Games From The Last Decade That Deserved GOTY

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Choosing the “Game of the Year” always sparks a lot of discussion as the year ends and gaming awards season begins. The most prominent awards show is The Game Awards, hosted by Geoff Keighley. Although relatively new, the show’s top prize – Game of the Year – is highly sought after. Winning can significantly boost a game’s popularity and sales, especially during the important holiday season.

Ultimately, only one game can win Game of the Year, which always leaves room for debate. Each year, many games feel like they deserved the award but didn’t quite get it. While some have stronger arguments than others, the following titles were all serious contenders and came very close to winning.

Let’s be clear: we’re not suggesting these games should have won Game of the Year instead of the actual winners. This is simply a list of games that were equally deserving of the award if they had won.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Lost To God Of War

Despite its online component not becoming as popular as GTA Online, the fact that Red Dead Redemption 2 remains widely played for so long is remarkable. It’s true the game features a huge open world that expands even further after you finish the story, offering plenty to do, but it’s still primarily a single-player experience.

Right now, before the release of GTA 6, Red Dead Redemption 2 remains Rockstar’s greatest achievement. Arthur Morgan’s emotional story, the incredibly realistic depiction of the Wild West, and the game’s detailed world and combat still haven’t been surpassed, even on newer consoles. While God of War was a huge surprise in 2018 (many expected RDR 2 to be good, but not that good), looking back, Red Dead Redemption 2 is likely the more cherished game by players.

Bloodborne

Lost To The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Since 2009, when they released Demon’s Souls, FromSoftware has consistently created excellent games. This is an impressive accomplishment for any game developer, but especially for the studio that essentially created the Soulslike genre. While they’ve earned Game of the Year awards for titles like Sekiro and Elden Ring, many fans believe their masterpiece, Bloodborne, was unfairly overlooked.

It’s no shame to be overshadowed by The Witcher 3; that game is still a classic and one of the best open-world RPGs around. However, no FromSoftware game has sparked as much demand from players for more content – whether it’s a sequel, a remake, or even just a performance upgrade – as Bloodborne. While The Witcher 3‘s popularity has cooled off since its release in 2016, the excitement for Bloodborne hasn’t diminished. Plus, it’s widely considered one of the greatest action RPGs of all time and a uniquely brilliant take on Lovecraftian horror in video games.

Super Mario Odyssey

Lost To The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

2016 was a fantastic year for Nintendo, with the release of two incredibly popular and highly-regarded games: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. Breath of the Wild completely reimagined the Legend of Zelda series and set a new standard for open-world games. Super Mario Odyssey is widely considered to be one of the greatest 3D platforming games ever made.

Choosing between these two games for Game of the Year is impossible, and while Breath of the Wild clearly changed gaming, it’s a shame Super Mario Odyssey didn’t get the win. Odyssey’s unique hat ability, letting Mario take control of almost anything in the world, created an incredible level of freedom and creativity in a platformer. Mario games are consistently great, but Odyssey went above and beyond, surpassing even the high standards of the series. Ultimately, both games were exceptional, and only one could be named the best.

Alan Wake 2

Lost To Baldur’s Gate 3

Look, I’m a huge fan of Alan Wake 2, and it’s honestly a little unfair that it was competing for Game of the Year against something as massive as Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s a really unique and special game, and in almost any other year, I think it would have easily won. But BG3 was just that good, and it made it a tough fight for Alan Wake 2, even though it totally deserved a shot.

Despite not being able to surpass one of the greatest games of all time, Alan Wake 2 is still a fantastic achievement for Remedy Entertainment and a strong contender for Game of the Year. The sequel to a beloved 2010 title, it cleverly integrates live-action video – something that often doesn’t work well in games – and uses it to create a truly memorable experience, especially in the standout level, “We Sing.” Beyond its innovative presentation, the game masterfully combines the tension of survival horror with a surreal and artistic style. It also continues to build upon the intriguing Remedy Connected Universe, a rare example of a shared story across multiple games.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Lost To Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Like Alan Wake 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong would have been a strong contender for Game of the Year in most years. However, it faced incredibly stiff competition from a truly exceptional game. Clair Obscur was a deserving winner, but that doesn’t diminish how impressive Silksong is as an achievement.

After nearly six years of intense anticipation, this game not only lived up to the hype but surpassed it. Considering it was developed by a small team of just three people, and that their previous game is already a beloved indie classic, its success is truly remarkable. Silksong is a phenomenal game, boasting flawless combat, captivating exploration, and a compelling story anchored by a fantastic protagonist. While it ultimately lost Game of the Year to Clair Obscur, it was equally deserving of the award.

