At the 28th annual DICE Awards held in Las Vegas, Astro Bot emerged as the big winner by sweeping five accolades, including the prestigious Game of the Year. This event, a focal point of the DICE conference, often mirrors the outcomes of the Game Awards. Other noteworthy winners from that night were Helldivers 2, Balatro, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
A key topic of discussion was Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s performance at the DICE Awards, as it hadn’t qualified for the Game Awards due to a missed release deadline. MachineGames’ interpretation of the iconic archaeologist’s adventures resonated well, earning it titles like Adventure Game of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Story, and Outstanding Achievement in Character for Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones, akin to a performance award at DICE. This suggests that had it been released slightly earlier, it would have been a formidable contender at the Game Awards.
Astro Bot didn’t just clinch Game of the Year; it also won for animation, technical achievement, game design, and Family Game of the Year. Meanwhile, Sony’s Helldivers 2 took home awards in four different categories, including music, audio design, Action Game of the Year, and Online Game of the Year, bringing Sony’s total wins to an impressive nine out of 23.
The indie scene had its hero too: Balatro walked away with three awards, being celebrated in categories such as Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year, Mobile Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game. Additionally, Animal Well was recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction.
The DICE Awards stand out from the Game Awards with their voting process, as they are determined by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, an industry body modeled after the film industry’s Oscars. Despite this difference, they often reach similar conclusions as the Game Awards, having agreed on the Game of the Year in eight out of the last eleven occasions.
Looking ahead, the gaming awards circuit continues with the Game Developers Choice Awards scheduled for March 19, followed by the BAFTA Games Awards on April 8. This sequence of events reinforces the idea that, unlike the traditional awards season, the gaming industry tends to see its most significant awards distributed early in the year.
