Year | Game | Recipient(s) | Developer(s) | Publisher(s) | Ref. |
2005/06 (3rd) | Psychonauts | Double Fine Productions | Majesco Entertainment | [2] |
24: The Game | SCE Studio Cambridge | Sony Computer Entertainment Europe |
Rogue Trooper | Rebellion Developments | Eidos Interactive |
Tomb Raider: Legend | Crystal Dynamics |
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion | Bethesda Game Studios | Bethesda Softworks |
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter | Ubisoft Paris | Ubisoft |
2006/07 (4th) | God of War II | Cory Barlog, James Barlog and Marianne Krawczyk | Santa Monica Studio | Sony Computer Entertainment | [3] |
Final Fantasy XII | Daisuke Watanabe, Miwa Shoda and Yasumi Matsuno | Square Enix |
Heavenly Sword | Tameem Antoniades, Rhianna Pratchett and Andrew S. Walsh | Ninja Theory | Sony Computer Entertainment |
Ōkami | Hideki Kamiya | Clover Studio | Capcom |
The Darkness | Denby Grace, Lars Johansson, Jerk Gustafsson | Starbreeze Studios | 2K Games |
The Simpsons Game | Matt Selman, Scot Amos | EA Redwood Shores | Electronic Arts |
2007/08 (5th) | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | Infinity Ward | Activision | [4][5] |
Assassin's Creed | Jade Raymond, Patrice Desilets, Claude Langlais | Ubisoft Montreal | Ubisoft |
Fable II | Lionhead Studios | Microsoft Game Studios |
Mass Effect | Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn, Derek Watts | BioWare |
Fallout 3 | Todd Howard, Emil Pagliarulo | Bethesda Game Studios | Bethesda Softworks |
Grand Theft Auto IV | Rockstar North | Rockstar Games |
2009 (6th) | Uncharted 2: Among Thieves | Naughty Dog | Sony Computer Entertainment | [6] |
Assassin's Creed II | Corey May, Joshua Rubin, Jeffrey Yohalem | Ubisoft Montréal | Ubisoft |
Batman: Arkham Asylum | Rocksteady Studios | Eidos Interactive and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment |
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – The Director's Cut | Charles Cecil, Neil Richards, Tony Warriner | Revolution Software | Ubisoft |
Brütal Legend | Tim Schafer | Double Fine Productions | Electronic Arts |
Dragon Age: Origins | Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, Mike Laidlaw | BioWare |
2010 (7th) | Heavy Rain | David Cage, Guillaume de Fondaumiere, Scott Johnson | Quantic Dream | Sony Computer Entertainment | [7] |
Alan Wake | Remedy Entertainment | Microsoft Game Studios |
BioShock 2 | Jordan Thomas, Zak McClendon | 2K Marin | 2K Games |
Call of Duty: Black Ops | Dave Anthony, Craig Houston | Treyarch | Activision |
Fallout: New Vegas | John Gonzalez, Eric Fenstermaker, Travis Stout | Obsidian Entertainment | Bethesda Softworks |
Mass Effect 2 | BioWare | Electronic Arts |
2011 (8th) | Portal 2 | Valve Corporation | [8] |
Batman: Arkham City | Rocksteady Studios | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment |
Deus Ex: Human Revolution | Jean-François Dugas, Marie DeMarle, James Swallow | Eidos-Montréal | Square Enix Europe |
L.A. Noire | Brendan McNamara | Team Bondi | Rockstar Games |
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Todd Howard | Bethesda Game Studios | Bethesda Softworks |
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception | Naughty Dog | Sony Computer Entertainment |
2012 (9th) | The Walking Dead | Telltale Games | [9] |
Journey | thatgamecompany | Sony Computer Entertainment |
Far Cry 3 | Jeffrey Yohalem, Lucien Soulban, Li Kuo | Ubisoft Montréal | Ubisoft |
Dishonored | Arkane Studios | Bethesda Softworks |
Mass Effect 3 | Mac Walters | BioWare | Electronic Arts |
Thomas Was Alone | Mike Bithell | Mike Bithell |
2013 (10th) | The Last of Us | Bruce Straley, Neil Druckmann | Naughty Dog | Sony Computer Entertainment | [10] |
The Stanley Parable | Galactic Cafe |
Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch | Akihiro Hino | Level-5 | Namco Bandai Games |
Grand Theft Auto V | Dan Houser, Rupert Humphries | Rockstar North | Rockstar Games |
Gone Home | Fullbright |