Persona 5

Lost To The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

Looking back, 2016 was an incredible year for video games. While Persona 5 didn’t have the support of Nintendo like Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey, it was created by Atlus, a highly-regarded Japanese RPG developer. The Persona series already had a dedicated fanbase, and the trailers for this game built a lot of excitement with its striking visuals and memorable music.

Honestly, Persona 5 completely exceeded my expectations. It’s not just the best JRPG of the last few years – it’s easily one of the best ever. You know how cool the trailers looked? That style is everywhere in the game, in every little detail, from conversations to battles, even just browsing the shops or pausing the game. And the music? Forget about it – it’s an amazing mix of jazz, rock, and chill beats that gets stuck in your head. Everything – the story, the characters, how the game looks – is just incredible. It was competing with a massive game like Breath of the Wild, but Persona 5 absolutely deserved a Game of the Year award, no question.

Control

Lost To Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Remedy Entertainment has often been overlooked at The Game Awards. While losing to Baldur’s Gate 3 in 2023 was disappointing, it likely wasn’t as tough to accept as their 2019 loss to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Sekiro is an excellent game, but the difference in quality between it and Remedy’s Control felt smaller than the gap between Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2. Control stands out as a particularly original game, taking place in the bizarre and ever-shifting Oldest House, headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Control.

Throughout the game, the Oldest House is a constantly changing environment, with its corridors rearranging and new areas opening up as you advance. Heavily inspired by the SCP Foundation – a collaborative online horror writing project – Control stands out as a truly unique AAA game. It boasts fantastic combat and some of the most satisfying flying mechanics you’ll find in any game. Though its gameplay might not quite reach the heights of Sekiro, its story and graphics are just as impressive, and it’s even more creatively ambitious.

Ghost Of Tsushima

Lost To The Last Of Us Part 2

The debate over Game of the Year is always lively, and despite the acclaim for The Last of Us Part 2, many fans passionately believed Ghost of Tsushima was more deserving. There’s a good case to be made for both games. While The Last of Us Part 2 is a tightly focused, story-driven, and often dark experience, Ghost of Tsushima offers a beautiful open world, exciting action, and a more hopeful narrative inspired by classic Japanese films. The influence of Akira Kurosawa is so strong that the game even includes a black-and-white mode and a location named in his honor.

While Ghost of Tsushima might not have had quite the same cultural impact as The Last of Us Part 2 (very few games do!), it was still a remarkable achievement. As a completely new game, it was stunning to look at and offered a fascinating glimpse into history. Since its release, Jin Sakai has become a popular face for PlayStation, and the game’s graphics – especially considering it was originally on the PS4 – remain among the best in the industry. Many believe Ghost of Tsushima deserved Game of the Year in 2020, and it was a serious contender until the very end.

Hades

Lost To The Last Of Us Part 2

While discussions often center on The Last of Us and Ghost of Tsushima, Hades, the brilliantly crafted roguelite from Supergiant Games, was also a strong contender for Game of the Year in 2020—and many would argue it deserved to win. Although roguelites were already becoming popular, Hades elevated the genre with its unique style, incredible polish, and meticulous attention to detail.

Look, I’m always blown away when I play indie games, and Hades is a perfect example. We’re used to massive teams working on games like Ghost of Tsushima or The Last of Us, but Hades was made by only 16 people! Seriously, the amount of stuff packed into this game is insane. There’s just so much dialogue, tons of different ways to build your character, and this surprisingly chill life-sim thing happening between each run – you can even romance characters and build up the hub world a bit. Honestly, this level of content would be amazing coming from a big studio, but for a tiny indie team like Supergiant to pull it off? It’s incredible and totally deserves Game of the Year, in my opinion.

Balatro

Lost To Astro Bot

Few predicted the incredible success of Balatro. Unlike Hades, which was created by an experienced developer, Balatro is the first game from solo Canadian developer LocalThunk, and it’s become a global phenomenon. It’s hard to show in screenshots, but the game is basically poker with special abilities. You start with a normal deck of cards, but quickly things get crazy as you add modifiers, powerful Joker cards, and manipulate the deck – adding cards or changing their suits – leading to increasingly wild and exciting hands.

Astro Bot is a truly excellent 3D platformer, full of charm and surprising moments – it absolutely deserves to be considered Game of the Year. However, while it’s fantastic, it doesn’t quite reach the addictive quality or originality of Balatro. Balatro also captured the gaming world’s attention in a way Astro Bot didn’t. Even though players have largely figured out Balatro’s core mechanics, it’s still incredibly enjoyable to play. It would have been a heartwarming win for Balatro, especially given that there wasn’t a single standout game this year.

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2026-01-04 02:37