A combination of delays and strange circumstances deprived this year’s Game Awards show of its most obvious “frontrunners,” which means that we’re all left guessing which of the year’s greatest games will end up being the biggest winners at what is quickly becoming the video game industry’s version of the Academy Awards. Since only a fool would dare to predict which games are going to come out on top of this very strange year, here are our predictions for the winners of The Game Awards 2021’s biggest categories.
The Game Awards 2021: Game of the Year Nominees and Predictions
DeathloopIt Takes TwoMetroid DreadPsychonauts 2Ratchet & Clank: Rift ApartResident Evil Village
This is as unpredictale as a list of GOTY nominees can possibly get, but I think that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart might just survive the voting process. It’s a very good game that doesn’t do a lot to alienate players with different tastes, which might just be enough to ensure it walks away with the show’s top prize
The Game Awards 2021: Best Game Direction Nominees and Predictions
DeathloopIt Takes TwoReturnalPsychonauts 2Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
I’m tempted to go with Returnal here, but since it was strangely overlooked for the GOTY category, I’ll play it a bit safer by guessing that the legendary Tim Schafer walks away with this award that he and the rest of the Psychonauts 2 team very much deserve. That said, It Takes Two could very well end up “stealing” this award by virtue of Josef Fares’ growing cult of personality (and the fact it’s a really good game).
The Game Awards 2021: Best Narrative Nominees and Predictions
DeathloopIt Takes TwoLife is Strange: True ColorsMarvel’s Guardians of the GalaxyPsychonauts 2
Again, all of these top-tier award predictions are tough to make given how close the candidates are to each other in terms of viability, but I think that, much like the Game Direction award, this one either goes to It Takes Two or Psychonauts 2. I’ll give the slight edge to It Takes Two in this particular category, but those two games could easily end up swapping those two awards (with Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy being a notable dark horse contender for the Best Narrative award).
The Game Awards 2021: Best Performance Nominees and Predictions
Erika Mori (Alex Chen/Life is Strange: True Colors)Giancarlo Esposito (Antón Castillo/Far Cry 6)Jason Kelly (Colt Vahn/Deathloop)Maggie Robertson (Alcina Dimitrescu/Resident Evil Village)Ozioma Akagha (Julianna Blake/Deathloop)
I think there’s (sadly) a very good chance that Deathloop ends up missing out on a few of this show’s bigger awards, but this is one category where I feel like one of that game’s two nominees has a pretty good chance of securing a well-deserved victory.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Multiplayer Nominees and Predictions
Back 4 BloodKnockout CityIt Takes TwoMonster Hunter RiseNew WorldValheim
This is a very strange category that Halo Infinite would probably win in a landslide if it was eligible, but I’ll give the slight edge to what should be one of this year’s biggest Game Awards winners, It Takes Two. It might “only” be a co-op game, but I’d argue it’s the only essential experience in this group. Back 4 Blood or Valheim could end up “stealing” this award, but this is just an odd collection of nominees.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Ongoing Game Nominees and Predictions
Apex LegendsCall of Duty: WarzoneFinal Fantasy XIVGenshin ImpactFortnite
None of the games in this category enjoyed a bigger year than Final Fantasy 14. In 2021, FF 14 took the MMORPG crown from World of Warcraft (at least spiritually) and continued to make good on its developers’ promise of delivering an incredible, fan-driven MMO experience. The early buzz around the upcoming Endwalker expansion is also quite good.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Art Direction Nominees and Predictions
DeathloopKena: Bridge of SpiritsPsychonauts 2Ratchet & Clank: Rift ApartThe Artful Escape
It’s tempting to go with one of the “bigger” names in this category, but I truly think that The Artful Escape is one of those slight outsiders that may very well end up upsetting its more popular competition.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Score & Music Nominees and Predictions
Cyberpunk 2077DeathloopNier Replicant ver. 1.22474487139Marvel’s Guardians of the GalaxyThe Artful Escape
You know, Cyberpunk 2077 actually has a pretty good chance of winning this category, but since the controversy surrounding that game hasn’t really cooled yet, I’ll guess that Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy gets a deserved win here. That game’s soundtrack is incredible on its own, but it’s the way it enhances the gameplay that makes it such an irreplaceable part of the experience.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Audio Design Nominees and Predictions
