Welcome to the fifth BLAEO Game Awards!
We can’t pick the best games of 2022 without your help so please nominate your favourite games released in 2022* and make sure to return between December 24 and 31 to vote for your absolute favourites. Let’s see which games released this year were most loved by the BLAEO community!
The timeline for this event is as follows:
19 November - 23 December: Nomination phase
24 December - 31 December: Voting phase
31 December: The winners are announced
These are the proposed categories:
- Game of the Year
- Choices Matter
- Best Story
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game
- Best Free to Play Game
- Most Value for Money
- Best Game Under $20
- Best Addition to an Existing Series
- Most Addictive Game
- Prettiest Game
- Best Soundtrack
- Best DLC
- Best Early Access Game
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem
- Best Character
- Best Console Exclusive
- Best Mobile Game
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port
Nomination Phase
To nominate a game simply post a comment with a list of games you want to nominate in each category.
Please include games even if they have already been mentioned by other users. We might not be able to include every proposed game in the final vote and seeing how popular the games are will make it easier for us to make the final selection.
In a similar way we might not include all the categories in the final vote if there’s an obvious lack of interest/proposed games.
Guidelines for nominating games:
- * Only games released for the first time between 1 December 2021 and 30 November 2022 can be nominated.
- Remasters/remakes/ports can only be nominated in the "Best Remake/Remaster/Port" category. (For example: Lost Judgment and God of War can only be nominated in this category while God of War Ragnarök can be nominated in all other relevant categories.)
- Best DLC category: the DLC needs to have been released between 1 December 2021 and 30 November 2022 but the game can be older.
- Best Early Access Game category: added to EA between 1 December 2021 and 30 November 2022 or left EA between those dates.
- Games that are still in Early Access can only be nominated in the Best Early Access Game category.
Please use the following format when nominating games:
**- Game of the Year:**
**- Choices Matter:**
**- Best Story:**
**- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game:**
**- Best Free to Play Game:**
**- Most Value for Money:**
**- Best Game Under $20:**
**- Best Addition to an Existing Series:**
**- Most Addictive Game:**
**- Prettiest Game:**
**- Best Soundtrack:**
**- Best DLC:**
**- Best Early Access Game:**
**- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem:**
**- Best Character:**
**- Best Console Exclusive:**
**- Best Mobile Game:**
**- Best Remaster/Remake/Port:**
- Game of the Year: A Plague Tale: Requiem, God of War Ragnarök
- Choices Matter:
- Best Story: A Plague Tale: Requiem
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: The Jackbox Party Pack 9, Darktide
- Best Free to Play Game:
- Most Value for Money: Dorfromantik
- Best Game Under $20: Dorfromantik, Pupperazzi
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: A Plague Tale: Requiem, God of War Ragnarök
- Most Addictive Game: Dorfromantik
- Prettiest Game: A Plague Tale: Requiem, God of War Ragnarök
- Best Soundtrack:
- Best DLC:
- Best Early Access Game: Dorfromantik
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Pupperazzi, The Case of the Golden Idol
- Best Character:
- Best Console Exclusive: God of War Ragnarök
- Best Mobile Game:
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: God of War (PC port)
- Game of the Year: 1428: Shadows over Silesia, Dorfromantik
- Choices Matter: Synthetic Lover
- Best Story: 1428: Shadows over Silesia
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game:
- Best Free to Play Game:
- Most Value for Money:
- Best Game Under $20: Dorfromantik
- Best Addition to an Existing Series:
- Most Addictive Game: Dorfromantik
- Prettiest Game:
- Best Soundtrack: 1428: Shadows over Silesia
- Best DLC: Planet Zoo: Twilight Pack, Planet Zoo: Conservation Pack
- Best Early Access Game: Astral Ascent
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: 1428: Shadows over Silesia
- Best Character:
- Best Console Exclusive:
- Best Mobile Game:
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port:
- Game of the Year: Not For Broadcast, The Quarry
- Choices Matter: The Quarry, As Dusk Falls, Not For Broadcast
- Best Story: The Quarry
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game:
- Best Free to Play Game:
- Most Value for Money: Not For Broadcast
- Best Game Under $20: A Little to the Left
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: Submerged: Hidden Depths
- Most Addictive Game:
- Prettiest Game: Submerged: Hidden Depths
- Best Soundtrack: The Quarry
- Best DLC: Cozy Grove - New Neighbears DLC
- Best Early Access Game: Not For Broadcast
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem:
- Best Character: Laura Kearney (The Quarry)
- Best Console Exclusive:
- Best Mobile Game:
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: Live A Live
- Game of the Year:
- Choices Matter: Synthetic Lover
- Best Story:
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game:
- Best Free to Play Game:
- Most Value for Money:
- Best Game Under $20:
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: The Guild 3
- Most Addictive Game:
- Prettiest Game:
- Best Soundtrack:
- Best DLC:
- Best Early Access Game: Disney Dreamlight Valley, My Time At Sandrock
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Crimesight
- Best Character:
- Best Console Exclusive:
- Best Mobile Game:
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port:
- Game of the Year: Elden Ring
- Choices Matter: Strange Horticulture
- Best Story: Stray
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game:
- Best Free to Play Game:
- Most Value for Money: Vampire Survivors
- Best Game Under $20: Vampire Survivors
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: Supraland Six Inches Under
- Most Addictive Game: Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Prettiest Game: Chorus
- Best Soundtrack:
- Best DLC:
- Best Early Access Game: Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Chorus
- Best Character: Cat from Stray
- Best Console Exclusive:
- Best Mobile Game:
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: God of War port to PC
- Game of the Year: /
- Choices Matter: /
- Best Story: /
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: PlateUp!
