Key Takeaways
Created with AI - we're still experimenting, so apologies if it misses the mark
- As of the latest Game of the Year (GOTY) award count, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 holds the second-highest position in all-time rankings with 332 awards, trailing only Elden Ring.
- Other notable games that have received considerable recognition include The Last of Us Part II (326 awards), Baldur’s Gate III (288 awards), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (281 awards), and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (264 awards).
- Ghost of Tsushima, with its iconic graphics on PS4 and world inspired by Akira Kurosawa, is a strong contender in the GOTY race, challenging top titles like Elden Ring and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
- The current ranking of games with the most GOTY awards ever features various open-world titles that are considered some of the top open-world games of all time, including Elden Ring, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Grand Theft Auto V.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Tops GOTY Race, Trailing Only Elden Ring
According to the latest global Game of the Year (GOTY) award count, Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has garnered 332 accolades, surpassing The Last of Us Part II (326) to secure the second-highest position in all-time rankings. The game now trails only Elden Ring, which leads with 435 GOTY awards. This places Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ahead of other acclaimed titles such as Baldur’s Gate III (288), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (281), and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (264). While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has achieved considerable recognition, it’s worth noting other games considered contenders for Game of the Year in recent years. Hollow Knight: Silksong won Game of the Year at the 2025 Steam Awards. In 2020, Supergiant Games’ Hades was also a strong contender, developed by a relatively small team of 16. The game features extensive dialogue, diverse character builds, and life-simulation elements.
Ghost of Tsushima Soars High in GOTY Ranking, Challenging Top Titles
That same year, some critics and players argued that Ghost of Tsushima deserved the Game of the Year award instead of The Last of Us Part II. Since its release, the game and its protagonist, Jin Sakai, have become iconic figures for PlayStation. Its graphics on the PS4 remain impressive, rivaled by few games, including its own sequel, and its world, inspired by Akira Kurosawa, can be experienced entirely in black and white. Here is the current ranking of games with the most GOTY awards ever: 1. Elden Ring (FromSoftware) — 435 2. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive) — 332 3. The Last of Us Part II (Naughty Dog) — 326 4. Baldur’s Gate III (Larian Studios) — 288 5. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt Red) — 281 6. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD) — 264 7. God of War (2018) (Santa Monica Studio) — 263 8. The Last of Us (Naughty Dog) — 257 9. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda) — 229 10. Astro Bot (Team Asobi) — 196 11. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (Naughty Dog) — 190 12. Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games) — 178
Top Open-World Titans of All Time Battle for GOTY
13. Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar Games) — 163 14. Dragon Age: Inquisition (BioWare) — 139 15. Death Stranding (Kojima Productions) — 118 16. God of War Ragnarok (Santa Monica Studio) — 118 17. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (Naughty Dog) — 115 18. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo EPD) — 114 19. Overwatch (Blizzard Entertainment) — 114 20. Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar Games) — 111 21. Mass Effect 2 (BioWare) — 102 Source: \[Text source]
In Case You Missed It
In an unexpected turn of events, Matt Firor, the lead developer of The Elder Scrolls Online, has parted ways with ZeniMax Online Studios due to disagreements over project cancellations, including his pet project, Project Blackbird, after nearly two decades with the studio (Jonathan Dubinski, 2026-01-02). Meanwhile, Xbox faced its toughest year yet in the UK market, with sales plummeting by an unprecedented 39% compared to the previous year, leaving the hardware giant caught off guard by a significant market shift (Marcus Thompson, 2026-01-04). Speaking of unexpected twists, Marcus Thompson’s latest article offers an intriguing peek behind the scenes at Sandfall Interactive, revealing how the development team underestimated their masterpiece, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Before its release, the team believed it would score just 80 on Metacritic, but it went on to achieve a remarkable 92, proving once again that expectations can often meet their match with reality (Marcus Thompson, 2026-01-02). Dive into these captivating stories here: “Elder Scrolls Online Leader Departs Due to Microsoft” Elder Scrolls Online Leader Departs Due to Microsoft, “Xbox Endures Historic Collapse in UK with Worst Annual Sales Ever” Xbox Endures Historic Collapse in UK with Worst Annual Sales Ever, and “Before Release, Sandfall Believed Clair Obscur Would Score Just 80 on Metacritic” Before Release, Sandfall Believed Clair Obscur Would Score Just 80 on Metacritic.
| Specification | |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Groove Coaster: Initial Initial Echo Ego |
| Brief Summary | Touhou Project music DLC for Groove CoasterTitle: Initial Initial Echo EgoArtist: RD-Sounds*Arrange from Touhou ShinreibyouDifficulty: Simple 2 / Normal 5 / Hard 8BPM: 156 |
| Genre | Music |
| Play Modes | Single player |
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Links to external sources for further reading
- The Steam 2025 GOTY Award Goes to Hollow Knight: Silksong, Beating Clair Obscur: Expedition 33The Steam 2025 GOTY Award Goes to Hollow Knight: Silksong, Beating Clair Obscur: Expedition 33gamerant.com
- https://thegamerznews.com/lifestyle/games-from-the-last-decade-that-deserved-goty/https://thegamerznews.com/lifestyle/games-from-the-last-decade-that-deserved-goty/thegamerznews.com