DeathloopForza Horizon 5Ratchet & Clank: Rift ApartResident Evil VillageReturnal
Despite the fact that Returnal was ignored elsewhere (or perhaps because of it), I think that one of 2021’s absolute best games ends up securing this historically tough-to-predict technical award. While good audio design can mean different things to different critics, Returnal‘s complex blend of audio concepts could elevate it over some considerable competition.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Independent Game Nominees and Predictions
Death’s DoorKena: Bridge of SpiritsInscryptionLoop HeroTwelve Minutes
I’m genuinely not sure how this stacked category is going to play out, but Loop Hero certainly stands out to me as the one nominee that would be the toughest to argue against. It’s a brilliant game that people have been passionately discussing since it was released earlier this year.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Action Game Nominees and Predictions
Back 4 BloodChivalry IIDeathloopFar Cry 6Returnal
This is most likely a battle between Deathloop and Returnal, and the only reason I’m giving Deathloop the nod is that “figuring out” the action is just such a larger part of that game’s experience. I’d be genuinely stunned if any of the other candidates won this award, but I suppose Back 4 Blood would be the leading outsider in this particular category.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Action/Adventure Game Nominees and Predictions
Marvel’s Guardians of the GalaxyMetroid DreadRatchet & Clank: Rift ApartResident Evil VillagePsychonauts 2
The Action/Adventure category is typically either used to set up the eventual game of the year winner or to award another game that will just miss out on the show’s biggest prize. I think that the latter scenario happens this year. Resident Evil Village could absolutely end up winning GOTY, but it definitely has a good chance of taking home the Action/Adventure prize.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Role-Playing Game Nominees and Predictions
Cyberpunk 2077Monster Hunter RiseScarlet NexusShin Megami Tensei VTales of Arise
I can’t imagine that Cyberpunk 2077 has any chance of winning this award, so that leaves us with a three-way battle between Scarlet Nexus, Monster Hunter Rise, and Tales of Arise.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Fighting Game Nominees and Predictions
Demon Slayer: The Hinokami ChroniclesGuilty Gear -Strive-Melty Blood: Type LuminaNickelodeon All-Star BrawlVirtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown
This isn’t the most stacked fighting game category we’ve seen in recent years, but there are some genuinely good dark horse candidates among the nominees. That said, this feels like Guilty Gear‘s category to lose. It’s certainly the best of the more notable nominees, so I think its name value helps elevate it over the closest competition.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Family Game Nominees and Predictions
It Takes TwoMario Party SuperstarsNew Pokémon SnapSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser’s FuryWarioware: Get It Together!
While I will admit that I think It Takes Two is a bit of an odd choice for this particular category (it’s pretty complicated and goes to some dark places), it does feel like the “best” overall game among these nominees. If the voters go with something a little more family-friendly, then Mario Party Superstars or New Pokémon Snap could very well grab a win here.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Sim/Strategy Game Nominees and Predictions
Age of Empires IVEvil Genius 2: World DominationHumankindInscryptionMicrosoft Flight Simulator
This is another case where I have a few questions about Microsoft Flight Simulator‘s placement in this particular category (it was originally released for PC last year) but ultimately think that it might be the most popular and best all-around nominee.
The Game Awards 2021: Best Sports/Racing Game Nominees and Predictions
F1 2021FIFA 2022Hot Wheels UnleashedForza Horizon 5Riders Republic
Forza Horizon 5 may have been denied the GOTY nomination that it deserved, but there’s really no way that it loses this particular category. Seriously, I’d give every other nominee in this category a combined 0.001% chance of beating Forza Horizon 5 (and some of them are actually quite good).
The Game Awards 2021: Most Anticipated Game Nominees and Predictions
Elden RingGod of War RagnarokHorizon Forbidden WestThe Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildStarfield
I think that this is really a race between Elden Ring, Breath of the Wild, and God of War. While the latter two games are absolutely strong candidates in their own right, Elden Ring is so closely tied to The Game Awards at this point that I wouldn’t dare deny its chances. If Elden Ring is too close to release to get the win, then I think God of War Ragnarok ends up taking this one home.
