Giant Bomb Game of the Year 2021

Overview

Giant Bomb's Game of the Year Awards celebrates 2021's best and worst in the world of video games.

The site went through some major changes in 2021. As a result, the GOTY deliberations consisted of just five panelists for the first time since 2009. The amount of GOTY content was subsequently pared down from previous years as there were no video productions aside from the deliberation process.

• 2021 GOTY Hub

Deliberations

• Day One - Podcast - Video
• Day Two - Podcast - Video
• Day Three - Podcast - Video

The Awards

Game of the Year Chicory: A Colorful Tale Halo Infinite Psychonauts 2 Resident Evil Village Hitman 3 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Monster Hunter Rise Metroid Dread Death's Door Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

Letter of the Year J Runners-Up S K

Minecraft Presents: The Shaka Award for Chillest Game, Brah Chicory: A Colorful Tale Runners-Up Unpacking Forza Horizon 5

Best Timeloop Game Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye Runners-Up Deathloop The Forgotten City

Best Music Chicory: A Colorful Tale Runners-Up No More Heroes III Get in the Car, Loser!

Best Styyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyle No More Heroes III Runners-Up Cruelty Squad Solar Ash

Best-Looking Game Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Runners-Up Resident Evil Village Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Best Switch Game That Isn't on Switch (Yet) Wildermyth Runners-Up They Always Run Demeo

Most Disappointing Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy Runners-Up Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl WarioWare: Get It Together!

Staff Picks

Links in names go to each staff members' written breakdown.

Jeff Gerstmann Halo Infinite Axiom Verge 2 Cruelty Squad Metroid Dread Hitman 3 Forza Horizon 5 Babble Royale Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown Loop Hero

Jason Oestreicher Monster Hunter Rise Psychonauts 2 Inscryption Guilty Gear Strive Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Scarlet Nexus Forza Horizon 5 Demeo The Ascent Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Jan Ochoa Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Chicory: A Colorful Tale Halo Infinite Metroid Dread Pokémon Unite Inscryption Back 4 Blood Super Auto Pets Tales of Arise Hitman 3

Jeff Bakalar Psychonauts 2 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Resident Evil Village Death's Door Deathloop Godzilla Solar Ash Forza Horizon 5 The Mandalorian Phantom Abyss

Jess O'Brien Psychonauts 2 Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye Inscryption The Forgotten City Resident Evil Village Unpacking Cruelty Squad Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Chicory: A Colorful Tale New Pokémon Snap

Matt Rorie Halo Infinite Days Gone Deathloop (in no particular order)

Guest Lists

• Alex Boniello
• Alex Zandra
• Arcade Pit
• BAKOON
• Ben Pack
• Chris Tilton
• Cohen Edenfield
• Dan Ryckert
• David Galindo
• Drew Scanlon
• Erica Lahaie
• Evil Uno
• Giant Bomb Moderators
• Greg Kasavin
• Harris Foster
• Lena Raine
• Mary Kish
• Matt Shipman
• Mike Drucker
• Pat Baer
• Rich Gallup
• Samantha Kalman
• Slowbeef
• Steve Kim
• Super Eyepatch Wolf
• Will Smith
• Xavier Woods & Kenny Omega (and Adam Cole)

Community

• Voting
• Results

Inscryption Halo Infinite Psychonauts 2 Metroid Dread Deathloop Hitman 3 Resident Evil Village Forza Horizon 5 Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy