The New York Videogame Critics Circle announced its winners on Monday night, naming Astro Bot the 2024 Game of the Year. Sony and Team Asobi’s hit PS5 platformer also picked up honors for Best Music in a Game and Best Kids Game.
In December, Astro Bot picked up the same honor at The Game Awards, in what was one of the tighter races — and more interesting GOTY conversations — in recent memory. But in the end, the nostalgic energy of Astro Bot has galvanized critics groups small and large (The Game Awards also rely on a games media voter base) to agree that the game had the juice.
There is still a bit of runway when it comes to the GOTY awards season, and potential for a few surprises. The voting body of the BAFTA Games Awards has its fair share of critics, which could lead to another Astro Bot win, but has been known to split; for 2022 games, the Game Awards and NYVCC went Elden Ring, while the BAFTAs honored Vampire Survivor. The DICE Awards, announced out of GDC in February, will also give publishers, developers, and other members of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences a chance to name their GOTY (and it’s looking like Indiana Jones could break through).
Here is the full list of New York Videogame Critics Circle’s 2024 winners, which thankfully includes UFO 50 and Mouthwashing on top of some usual suspects. And hey, Polygon picked up an award! Head to our YouTube to watch Clayton Ashley and Simone De Rochefort’s award-winning documentary The Great Game: The Making of Spycraft or find it at the bottom of this page.
Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year
Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game
Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game
Statue of Liberty Award for Best World
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game
Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game
Troy Baker as Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best AR/VR Game
Central Park Children’s Zoo Award for Best Kids Game
A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game
Freedom Tower Award for Best Remake
Chumley’s Speakeasy Award for Best Hidden Gem
NYC GWB Award for Best DLC
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
Andrew Yoon Legend Award Recipient
Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism
Simone De Rochefort & Clayton Ashley for The Great Game: The Making of Spycraft
