
Simple in premise yet breathtaking in execution,Uncharted 4stands as an unmatched peak for cinematic action-adventures. It effortlessly combines a light-hearted adventurous mood with deep personal stakes and relationships of characters that are impossible not to sympathize with.
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Exceptional in its every aspect, from graphics to story and gameplay mechanics, Uncharted 4 is as entertaining as triple-A games get. Initially released on PS4, a remastered version was launched on PS5 and PC in 2022, offering the best way to experience this modern classic. Oh, and it also serves as one of the greatest send-offs for iconic video game characters ever.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
8The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011)
229 Total Awards
Moreover, Skyrim has been re-released on more platforms than any other entry on this list, with regular remastered versions like the Special Edition or Anniversary Edition expanding its audience. If onlyStarfield could match a fraction of the excitementand love people have for this one.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
7The Last Of Us (2013)
257 Total Awards
The Last of Usmarked a narrative peak forNaughty Dog, delivering a gut-wrenching story about characters that felt more alive than ever before. Since then, the journey of Joel and Ellie has become a blueprint for narrative-driven action-adventure games and has even been adapted faithfully into a live-actionHBOseries.
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The game has seen three releases so far: the original version in 2013,The Last of Us Remasteredfor PS4 in 2014, andThe Last of Us Part 1, a full-fledged 2022’s remake for PS5 and PC. This remake is perhaps the best way to experience the game today.
The Last of Us: Remastered
6The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (2017)
262 Total Awards
In 2017,The Legend of Zeldabrought a breath of fresh air to the open-world genre, challenging The Witcher 3’s ‘marker formula’ with a dynamic and unpredictable environment that encourages your creativity above all else.Nintendo’s timeless visual style and charming music contribute to a near-perfect atmosphere of unbound adventure, making every step of the journey a real treat.
Breath of the Wildis arguably the best and most radical addition to the iconic Zelda series, instantly captivating audiences and earning unanimous acclaim from day one. If only all beloved series could undergo such a passionate evolution as this one.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
5God Of War (2018)
264 Total Awards
God of Warstands as one of the most impressive and justified soft reboots of a legendary gaming series. It opens up hardened Kratos from an unexpected and personal angle while staying true to the series’ brutal core that captured fans’ hearts in the first place.
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By shifting away from the tired ‘fate of the world’ stakes, developers delivered the most personal and emotional duo of Kratos and Atreus since The Last of Us. Spice the story with a near-perfect combat system, nostalgic elements in all the right places, and just enough revelations to keep players hooked — here’sSanta Monica Studio’s recipe for roaring success.
God of War
4Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023)
280 Total Awards
The newest addition to the list,Larian’s Baldur’s Gate 3, debuted less than a year ago but is already considered one of the finest party RPGs ever created. The developer’s uncompromised approach to every aspect, combined with years of expertise in the genre, resulted in a true gem that left even the staunchest skeptics speechless upon release.
With its rich, hand-crafted world, countless characters with full voice-over and spectacular mo-cap, unprecedented freedom, and great replayability,Baldur’s Gate 3is a modern icon of the genre that will devour hundreds of hours of your time. It stands as a shining beacon for any other competitor out there.
Baldur’s Gate 3
3The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
281 Total Awards
An ambitious breakthrough into the big league for the Polish developerCD Projekt Red,The Witcher 3was a dream come true for any action RPG fan in 2015, and defined the open-world formula for many years ahead. The game managed to combine a vast multi-region world with some of the best narrative quests in RPGs ever, at the same time delivering a captivating personal story of its major cast of characters.
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Perhaps the biggest Witcher 3’s achievement is how it introduced the fascinating fantasy universe created by Andrzej Sapkowski to a worldwide audience, finally breaking away from its niche appeal. Today,The Witcheris a massive franchise withseveral games in developmentand numerous successful TV shows — all thanks to this title.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
2The Last Of Us Part 2 (2020)
326 Total Awards
The third game on this list by Naughty Dog all but proves that the Californian studio is really at the top of its class and is rightly considered one of the best and most influential studios ever. WithThe Last of us Part 2, Neil Druckmann and his team delivered a truly special sequel that isnot afraid to take huge risksand push the narrative in the medium sky-high.
With its brutal setting, unforgettable locations, ambiguous characters, and unexpected turns throughout the entire story, TLOU 2 is a lesson in empathy that takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions and is as relentless as its beautiful post-apocalyptic world.
The Last of Us Part II
1Elden Ring (2022)
429 Total Awards
FromSoftware’s best work to date,Elden Ringis an unmatched anomaly among single-player titles, with hundreds of thousands of fans still playing it daily years after launch. This massive game introduced the soulslike genre to countless players around the globe, delivering a journey of epic scale that can only compare to something as legendary as The Lord of the Rings.
Today, Elden Ring proudlystands as the most acclaimed game in history, offering unparalleled freedom of choosing where to go and how to overcome obstacles in your way, crowned by perhaps the deepest lore ever created. The title is about to get a second wind later this year whenShadow of the Erdtree expansion is launched. We rise once more, Tarnished!
