ResetEra Games of the Year Awards 2018

SweetNicole · Jan 20, 2019

OVERALL | GENRE | PLATFORM | CENSUS | DATA

Notes:

Big thanks to Muzy, BeardedMan01, Rösti, OneAndOnly, Hecht, ratrosaw and all of the site staff for assisting in this year's GOTY effort.
This year's trophy was designed and created by Rösti.
Thank you community for voting and commenting. ResetEra GOTY would not be successful without your participation and support.
2018 Voting Thread

Top 20 Games of 2018

1. God of War = 2351 points, 3 honorable mentions

Lead said:
A masterful reimagining of the franchise, God of War is beautiful, emotional, and fun to play. Kratos, once a character who was only serviceable, was given immense depth and development as a father to Atreus. The world-building of Norse Mythology was top-notch, and it was a joy to explore. Combat was just as good as the past games, and the Leviathan Axe is one of the most enjoyable weapons in gaming. Sony Santa Monica knocked it out of the park, and I can't wait for the sequel.

SirNinja said:
The measuring stick by which all gameplay-reboots will be measured going forward. It is at once a sequel and something extraordinarily new, and makes us care for a protagonist who was previously as one-dimensional and unsympathetic as things got. An incredible journey.

SunBroDave said:
Some games strive to tell a compelling story, and some games strive to create compelling gameplay. Few developers are able to accomplish even just one of these goals, but almost nobody is able to do both simultaneously. God of War 2018 not only does both, but is able to sustain them over an approx. 40-hour runtime that grips the player until its very last moment.

2. Marvel's Spider-Man = 1463 points, 4 honorable mentions

Knight613 said:
This is the dream Spider-Man game. As someone who has played almost every console Spider-Man game, this is easily the best one. They game knew who the characters were, didn't make them do things they probably wouldn't normally do, and wrote a story that was true to Spider-Man. Add in the fun webswinging and combat and it's easily one of the most enjoyable superhero games out there. The open world design may feel a little outdated, but traversing was fun enough that it wasn't a hindrance.

Samuel Tolbert said:
Insomniac Games and Spider-Man seemed like a match made in heaven and for the most part, they absolutely were. Awesome web-slinging, slick traversal and good combat met an incredibly well-portrayed and realistic cast. I think the marketing gave away too much about the villains and some of the side content is definitely filler, but the story is bold and goes to some surprising places.

3. Red Dead Redemption 2 = 1442 points, 6 honorable mentions

Necron said:
Meticulously slow and deliberately takes its time. The viciousness on display makes my stomach crawl but the landscapes and vistas are a joy to behold. The amount of detail and dynamic systems are one of a kind and push the boundaries of what an open-world can encompass, especially on a technical level. Arthur Morgan is my favourite character Rockstar has ever written. The story and his perspective on things are what won me over. There's so much great dialogue to be found here.

Namikaze1 said:
I can't remember the last time an open world had me so captivated that I spent hours just riding around, enjoying the view. Days would go by without making any progress with the game's story due to taking Arthur out hunting or simply exploring.

4. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate = 1082 points, 5 honorable mentions

Phantom Thief said:
You get exactly what it says on the tin: the ultimate Super Smash Bros. game. The fighting mechanics are polished to a sheen, and probably my favorite in the series yet, the roster is staggering, World of Light is surprisingly compelling, the included soundtrack is ridiculously great, it's just the most generous package in gaming I remember in a while.

Christo750 said:
There are a lot of reasons to look forward to a new Smash game but more than anything it always feels reflective of the years since the last one. Seeing the new characters, music, stages, trophies (or in this case Spirits) added; each new Smash game gives me a new perspective on Nintendo's history in a way that no other game does. That, and of course, it's the tightest controlling and best feeling Smash game ever.

5. Monster Hunter: World = 843 points, 3 honorable mentions

Courage said:
The successful streamlining of a series that once seemed impenetrable. Capcom finds a way to convince most people what makes Monster Hunter so thrilling by distilling what it's truly about: the gameplay loop of hunting monsters and crafting gear. It's an immensely rewarding game since everything in it requires some investment: learning a new weapon's moveset and your role with it, or adapting to a monster's behavior and exploiting its weakness thus being able to efficiently hunt them with optimized gear and equipment. There's always a sense of progression, even when you're hunting the same monsters. A game as a service done right.

YukICT said:
A huge evolution in visuals, massive QOL changes, more advanced A.I and physic additions to a game renowned for great combat for both solo and co-op experiences makes this one of the best games and a great foundation for future games.

6. Celeste = 833 points, 3 honorable mentions

CaviarMeths said:
My first gaming memory is playing Super Mario Bros. 3 at a babysitter's house and having such a strong emotional connection with it that it became one of my main hobbies for the next few decades. This year Celeste gave me the strongest emotional connection to a platformer since that time. The tight, well-designed gameplay and levels would have been enough, but what really completes the package is the meaningful story about depression and self-worth and one of the best soundtracks of the year giving it a fantastic atmosphere.

Whatislove said:
One of the best platformers ever made. The soundtrack is one of my favorites of all time and the gameplay is extremely tight and polished. The storyline was moving and personally impactful for me. I had an absolute blast from start to finish completing everything this game had to offer.

7. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age = 575 points, 2 honorable mentions

J_ToSaveTheDay said:
Dragon Quest XI has nostalgia-evocative gameplay design that feels elegant and streamlined compared to its JRPG peers thanks to its mostly unbending dedication to the series' legacy, feeling breezy and simple in many of the game's exploratory segments and demanding just enough attention and care to strategy in its most tense portions, this game feels classically paced and tempered. Its presentation relies on a vibrance that's not often matched in other games today, and it features a cast of characters that's so charming and mechanically synergetic that they carried my attention and emotional investment from start to finish in satisfying measure. This is a JRPG that feels masterful in evoking the type of tone and charm that got me into the genre as a young kid while wrapping itself in a modern presentation and resonant storytelling that's earned it a sure spot in my top 10 games of 2018!

Vexingsruzz said:
On the other end of the RPG spectrum, DQ11 plays it safe. However this game shows why DQ has stood the test of time. The battle system remains familiar, but with enough bells and whistles to keep things fresh. Each party member gets at least one good story beat and seeing Toriyma art in a gorgeous 3D world never gets old. Unfortunately, the chiptune music knocks it down a few pegs, but I still spent 100 hours beating everything. Easy recommendation for any fan new or old of turn based RPGs. Also, everyone should experience the flamboyant whirlwind that is Sylvando.

8. Astro Bot Rescue Mission = 520 points, 1 honorable mentions

joshcam19 said:
This game is incredible and though I enjoy 3D platformers they aren't my favorite genres of games. This game transcends the 3D platformer, the way that you can interact with the world and how perspective in this 3D world plays out is so amazing. You are constantly turning, straining, standing up, looking all around to see hidden surprises and collect items and coins which adds something that has never been in game like this. The game surprises throughout, they continue to add mechanics and introduce new environments. Also this game was clearly made with passion, the attention to detail is truly amazing. The animation, physics, water effects, particle effects and much more are amazing and don't get enough attention because the gameplay is so rock solid.

TheDarkKnight said:
The definitive VR experience. When PSVR launched and I played the Robot Rescue demo I hoped for a full game based on it and not only did they do it but made it one of the best platformers i've played in years. Every level is packed with charm, variety and creative ideas. Also the boss battles are some of the most fun i've had in the genre.

9. Assassin's Creed Odyssey = 459 points, 3 honorable mentions

Captain_Cold said:
After about 100 hours exploring Peloponnesian War-era Greece I'm still having a blast. All the systems come together to make for a extremely fun and fulfilling experience. And the story, combat, and new gameplay elements like choice-based dialog all make it feel more like the Witcher 3 or Horizon Zero Dawn than an Assassin's creed game, which is a good thing. The game is designed with the player experience in mind, with an extremely rewarding gameplay loop that never sacrifices fun for the sake of sim-like realism. It probably helps that I played this immediately after Red Dead 2, which is the exact opposite. Also, I love Kassandra.

Morrigan said:
I thought I'd have enough of Origins and I could wait before sinking my teeth into that one, but someone generously gifted me a key a few weeks back and... well, it devoured my life. This game is huge. A bit too much. But, well, its gameplay loop is addictive, its world is beautiful and intricately detailed, and it even has a pretty decent story too. And Kassandra is just that damn cool.

10. Detroit: Become Human = 436 points, 6 honorable mentions

shinobi602 said:
Quantic Dream continues to push the envelope in terms of the visuals achievable in a video game. While I had issues with the line delivery in some scenes and some conversations that felt a bit too on the nose, performances in general were incredibly well done. I was especially fond of Connor's development as a character and the relationship building between himself and the seasoned detective Hank (played by the masterful Clancy Brown). I found myself caring for the androids' freedom and ensuring their survival. I was thrown in to so many scenarios with hard decisions that I felt myself clam up, not sure of what to do next.

