The organizers of South By Southwest have closed the doors on yet another festival within the Austin city limits, but for the first time in nearly a decade, they did so without the SXSW Gaming Awards. According to a spokesperson for the event, the Gaming Awards were discontinued this year in an effort to “streamline our festival a bit more.”
But rather than wonder whether SXSW’s jury would have chosen Elden Ring or God of War: Ragnarok, let’s look back at the winners from the very first SXSW Gaming Awards ceremony in 2013-2014.
The inaugural program from the SXSW Gaming Awards honored the best games from 2013 and you’ll find a very familiar name at the very top of the list. The Last of Us, which has since spawned multiple re-releases, a sequel, and a live-action adaptation, was the most-awarded game of the night, collecting “Game of the Year” honors for Naughty Dog, as well as three other statuettes (“Narrative,” “Musical Score,” and “SFX”).
While The Last of Us edged out some tough opposition for the big prize at the first SXSW Gaming Awards, almost all of the other titles competing for “Game of the Year” came away with something.
▶ The “Excellence in Gaming Marketing” award went to Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag for promoting a life of piracy.
▶ The patriotic imagery of Columbia snared the “Excellence in Art” award for Irrational’s BioShock Infinite.
▶ Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V, which has also been re-released multiple times in the last decade, received the “Excellence in Technical Achievement” award.
▶ The chaotic multiplayer of Nintendo’s Super Mario 3D World won “Best Multiplayer Game.”
▶ And the origami world of Media Molecule’s Tearaway won “Excellence in Design and Direction.”
The full list of winners and nominees from the 2013-2014 SXSW Gaming Awards (as reported by the Austin Chronicle) can be found after the break.
Game of the Year
Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies gaming excellence.
- WINNER: The Last of Us
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
- BioShock Infinite
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Gone Home
- Super Mario 3D World
- Tearaway
- Tomb Raider
Texas Arts Achievement Award
Awarded to a Texas-based studio or game for their achievements in game development.
- WINNER: Galactic Cafe
- Arkane Studios
- BioWare / Electronic Arts
- Devolver Digital
- Gearbox Software
- Semi Secret Software
Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation in Gaming
Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that most challenges the “norm” of everyday gaming and offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character or gameplay.
- WINNER: Papers Please
- BioShock Infinite
- Gone Home
- Guacamelee
- Year Walk
Excellence in Narrative
Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in game narrative.
- WINNER: The Last of Us
- BioShock Infinite
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- Gone Home
- Kentucky Route Zero
Excellence in Design and Direction
Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence design and direction
- WINNER: Tearaway
- BioShock Infinite
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- Gone Home
- Grand Theft Auto V
Excellence in Gameplay
Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in gameplay mechanics.
- WINNER: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- The Last of Us
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
- Super Mario 3D World
- Tearaway
Best Multiplayer Game
Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in multiplayer gaming.
- WINNER: Super Mario 3D World
- Battlefield 4
- Call of Duty: Ghosts
- DOTA 2
- StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
Convergence Award
Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence and pure crossover appeal through multiple mediums.
- WINNER: Injustice: Gods Among Us
- The Last of Us
- Lego Marvel Super Heroes
- The Walking Dead: Season Two – Episode One: All That Remains
- The Wolf Among Us – Episode One: Faith
Excellence in Art
Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in art and design.
- WINNER: BioShock Infinite
- Kentucky Route Zero
- Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
- Rayman Legends
- Tearaway
Excellence in Animation
Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence in animation.
- WINNER: Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
- The Last of Us
- Super Mario 3D World
- Tearaway
- Tomb Raider
Excellence in Technical Achievement
Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence technical achievement
- WINNER: Grand Theft Auto V
- Antichamber
- Papa Sangre II
- Super Mario 3D World
- The Swapper
Excellence in Musical Score
Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it is used to progress the narrative of a game.
- WINNER: The Last of Us
- BioShock Infinite
- Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
- Tearaway
- Tomb Raider
Excellence in SFX
Awarded to the indie or mainstream game that exemplifies excellence game sound effects.
- WINNER: The Last of Us
- Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs
- Battlefield 4
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Forza Motorsport 5
Excellence in Gaming Marketing
Awarded to the most memorable marketing campaign for a game title or hardware.
- WINNER: Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
- Call of Duty: Ghosts
- Ridiculous Fishing
- Saint’s Row IV
- The Stanley Parable
Gamer’s Voice Award
Awarded to the favorite indie game in the Indie Corner Showcase, by gamers on the SXSW Gaming Expo floor
- WINNER: Nidhogg
- Broforce
- Cave! Cave! Deus Videt – Episode 0: We Are Müesli
- Deck Around
- Disorder
- Doggins
- Drei
- Ephemerid
- Extrasolar
- Framed
- Gorogoa
- Hermid Crab in Space
- Ibb & Obb
- Kami
- Lost Toys
- MirrorMoon EP
- Mushroom 11
- The Novelist
- Paper Sorcerer
- Quadrilateral Cowboy
- Rollers of the Realm
- Secrets of Rætikon
- Spin the Bottle: Bumpie’s Party
- Sully: A Very Serious RPG
- Tengami
- Type: Rider