- Best Free to Play Game: /
- Most Value for Money: Vampire Survivors
- Best Game Under $20: Vampire Survivors, Dorfromantik
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: 100 hidden turtles
- Most Addictive Game: Vampire Survivors, Dorfromantik
- Prettiest Game: Stray
- Best Soundtrack: /
- Best DLC: /
- Best Early Access Game: Vampire Survivors, Dorfromantik
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: /
- Best Character: /
- Best Console Exclusive: /
- Best Mobile Game: /
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: /
I have yet to play the new Jackbox so I might come to change my mind if I get to play it in time.
Edit: haven’t played Jackbox but played Stray so added that because pretty :3
So I got a feeling that you only really played 2 games
I don’t generally buy new games at all. I think I have a grand total of like 17 games released in 2022 and most of them are games that just went out of early access this year and are actually older. Out of those I played 10 of them and nominated 4.
- Game of the Year: Elden Ring
- Choices Matter: -
- Best Story: Pentiment
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
- Best Free to Play Game: MultiVersus
- Most Value for Money: Vampire Survivors
- Best Game Under $20: Cursed to Golf
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
- Most Addictive Game: Shovel Knight Dig
- Prettiest Game: Scorn
- Best Soundtrack: -
- Best DLC: -
- Best Early Access Game: Vampire Survivors
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Neon White
- Best Character: Guybrush from Return to Monkey Island
- Best Console Exclusive: -
- Best Mobile Game: -
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: God of War
- Game of the Year: Elden Ring
- Choices Matter:
- Best Story:
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game:
- Best Free to Play Game:
- Most Value for Money:
- Best Game Under $20:
- Best Addition to an Existing Series:
- Most Addictive Game: Elden Ring
- Prettiest Game: Elden Ring
- Best Soundtrack:
- Best DLC:
- Best Early Access Game: Hardspace: Shipbreaker
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem:
- Best Character:
- Best Console Exclusive:
- Best Mobile Game:
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port:
- Game of the Year: Strange Horticulture
- Choices Matter: Strange Horticulture, Citizen Sleeper
- Best Story: Strange Horticulture, Beacon Pines
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: PowerWash Simulator, Golden Light
- Best Free to Play Game: World Seed, How Fish is Made
- Most Value for Money: Vampire Survivors
- Best Game Under $20: Strange Horticulture
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Most Addictive Game: Vampire Survivors
- Prettiest Game: Strange Horticulture, Paradise Marsh, Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
- Best Soundtrack: Trombone Champ
- Best DLC: Let’s Build A Zoo: Dinosaur Island
- Best Early Access Game: Brotato, Boneraiser Minions, Rogue: Genesia, Peglin
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Paradise Marsh, Lost Nova, A Little to the Left, Trombone Champ, Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
- Best Character: Bunger - Bugsnax
- Best Console Exclusive:
- Best Mobile Game: Card Crawl Adventure
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: Persona 5 Royal, Makai Kingdom
I hope I’ve understood everything correctly, please let me know if not. Thank you!
