Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End was named “Video Game of the Year” at the 2016-2017 SXSW Gaming Awards last night, finally putting an end to Overwatch‘s winning streak. Nathan Drake’s final adventure also earned the big prize in the “Excellence in Narrative” and “Excellence in Animation” categories, and the treasure hunter himself won for “Most Memorable Character.”
However, don’t feel too bad for Blizzard, Overwatch took home three SXSW Gaming Awards including “Esports Game of the Year,” “Most Promising New Intellectual Property,” and “Excellence in Multiplayer.”
The WWE’s Austin “Xavier Woods” Creed hosted the 2016-2017 SXSW Gaming Awards, and he also handed out statuettes to a wide variety of other games including Pokemon Go (“Mobile Game of the Year”), Doom (“Excellence in Gameplay” and “Excellence in Musical Score”), Battlefield 1 (“Excellence in Technical Achievement” and “Excellence in SFX”), and Dishonored 2 (“Excellence in Design”). And this year’s “Tabletop Game of the Year” award was given to Fantasy Flight’s Arkham Horror: The Card Game.
You can find all the winners and nominees from last night’s SXSW Gaming Awards show after the break.
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: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- Dishonored 2
- Doom
- Overwatch
- Titanfall 2
Mobile Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a unique gaming experience on any handheld device.
- WINNER: Pokemon Go
- Clash Royale
- Pokemon Sun and Moon
- Reigns
- Severed
Tabletop Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that exemplifies overall excellence and ingenuity of any tabletop game in any genre.
- WINNER: Arkham Horror: The Card Game
- Captain Sonar
- Inis
- Mechs vs Minions
- The Others
Esports Game of the Year
Awarded to the online game with the best competitive scene, growth, and entertainment value.
- WINNER: Overwatch
- Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
- Gears of War 4
- Killer Instinct: Season 3
- Street Fighter V
Trending Game of the Year
Awarded to the game that consistently entertained and kept us watching on social platforms with its humor, stories, and more.
- WINNER: Overwatch
- Dead by Daylight
- Job Simulator
- Superhot
- Who’s Your Daddy
Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation
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: That Dragon, Cancer
- 1979 Revolution: Black Friday
- Fragments of Him
- Orwell
- Quadrilateral Cowboy
Excellence in Narrative
Awarded to the game with the best storyline and dialogue.
- WINNER: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- Firewatch
- The Last Guardian
- Oxenfree
- That Dragon, Cancer
Excellence in Design
Awarded to the game with the best overall design concept and best execution.
- WINNER: Dishonored 2
- Inside
- Overwatch
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- The Witness
Excellence in Gameplay
Awarded to the game with the best gameplay mechanics.
- WINNER: Doom
- Dark Souls III
- Dishonored 2
- Firewatch
- I Expect You To Die
Most Fulfilling Community-Funded Game
Awarded to the game that was primarily produced via crowdfunding platforms and had excelled beyond the expectations set before it.
- WINNER: Starbound
- Darkest Dungeon
- Hyper Light Drifter
- Superhot
- That Dragon, Cancer
Most Promising New Intellectual Property
Awarded to a new property that risked creating something fresh and that excelled within its genre or category for the year.
- WINNER: Overwatch
- Firewatch
- Stardew Valley
- Superhot
- Tom Clancy’s The Division
Most Memorable Character
Awarded to the best game character that left an overwhelming impression.
- WINNER: Nathan Drake – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- BT-7274 – Titanfall 2
- Henry & Delilah – Firewatch
- Tracer – Overwatch
- Trico – The Last Guardian
Excellence in Multiplayer
Awarded to the game with the best player-to-player interaction experience.
- WINNER: Overwatch
- Battlefield 1
- Gears of War 4
- SpeedRunners
- Titanfall 2
Excellence in Convergence
Awarded to the game that excels in crossover to other entertainment mediums such as film, music, toys, animation, sports and more.
- WINNER: Batman: The Telltale Series
- Batman: Arkham VR
- FIFA 17
- NBA 2K17
- Total War: Warhammer
Excellence in Art
Awarded to the game with the most expressive and creative artistic style.
- WINNER: Firewatch
- Abzu
- Inside
- Overwatch
- The Witness
Excellence in Animation
Awarded to the game with the most outstanding animation effects and graphics.
- WINNER: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- Doom
- Inside
- The Last Guardian
- Overwatch
Excellence in Visual Achievement
Awarded to the game with the most well-designed and stunning visuals.
- WINNER: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
- Battlefield 1
- Doom
- Final Fantasy XV
- Titanfall 2
Excellence in Technical Achievement
Awarded to the game that pushed the capabilities of technology and programming.
- WINNER: Battlefield 1
- No Man’s Sky
- Overwatch
- Pokemon Go
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Excellence in Musical Score
Awarded to the game that best exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it progresses the narrative of the game.
- WINNER: Doom
- Final Fantasy XV
- Hyper Light Drifter
- The Last Guardian
- Thumper
Excellence in SFX
Awarded to the game with the most outstanding and impactful sound effects.
- WINNER: Battlefield 1
- Dishonored 2
- Inside
- Titanfall 2
- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Fan Creation of the Year
Awarded to the most compelling fan-made piece of work across all games and platforms. This includes, but isn’t limited to, artwork, writing, videography, special effects, and more.
- WINNER: Brutal Doom 64
- Enderal: The Shards of Order
- Fallout: Revelation
- Fallout 1.5: Resurrection
- Jack: A Stanley Parable Short Film
Gamer’s Voice: Single Player
Awarded to the top fan-favorite indie games found in the Indie Corner, as chosen by Gaming Expo attendees.
- WINNER: Owlboy
- Ape Out
- Asura
- Bootleg Systems
- CHKN
- Circles
- Code 7: Episode 0 – Allocation
- Cryptark
- Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor
- Event [0]
- Far From Noise
- Haimrik
- Hollow Knight
- Katana Zero
- MachiaVillain
- Mages of Mystralia
- Night in the Woods
- No Truce With The Furies
- Obduction
- Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
- She Remembered Caterpillars
- Sundered
- The Hex
- The Metronomicon
- The Pedestrian
- The Shrouded Isle
- Tumbleseed
- Where the Water Tastes Like Wine
Gamer’s Voice: Multiplayer
Awarded to the top fan-favorite indie games found in the Indie Corner, as chosen by Gaming Expo attendees.
- WINNER: Arena Gods
- Akuto: Mad World
- Antihero
- Beasts of Balance
- Flat Heroes
- Friday Night Bullet Arena
- Human: Fall Flat
- Invisigun Heroes
- Overcooked
- Schlicht
- Red Rope: Don’t Fall Behind
- Saltlands
- Sky Noon
- Strikers Edge
- Tooth and Tail
- Vast: The Crystal Caverns