What you need to know
- The BAFTA Games Awards are an annual British awards ceremony that honors outstanding achievements in the video game industry.
- Baldur's Gate 3 won the biggest award of the evening, while smaller titles like Hi-Fi Rush and Venba received accolades.
- Alan Wake 2 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder were also multiple award-winning titles for the evening.
It's that time of year again: the BAFTA Games Awards. It is a more stoic event than Jeff's Game Awards, but it is a favorite of mine because it often has some surprise winners. For example, it awarded the indie hit Vampire Survivors with Best Game in 2023. Nominations for 2024 across the categories included 10 nominations for Baldur's Gate 3—no surprise there—9 nominations for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and even 5 nominations for Hi-Fi Rush.
The winner this year was of no surprise, with a clean sweep of the best awards for Baldur's Gate 3 taking Best Game. Best Music and the Player's Choice award amongst others. Here's a run-through of the nominees and deserved winners, two of which you can play on Xbox Game Pass.
Debut Game Award
Nominees
- Cocoon
- Dave the Diver
- Dredge
- Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
- Venba
- Viewfinder
WINNER
- Venba
You can play Venba on Xbox Game Pass or purchase for $14.99 at Xbox
Audio Achievement
Nominees
- Alan Wake 2
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
- Hi-Fi Rush
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Star Wars: Jedi Survivor
WINNER
- Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 is currently $39.99 at Green Man Gaming and you can read our full Alan Wake 2 review.
Multiplayer Game
Nominees
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
- Diablo IV
- Forza Motorsport
- Party Animals
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
WINNER
- Super Mario Bros Wonder
Super Mario Bros Wonder was $59.99 now $69.99 at Amazon
EVOLVING GAME
Nominees
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Final Fantasy XVI Online
- Fortnite
- Forza Horizon 5
- Genshin Impact
- No Man’s Sky
WINNER
- Cyberpunk 2077
Available from GOG for $59.99 and you can check out our Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty reviews.
Game Design
Nominees
- Cocoon
- Dave the Diver
- Dredge
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Viewfinder
WINNER
- Dave the Diver
You can grab Dave the Diver for $19.99 at Green Man Gaming.
BRITISH GAME
Nominees
- Cassette Beasts
- Dead Island 2
- Disney Illusion Island
- Football Manager 2024
- Viewfinder
- Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin
WINNER
- Viewfinder
Viewfinder is currently $17.49 at Steam.
MULTIPLAYER
Nominees
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
- Diablo IV
- Forza Motorsport
- Party Animals
- Super Mario Bros Wonder
WINNER
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros Wonder was $59.99 now $69.99 at Amazon
Artistic Achievement
Nominees
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Cocoon
- Diablo IV
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Hi-Fi Rush
WINNER
- Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 is currently $39.99 at Green Man Gaming and you can read our full Alan Wake 2 review.
New Intellectual Property
Nominees
- Chants of Sennaar
- Dave the Diver
- Dredge
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Jusant
- Viewfinder
WINNER
- Viewfinder
Narrative
Nominees
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Dredge
- Final Fantasy XVI
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Star Wars: Jedi Survivor
WINNER
- Baldur's Gate 3
You can get Baldur's Gate 3 for $59.99 on GOG or $62.99 at Xbox. Check our our Baldur's Gate 3 review.
Supporting Role
Nominees
- Andrew Wincott - Raphael in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Debra Wilson - Cere Junda in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Ralph Ineson - Cidolfus “Cid” Telamon in Final Fantasy XVI
- Sam Lake - Alex Casey in Alan Wake 2
- Tony Todd - Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Tracy Wiles - Jaheira in Baldur’s Gate 3
WINNER
- Andrew Wincott - Raphael in Baldur’s Gate 3
You can get Baldur's Gate 3 for $59.99 on GOG or $62.99 at Xbox. Check our our Baldur's Gate 3 review.
Family
Nominees
- Cocoon
- Dave the Diver
- Disney Illusion Island
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Super Mario Bros Wonder
WINNER
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Players' Choice
Nominees
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Fortnite
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Lethal Company
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WINNER
- Baldur's Gate 3
You can get Baldur's Gate 3 for $59.99 on GOG or $62.99 at Xbox. Check our our Baldur's Gate 3 review.
Animation
Nominees
- Alan Wake 2
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Super Mario Bros Wonder
WINNER
- Hi-Fi Rush
Hi-Fi Rush is another Xbox Game Pass title, or you can grab at Fanatical for $16.79. Check out or Hi-Fi Rush review.
Music
Nominees
- Alan Wake 2
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WINNER
- Baldur's Gate 3 (Borislav Slavov)
You can get Baldur's Gate 3 for $59.99 on GOG or $62.99 at Xbox. Check our our Baldur's Gate 3 review.
Game beyond entertainment
Nominees
- Chants of Sennaar
- Goodbye Volcano High
- Tchia
- Terra Nil
- Thirsty Suitors
- Venba
WINNER
- Tchia
Tchia is currently $14.99 at Epic Games.
Technical Achievement
Nominees
- Alan Wake 2
- Final Fantasy XVI
- Horizon Call of the Mountain
- Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WINNER
- Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is currently on sale at Amazon, and you can grab it for $55.
Leading Role
Nominees
- Amelia Tyler - Narrator in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Cameron Monaghan - Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Nadji Jeter - Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Neil Newbon - Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Samantha Béart - Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3
- Yuri Lownenthals - Peter Parker in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WINNER
- Nadji Jeter - Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a PlayStation exclusive, and it's $69.99 at Amazon.
Best Game
Nominees
- Alan Wake 2
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Dave the Diver
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Super Mario Bros Wonder
WINNER
- Baldur's Gate 3
You can get Baldur's Gate 3 for $59.99 on GOG or $62.99 at Xbox. Check our our Baldur's Gate 3 review.
A celebration of games
I was hoping for a few surprises this evening, but let's face it, Baldur's Gate 3 is the deserved winner and at least for me, blew everything else out of the water in 2023, and I say that as a hot-bloodied Diablo 4 fan. It was nice to see both Hi-Fi Rush and Dave the Diver get awards, and I must admit I teared up a tad seeing Borislav Slavov emotionally accepting his award for the Baldur's Gate 3 soundtrack, something I still listen to often. It is possibly my favorite game soundtrack of all time.
This evening's focus was firmly on the games and the wonderful hearts and souls that make them, which is why the BAFTA Games Awards will always remain my favorite award ceremony. If you want to catch the full two-hour ceremony, it's available on YouTube.