- Game of the Year: Neon White, Cult of the Lamb, Stray, Ghostwire: Tokyo
- Choices Matter: The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes
- Best Story: Neon White, Stray
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: Grounded, Nobody Saves the World, We Were Here Forever
- Best Free to Play Game: —
- Most Value for Money: Vampire Survivors, Neon White
- Best Game Under $20: Vampire Survivors, Tinykin
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: —
- Most Addictive Game: Vampire Survivors
- Prettiest Game: Scorn, Stray, Cult of the Lamb
- Best Soundtrack: Neon White
- Best DLC: —
- Best Early Access Game: My Time at Sandrock, Slime Rancher 2
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Vampire Survivors, Neon White, Tinykin, SCP: Secret Files
- Best Character: Cat from Stray, Neon Violet from “Neon White”
- Best Console Exclusive: —
- Best Mobile Game: —
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: God of War (PC port)
- Game of the Year: —
- Choices Matter: As Dusk Falls, The Chronicles of Myrtana: Archolos
- Best Story: —
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: —
- Best Free to Play Game: Aperture Desk Job, The Chronicles of Myrtana: Archolos
- Most Value for Money: Last Call BBS
- Best Game Under $20: Last Call BBS
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: —
- Most Addictive Game: —
- Prettiest Game: —
- Best Soundtrack: —
- Best DLC: Dicey Dungeons Reunion, Lost Judgment: The Kaito Files
- Best Early Access Game: —
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: McPixel 3
- Best Character: —
- Best Console Exclusive: —
- Best Mobile Game: —
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: Lost Judgment, Judgment, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
Is The Chronicles of Myrtana: Archolos eligible for Free to Play, or for any awards at all? Technically it’s a mod for Gothic 2, but it’s pretty much a whole new game as it replaces the storyline and the world from the base game, and it is free by itself but it does require you to own Gothic 2 to play.
Did not play too many 2022 games. So a lot of categories still empty.
- Game of the Year: Shadow Tactics: Aiko’s Choice
- Choices Matter:
- Best Story: Shadow Tactics: Aiko’s Choice
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: Rescue Party: Live!
- Best Free to Play Game: Pixel Puzzles Ultimate Jigsaw, Steam Page says release in 2022, but the game just got a major update and somehow they managed to change the release date
- Most Value for Money:
- Best Game Under $20: Rescue Party: Live!
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: F1® 22
- Most Addictive Game:
- Prettiest Game:
- Best Soundtrack:
- Best DLC: American Truck Simulator - Montana
- Best Early Access Game:
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Rescue Party: Live!
- Best Character:
- Best Console Exclusive:
- Best Mobile Game:
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port:
- Game of the Year: Elden Ring
- Choices Matter: Hooked On You, Elden Ring
- Best Story: Hooked on You
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: Gundam Evolution, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
- Best Free to Play Game: Gundam Evolution, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
- Most Value for Money: Save Room, Elden Ring
- Best Game Under $20: Save Room
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: Hooked on You
- Most Addictive Game:
- Prettiest Game: Elden Ring
- Best Soundtrack: Elden Ring
- Best DLC: Resident Evil Village: Shadows Of Rose
- Best Early Access Game:
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem:
- Best Character: Spirit – Hooked On You, Trickster – Hooked on You
- Best Console Exclusive: God of War: Ragnarök, Pokémon Scarlet, Bayonetta 3
- Best Mobile Game:
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port:
- Game of the Year: ELDEN RING
- Choices Matter: Warpips
- Best Story: Steelrising
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: ELDEN RING, Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem, Prodeus
- Best Free to Play Game: Police Stories: The Academy
- Most Value for Money: ELDEN RING, Vampire Survivors
- Best Game Under $20: Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem, Postal: Brain Damaged, Warpips
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem, Postal: Brain Damaged
- Most Addictive Game: Vampire Survivors, ELDEN RING
- Prettiest Game: Scorn, Prodeus, ELDEN RING
- Best Soundtrack: Prodeus, ELDEN RING, POSTAL Brain Damaged
- Best DLC: Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem (Standalone expansion for Serious Sam 4), Shadow Tactics: Aiko’s Choice (Standalone expansion for Shadow Tactics)
- Best Early Access Game: Prodeus, Vampire Survivors
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Golden Light, Steelrising
- Best Character: Iron Fist Alexander - ELDEN RING, Aegis - Steelrising
- Best Console Exclusive: God of War: Ragnarök
- Best Mobile Game:
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port:
Good to have more options to slap in same genre, gives more variety. Though still slapping ELDEN RING and some others to several, as seemed like 10 games hit this timeline and actually all of them were rather good experiences. Would have V Rising and Forgive Me Father as last two options for unplayed titles. Last three certainly won’t have any chance to make any of the lists honestly, freebie Dissonance got to testing, but performance was from oblivion. RE Reverse and Mirror 2 won’t have for sure a chance, but think V Rising and Forgive Me Father could very well be good games to hit few options on the list. Didn’t play pair of titles (console), but drinking and talking with console owning friends is enough for that. Police Stories is freebie that haven’t yet go towards at, but pretty sure many have the Police Stories base game from HBC, so shout out to extra content for it is a solid option.
Looks like none of the 24 games I played in 2022 actually came out in 2022. One of the 24 came out in 2021 (Lake).
I did find two games in my library that came out in 2022: Save Room: Organization Puzzle and SPACE ACCIDENT. I guess I can add them to my Attack Plan, but I can’t imagine any of them will qualify for an award.
- Game of the Year: Dorfromantik
- Choices Matter: The Quarry
- Best Story: IMMORTALITY (XGP)
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: PowerWash Simulator
- Best Free to Play Game: Overwatch 2
- Most Value for Money: Roadwarden
- Best Game Under $20: Dorfromantik, PlateUp!
