Archive
Each year has nominees, a winner, critic labels, and a full yearly review story.
Open interactive GOTY archiveChrono Trigger won our 1995 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ahmad, Morteza, Faride
Nominees: Chrono Trigger, Command & Conquer, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Full Throttle, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, Rayman
Resident Evil won our 1996 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Morteza, Ehsan, Ahmad
Nominees: Resident Evil, Crash Bandicoot, Diablo, Metal Slug, Nights into Dreams, Pokemon Red and Green
Final Fantasy VII won our 1997 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Morteza, Faride, Ehsan
Nominees: Final Fantasy VII, Age of Empires, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Fallout, GoldenEye 007, Gran Turismo
Half-Life won our 1998 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ahmad, Morteza, Faride
Nominees: Half-Life, Baldur's Gate, Banjo-Kazooie, Grim Fandango, Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2
Silent Hill won our 1999 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ahmad, Morteza, Faride
Nominees: Silent Hill, Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings, Final Fantasy VIII, Medal of Honor, Planescape: Torment, Shenmue
Deus Ex won our 2000 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ahmad, Faride, Morteza
Nominees: Deus Ex, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, Counter-Strike, Diablo II, Perfect Dark, Skies of Arcadia
Silent Hill 2 won our 2001 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ahmad, Morteza, Faride
Nominees: Silent Hill 2, Advance Wars, Devil May Cry, Final Fantasy X, Grand Theft Auto III, Halo: Combat Evolved
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind won our 2002 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ahmad, Morteza, Ehsan
Nominees: The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Battlefield 1942, Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Kingdom Hearts, Metroid Prime
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic won our 2003 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Morteza, Faride, Ehsan
Nominees: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Beyond Good & Evil, Call of Duty, F-Zero GX, Jak II, Mario Kart: Double Dash
Half-Life 2 won our 2004 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ahmad, Morteza, Faride
Nominees: Half-Life 2, Burnout 3: Takedown, Doom 3, Far Cry, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Halo 2
Resident Evil 4 won our 2005 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Morteza, Ahmad, Faride
Nominees: Resident Evil 4, Battlefield 2, Call of Duty 2, Forza Motorsport, God of War, Guitar Hero
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion won our 2006 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Morteza, Ehsan, Faride
Nominees: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Bully, Company of Heroes, Dead Rising, Final Fantasy XII, Gears of War
BioShock won our 2007 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ahmad, Morteza, Ehsan
Nominees: BioShock, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Crysis, Halo 3, Mass Effect
Grand Theft Auto IV won our 2008 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ehsan, Faride, Morteza
Nominees: Grand Theft Auto IV, Braid, Dead Space, Fable II, Fallout 3, Gears of War 2
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves won our 2009 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Faride, Morteza, Ehsan
Nominees: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Assassin's Creed II, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Bayonetta, Borderlands, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Red Dead Redemption won our 2010 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ehsan, Ahmad, Faride
Nominees: Red Dead Redemption, Alan Wake, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Fallout: New Vegas, God of War III, Heavy Rain
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim won our 2011 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Morteza, Ehsan, Faride
Nominees: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Bastion, Batman: Arkham City, Dark Souls, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, L.A. Noire
Journey won our 2012 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Faride, Morteza, Ehsan
Nominees: Journey, Borderlands 2, Dishonored, Dragon's Dogma, Far Cry 3, Fez
The Last of Us won our 2013 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ehsan, Morteza, Ahmad
Nominees: The Last of Us, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, BioShock Infinite, Dota 2, Fire Emblem Awakening, Gone Home
Dragon Age: Inquisition won our 2014 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ahmad, Morteza, Faride
Nominees: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Alien: Isolation, Bayonetta 2, Dark Souls II, Destiny, Divinity: Original Sin
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt won our 2015 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Morteza, Ehsan, Faride
Nominees: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Bloodborne, Fallout 4, Life is Strange, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Ori and the Blind Forest
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End won our 2016 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Faride, Morteza, Ehsan
Nominees: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Dark Souls III, Dishonored 2, Doom, Inside, Overwatch
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild won our 2017 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Faride, Morteza, Ehsan
Nominees: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Cuphead, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Horizon Zero Dawn, Nier: Automata, Persona 5
God of War won our 2018 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Morteza, Ehsan, Ahmad
Nominees: God of War, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Celeste, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Into the Breach, Marvel's Spider-Man
Death Stranding won our 2019 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ehsan, Faride, Morteza
Nominees: Death Stranding, Apex Legends, Control, Devil May Cry 5, Disco Elysium, Fire Emblem: Three Houses
The Last of Us Part II won our 2020 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ehsan, Morteza, Faride
Nominees: The Last of Us Part II, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Doom Eternal, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Ghost of Tsushima, Hades
It Takes Two won our 2021 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Faride, Morteza, Ehsan
Nominees: It Takes Two, Deathloop, Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, Inscryption, Metroid Dread
God of War Ragnarok won our 2022 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Morteza, Ehsan, Faride
Nominees: God of War Ragnarok, A Plague Tale: Requiem, Elden Ring, Horizon Forbidden West, Immortality, Pentiment
Baldur's Gate 3 won our 2023 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Ahmad, Morteza, Faride
Nominees: Baldur's Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, Final Fantasy XVI, Hi-Fi Rush, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4
Astro Bot won our 2024 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Faride, Morteza, Ehsan
Nominees: Astro Bot, Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Helldivers 2
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won our 2025 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Morteza, Faride, Ehsan
Nominees: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Blue Prince, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Doom: The Dark Ages, Hades II
007 First Light won our 2026 vote because it best matched the panel's shared values: memorable identity, craft that still feels deliberate, and a reason to keep talking after the screen goes dark.
Chosen by: Faride, Morteza
Nominees: 007 First Light, Arknights: Endfield, Code Vein II, Grand Theft Auto VI, Pokemon Pokopia, Pragmata