Golden Joystick Awards: Game of the Year winners

The Golden Joystick Awards named 21 Games of the Year on record here, 2003–2025; the latest is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025). In the 20 census seasons it has judged, its pick was the game the whole field rewarded most 6 times (30.0%). In the season calendar it comes 2 of 10: November.

The oldest video game award in the world, and the first big GOTY of each season — it lands before The Game Awards.

The most recent winners: 2025, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33; 2024, Black Myth: Wukong; 2023, Baldur's Gate 3; 2022, Elden Ring; 2021, Resident Evil Village.

WhenNovember
Who votesPublic vote
First edition1983
CountryUnited Kingdom

21Winners listed
2003–2025Years verified
21Different winners

Our verified list starts at 2003, but this award has run since 1983. The earlier editions are not yet confirmed from a citable source and are left out rather than guessed.

Every Golden Joystick Awards Game of the Year

Years are ceremony years. This award is handed out in November for the year in progress, so for older editions the winning game may have launched the year before.

Year	Game of the Year
2025	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
2024	Black Myth: Wukong
2023	Baldur's Gate 3
2022	Elden Ring
2021	Resident Evil Village
2020	The Last of Us Part II
2019	Resident Evil 2
2018	Fortnite Battle Royale
2017	The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2016	Dark Souls III
2015	The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
2012	The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2011	Portal 2
2010	Mass Effect 2
2009	Fallout 3
2008	Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
2007	Gears of War
2006	The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
2005	Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
2004	Doom 3
2003	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Winner list from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 2 October 2026 · Source: the Meta Awards database, where every award row cites where it was published.