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me
- Most Addictive Game: PowerWash Simulator
- Prettiest Game: Scorn
- Best Soundtrack: -
- Best DLC: -
- Best Early Access Game: -
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Nightmare of Decay
- Best Character: -
- Best Console Exclusive: Bayonetta 3 (NSW)
- Best Mobile Game: POINPY
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: Marvel’s Spider-Man
As you can see I do not really play AAA games, so for GOTY I totally understand if there are other, better contestants - simply I just don’t have the energy to deal with them.
I think this year’s game releases were one of the better ones - I never played this many titles released in the year when I played them :D
I kinda want a “Biggest Suprise” category as well because I would give it to Overwatch 2 without a doubt - I am a long-time player, started in 2017 but I didn’t enjoy the game in the past 2 years at all, to be honest. But now, all my long-gone friends returned, the game is fun again, I can’t wait to see what do they have for the next season!
The Callisto Protocol is a title I can’t wait to release, maybe after I get my hands on it I’ll change my mind - but that’s unlikely ;)
Dorfromantik all the way to the top!
And for the end - if you want to get 5-6 hours of pure fun while you can’t really do anything else - install POINPY on your phone. Best mobile game I’ve ever played.
- Game of the Year: Sniper Elite 5
- Choices Matter: Not for Broadcast
- Best Story: Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: Sniper Elite 5
- Best Free to Play Game: Multiversus
- Most Value for Money: Supraland Six Inches Under
- Best Game Under $20: Stacklands
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: Supraland Six Inches Under, Sonic Frontiers
- Most Addictive Game: Stacklands
- Prettiest Game: Sniper Elite 5
- Best Soundtrack: A Plague Tale: REQUIEM
- Best DLC: Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course
- Best Early Access Game: Slime Rancher 2
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Stacklands
- Best Character: Kirby
- Best Console Exclusive: Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Best Mobile Game: Lucky Luna
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: Sonic Origins
I’ll be back to edit some more, just need to assess what games I’ve got on my consoles that released this year as well
- Game of the Year: Beacon Pines, Dorfromantik, Plague Tale Requiem
- Choices Matter: Citizen Sleeper, The Quarry
- Best Story: Beacon Pines
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game:
- Best Free to Play Game:
- Most Value for Money: Dorfromantik, Vampire Survivors
- Best Game Under $20: Dorfromantik, Stacklands, Strange Horticulture, Beacon Pines
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: Monster Prom 3: Monster Road Trip, Frog Detective 3
- Most Addictive Game: Dorfromantik, Vampire Survivors
- Prettiest Game: Beacon Pines, Stray
- Best Soundtrack:
- Best DLC:
- Best Early Access Game: Vampire Survivors, Dorfromantik (both out of EA this year so i’m not sure how you count it)
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Beacon Pines, Strange Horticulture, The Case of the Golden Idol
- Best Character:
- Best Console Exclusive:
- Best Mobile Game:
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: Judgment, Lost Judgment (PC ports)
- Game of the Year: Stray
- Choices Matter:
- Best Story: Stray
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: Propnight
- Best Free to Play Game: The Chronicles Of Myrtana: Archolos
- Most Value for Money: Vampire Survivors
- Best Game Under $20: Vampire Survivors, Warpips
- Best Addition to an Existing Series:
- Most Addictive Game:
- Prettiest Game: Stray
- Best Soundtrack: Metal: Hellsinger
- Best DLC: Lost Judgment: The Kaito Files, Shadow Tactics: Aiko’s Choice
- Best Early Access Game: Vampire Survivors, Hardspace: Shipbreaker
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Chorus, 1428: Shadows over Silesia
- Best Character: Cat from Stray
- Best Console Exclusive:
- Best Mobile Game:
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: Judgment, Lost Judgment, Persona 5 Royal (PC ports)
- Game of the Year: Elden Ring
- Choices Matter: Infernax, Citizen Sleeper
- Best Story: Beacon Pines, Citizen Sleeper
- Best Co-op/Multiplayer Game: The Jackbox Party Pack 9
- Best Free to Play Game:
- Most Value for Money:
- Best Game Under $20: Rogue Genesia, Vampire Survivors, Beacon Pines
- Best Addition to an Existing Series: Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County
- Most Addictive Game: Elden Ring, Rogue Genesia, Vampire Survivors
- Prettiest Game: Beacon Pines
- Best Soundtrack:
- Best DLC:
- Best Early Access Game: Rogue Genesia
- Best Underdog/Hidden Gem: Infernax
- Best Character:
- Best Console Exclusive:
- Best Mobile Game:
- Best Remaster/Remake/Port: The Judgment Collection (Judgment + Lost Judgment, PC port)