God of War Ragnarok and Elden Ring led the nominations and wins at the 2023 DICE Awards, which celebrate the very best of the games industry.
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) held the 26th annual DICE Awards in February 2023. The prestigious list included 12 major nominations for the award-sweeping God of War Ragnarok, as well as several accolades for blockbuster games including Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West.
Independent games like Immortality and NORCO were also nominated for DICE Awards, alongside beloved family-orientated hits Disney Dreamlight Valley, Kirby’s Dream Buffet, and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. There was even a nod for the highly amusing viral hit Trombone Champ, which was fantastic to see.
God of War Ragnarok ended up taking six total awards, earning Best Adventure Game, and awards for Art Direction, Animation, Character, Story, Audio Design, and Original Music. Elden Ring took out five total awards, including Outstanding Design, Technical Achievement, Game Direction, Role-Playing Game of the Year, and the overall Game of the Year.
The incredibly inventive Tunic earned the accolade of Best Independent Game, and fellow independent game OlliOlli World claimed Best Sports Game in a category filled with big-budget AAA titles. Marvel Snap took out the award for Best Mobile Game.
Finally, Tim Schafer of Double Fine Productions (Psychonauts 2, The Secret of Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, Full Throttle) was awarded with the AIAS Hall of Fame Award, for his impactful contributions to the medium for over 30 years.
Here’s every major DICE Awards nomination and winner for 2023, per AIAS and IGN.
DICE Awards 2023: All winners and nominations
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarok [WINNER]
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Moss: Book 2
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- God of War Ragnarok [WINNER]
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Stray
- The Callisto Protocol
Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – Alejandro Vargas / Alain Mesa
- God of War Ragnarok – Atreus / Sunny Suljic
- God of War Ragnarok – Kratos / Christopher Judge [WINNER]
- Horizon Forbidden West – Aloy / Ashley Burch
- Return to Monkey Island – Guybrush Threepwood / Dominic Armato
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- A Plague Tale: Requiem
- God of War Ragnarok [WINNER]
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Metal: Hellsinger
- Moss: Book 2
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
- A Plague Tale: Requiem
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- God of War Ragnarok [WINNER]
- Gotham Knights
- Somerville
Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Elden Ring
- God of War Ragnarok [WINNER]
- I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
- IMMORTALITY
- NORCO
Outstanding Technical Achievement
- A Plague Tale: Requiem
- Elden Ring [WINNER]
- God of War Ragnarok
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Teardown
Action Game of the Year
- Bayonetta 3
- Grounded
- Neon White
- Sifu
- Vampire Survivors [WINNER]
Adventure Game of the Year
- God of War Ragnarok [WINNER]
- Horizon Forbidden West
- NORCO
- Stray
- TUNIC
Family Game of the Year
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Kirby’s Dream Buffet
- Lost in Play
- Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope [WINNER]
- Trombone Champ
Fighting Game of the Year
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle R
- MultiVersus [WINNER]
- Rumbleverse
- SpiderHeck
- THE KING OF FIGHTERS XV
Racing Game of the Year
- F1 22
- Gran Turismo 7 [WINNER]
- Need for Speed Unbound
Role-Playing Game of the Year
- Citizen Sleeper
- Elden Ring [WINNER]
- Weird West
- World of Warcraft: Dragonflight
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Sports Game of the Year
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23
- Mario Strikers: Battle League
- MLB The Show 22
- NBA 2k23
- OlliOlli World [WINNER]
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- Dwarf Fortress [WINNER]
- IXION
- Marvel’s Midnight Suns
- Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
- Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Demonhunters
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
- Cosmonious High
- Moss: Book 2
- Red Matter 2 [WINNER]
- Tentatcular
- The Last Clockwinder
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
- Among Us VR
- Cosmonious High
- Moss Book II
- Red Matter 2 [WINNER]
- The Last Clockwinder
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
- IMMORTALITY
- Neon White
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
- TUNIC [WINNER]
- Vampire Survivors
Mobile Game of the Year
- Diablo Immortal
- Gibbon: Beyond the Trees
- IMMORTALITY
- MARVEL SNAP [WINNER]
- Poinpy
Online Game of the Year
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- EA SPORTS FIFA 23
- FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker [WINNER]
- MARVEL SNAP
- Rumbleverse
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Elden Ring [WINNER]
- God of War Ragnarok
- MARVEL SNAP
- TUNIC
- Vampire Survivors
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Elden Ring [WINNER]
- God of War Ragnarok
- Horizon Forbidden West
- IMMORTALITY
- TUNIC
Game of the Year
- Elden Ring [WINNER]
- God of War Ragnarok
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Stray
- Vampire Survivors