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons | Starbreeze Studios | 505 Games |
2014 (11th) | The Last of Us: Left Behind | Neil Druckmann | Naughty Dog | Sony Computer Entertainment Europe | [11][12] |
80 Days | Joseph Humfrey, Jon Ingold, Meg Jayanth | Inkle |
Broken Age | Tim Schafer | Double Fine Productions |
Far Cry 4 | Mark Thompson, Lucien Soulban, Li Kuo | Ubisoft Montréal | Ubisoft |
The Wolf Among Us | Telltale Games |
Never Alone (Kisima Inŋitchuŋa) | Upper One Games | E-Line Media |
2015 (12th) | Life Is Strange | Dontnod Entertainment | Square Enix Europe | [13][14] |
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture | The Chinese Room | Sony Computer Entertainment |
Until Dawn | Supermassive Games |
Her Story | Sam Barlow | Sam Barlow |
Undertale | Toby Fox |
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | CD Projekt Red | CD Projekt |
2016 (13th) | Inside | Arnt Jensen | Playdead | [15][16] |
Dishonored 2 | Arkane Studios | Bethesda Softworks |
Firewatch | Campo Santo | Panic |
Mafia III | Hangar 13 | 2K Games |
Oxenfree | Night School Studio |
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End | Neil Druckmann, Josh Scherr | Naughty Dog | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
2017 (14th) | Night in the Woods | Scott Benson, Alec Holowka, Bethany Hockenberry | Infinite Fall | Finji | [17] |
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice | Tameem Antoniades | Ninja Theory |
Horizon Zero Dawn | Guerrilla Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
Tacoma | Steve Gaynor, Karla Zimonia | Fullbright |
What Remains of Edith Finch | Giant Sparrow | Annapurna Interactive |
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus | Jens Matthies, Tommy Tordsson Björk, Tom Keegan | MachineGames | Bethesda Softworks |
2018 (15th) | God of War | Cory Barlog, Matt Sophos, Richard Zangrande Gaubert | Santa Monica Studio | Sony Interactive Entertainment | [18] |
Florence | Mountains | Annapurna Interactive |
Frostpunk | 11 bit studios |
Marvel's Spider-Man | Insomniac Games | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
Red Dead Redemption 2 | Dan Houser, Rupert Humphries, Michael Unsworth | Rockstar Games |
Return of the Obra Dinn | Lucas Pope | Lucas Pope |
2019 (16th) | Disco Elysium | ZA/UM | [19][20] |
Control | Remedy Entertainment | 505 Games |
Life Is Strange 2 | Dontnod Entertainment | Square Enix |
Outer Wilds | Mobius Digital | Annapurna Interactive |
The Outer Worlds | Obsidian Entertainment | Private Division |
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order | Aaron Contreras, Matt Michnovetz, Stig Asmussen | Respawn Entertainment | Electronic Arts |
2020 (17th) | Hades | Greg Kasavin | Supergiant Games | [21][22] |
Assassin's Creed Valhalla | Ubisoft Montreal | Ubisoft |
Cyberpunk 2077 | CD Projekt Red | CD Projekt |
Ghost of Tsushima | Nate Fox, Ian Ryan, Writing Team | Sucker Punch Productions | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Insomniac Games |
Kentucky Route Zero: TV Edition | Cardboard Computer | Annapurna Interactive |
2021 (18th) | Unpacking | Wren Brier, Tim Dawson, Annie VanderMeer | Witch Beam | Humble Bundle | [23][24] |
It Takes Two | Hazelight Studios | Electronic Arts |
Life Is Strange: True Colors | Deck Nine | Square Enix |
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy | Eidos-Montréal |
Psychonauts 2 | Tim Schafer | Double Fine | Xbox Game Studios |
Returnal | Housemarque | Sony Interactive Entertainment |
2023 (20th) | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios | [25] |
Alan Wake 2 | Remedy Entertainment | Epic Games |
Dredge | Joel Mason, Alex Ritchie, Nadia Thorne | Black Salt Games | Team17 |
Final Fantasy XVI | Kazutoyo Maehiro, Michael-Christopher Koji Fox | Square Enix Creative Business Unit III | Square Enix |
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Nintendo EPD | Nintendo |
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | Respawn Entertainment | Electronic Arts |