TheMechanicalWall said:
I grew up watching a lot of anime and playing games like Kingdom Hearts, stuff where the dialogue writing and internal consistency of the plot is often thrown to the wind. A literary critic would probably tear that kind of stuff to shreds, but while I can acknowledge those sorts of flaws, the themes of those works, and the raw emotion that they often convey, is often enough to win me over. That's what Detroit is like. Yes, there's ten billion plotholes and it's melodramatic as fuck. But I still fell in love with the characters and sympathized with their goals (even if I deliberately turned Connor into a villain just to see what would happen). It's also a shining example of branching story paths done right. This game was a rare case where I actually sought out other people's playthroughs just to see what could happen, and damn, there are just straight up entirely different scenarios depending on what you do. An entire chapter can just change in this game. I think the game deserves praise for at least that, if nothing else.

11. Into The Breach = 398 points, 0 honorable mentions

toythatkills said:
Wow. I don't know what I was expecting when I booted this for the first time, but it wasn't that I was about to play what might be the most tense, exciting puzzle game ever. It's just so perfectly designed. Every battle is so short that any amount of time you can play is enough to get something done. Every battle is so long that you can go from victory to defeat with a single mistake. It just gives you so much to consider in every single turn, but such basic goals. It gives you so many options and different techniques to gain victory but they boil down so simply that you could explain them to a child. You can play perfect games and feel like a god. You can scrape through every fight by the skin of your teeth and feel like a god. You can die painfully and it's always your fault, you should have been a better god. It's everything and it's nothing, but mostly it's everything. I love Into the Breach.

12. Octopath Traveler = 383 points, 3 honorable mentions

AleeN634 said:
Time and time again, there's a part of me that wants to go back and play an old style jrpg like the old 16-bit era Super Nintendo games of my youth. Square Enix (after trying Bravely Default on the 3DS) finally returns with a console-ish game and boy does it deliver. Octopath Traveler feels and plays almost exactly like a game from that era. From old school turn based combat to environments and sprites that look straight out of a Super Nintendo. Add on top a soundtrack that matches the quality of early Final Fantasy games and this game is a must play for any old school jrpg fan. If the game stumbles in one area, its that the characters don't crossover as much as I'd like and not every story grabs my attention equally. Yet, Octopath Traveler is still something that fills the void for an era that modern jrpgs have long left behind.

13. Tetris Effect = 349 points, 3 honorable mentions

AniHawk said:
"Every passing day the winds blow in stronger Til they light the way to keep the reminder." Who knew that combining gameplay with music the way Tetris Effect does it would be the first time anyone could consider video games art? But seriously, the way Tetris Effect works is not just to have different music playing over Tetris. It's craft. It's using as many senses as possible to provide a singular experience: The sound of the music, and the effects of the blocks rotating and dropping; the visuals in the background and on the Tetris screen to provide a feeling of heat, serenity, or adventure; the way rumble effect lets you feel the song; and how each track is accompanied by changing speeds to engage the player further. There's different modes, and ways to improve your high score by locking in blocks or entering 'the zone', but it's all a bonus to the beauty of the core game design.

14. Hitman 2 = 338 points, 1 honorable mentions

Roarer said:
There is a way to finish the first mission of Hitman 2 by exiting the map while wearing the big pink flamingo mascot costume. You need the find a helipad and a bird nest with some eggs in it. Crouch down and Agent 47, an ice cold killer on a serious mission, will fly off the screen in his stupid flamingo suit, flapping his arms in the air. Hitman 2 is a fantastic game.

15. Dead Cells = 317 points, 5 honorable mentions

Mushroomer25 said:
If boiled down to pure mechanics, it'd be hard to beat Dead Cells as the best 'game-ass game' on 2018. Motion Twin's roguelike is a stellar example of how to turn tight controls, simple systems, and light procedure generation into seemingly infinite hours of excitement and thrill - with a damn high skill cap.

16. Forza Horizon 4 = 296 points, 3 honorable mentions

Apenheul said:
Forza Horizon 4 is ridiculously good, ambitious, beautiful, feature-rich and above all: fun. It's without a doubt my favorite racing game this generation because it caters to multiple play styles with its many events and you never run out of cars to try and events to do. For me Playground Games is now the developer to beat.

17. Return of the Obra Dinn = 287 points, 4 honorable mentions

Wozzer said:
The game came out of nowhere and absolutely floored me. I had little idea what to expect going into this highly praised indie title, and was instantly hooked as the unique detective plot and gameplay loop began to unravel before me. Struggling to put the game down once I started, uncovering all the games secrets was a joy from start to finish. The perfect length, depth and complexity has the game as one of the most satisfying of the year.

18. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life = 196 points, 5 honorable mentions

SxP said:
A beautiful send-off for Kazuma Kiryu. I spent the first couple of hours marveling at what the new engine could do. All the interiors and the seamless transitions really make the world come alive and feel more real than ever before. Couple that with the first person mode and I was floored. The story and characters (mostly) show they've really turned a page since 0. Onomichi and the characters that inhibit it are some of the best characters in the series and they elevate the story to great heights.

19. Dragon Ball FighterZ = 191 points, 1 honorable mentions

Odoru said:
As a huge Dragonball fan but someone who has typically shied away from fighting games, I was both excited and skeptical about this one. Thankfully under the fantastic Dragonball aesthetic there's a very accessible game for newcomers, while still having the deep intricacies for fighting game fans. Hundreds of hours later it's my most played game of the year, my wife bought me a fight stick for Christmas, and I now know what oki means. It's been an incredible gateway to a genre I never knew I wanted a part of, and I look forward to playing it throughout 2019 as well.

20. Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! = 172 points, 2 honorable mentions

JakeNoseIt said:
Pokemon Let's Go is a perfect, updated remake of Yellow because it's trying to achieve the same goals that game did. It's welcoming new players with open arms and supplying them with the means to go on the Pokemon adventure that they want to go on. For me, this is the definitive version of Kanto.

SweetNicole · Jan 20, 2019

OVERALL | GENRE | PLATFORM | CENSUS | DATA

Genre Awards

Best Action Game: Celeste = 833 points, 3 honorable mentions
2. Astro Bot Rescue Mission = 520 points, 1 honorable mentions
3. Hitman 2 = 338 points, 1 honorable mentions
4. Mega Man 11 = 87 points, 2 honorable mentions
5. Iconoclasts = 83 points, 2 honorable mentions
6. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon = 74 points, 10 honorable mentions
7. A Way Out = 73 points, 3 honorable mentions
8. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze = 70 points, 1 honorable mentions
9. The Messenger = 56 points, 4 honorable mentions
10. Minit = 51 points, 3 honorable mentions

Best Action-Adventure Game: God of War = 2351 points, 3 honorable mentions
2. Marvel's Spider-Man = 1463 points, 4 honorable mentions
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 = 1442 points, 6 honorable mentions
4. Monster Hunter: World = 843 points, 3 honorable mentions
5. Hollow Knight = 512 points, 6 honorable mentions
6. Assassin's Creed Odyssey = 459 points, 3 honorable mentions
7. shadow of the colossus = 380 points, 7 honorable mentions
8. Dead Cells = 317 points, 5 honorable mentions
9. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life = 196 points, 5 honorable mentions
10. Yakuza Kiwami 2 = 187 points, 4 honorable mentions

Best Adventure Game: Detroit: Become Human = 436 points, 6 honorable mentions
2. Gris = 83 points, 3 honorable mentions
3. 428: Shibuya Scramble = 58 points, 1 honorable mentions
4. Wandersong = 39 points, 1 honorable mentions
5. Life is Strange 2 Episode 1 = 35 points, 2 honorable mentions
6. Unavowed = 34 points, 0 honorable mentions
7. Shenmue I & II = 30 points, 1 honorable mentions
8. Night in the Woods = 20 points, 0 honorable mentions
9. The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit = 17 points, 4 honorable mentions
10. Chuchel = 15 points, 0 honorable mentions

Best RPG Game: Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age = 575 points, 2 honorable mentions
2. Octopath Traveler = 383 points, 3 honorable mentions
3. Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! = 172 points, 2 honorable mentions
4. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna The Golden Country = 154 points, 1 honorable mentions
5. Deltarune Chapter 1 = 121 points, 3 honorable mentions
6. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire = 90 points, 0 honorable mentions
7. Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom = 89 points, 4 honorable mentions
8. DARK SOULS: REMASTERED = 88 points, 1 honorable mentions
9. Kingdom Come: Deliverance = 70 points, 1 honorable mentions
10. Vampyr - 61 pts

Best Horror Game: The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories = 68 points, 0 honorable mentions
2. State of Decay 2 = 20 points, 0 honorable mentions
3. Paratopic = 11 points, 1 honorable mentions
4. The Persistence = 6 points, 1 honorable mentions
5. The Forest = 4 points, 0 honorable mentions
6. Hollow = 3 points, 0 honorable mentions
7. Little Nightmares = 3 points, 0 honorable mentions
8. Lost in Vivo = 2 points, 0 honorable mentions
9. Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game = 2 points, 1 honorable mentions
10. Bendy and the Ink Machine = 1 points, 0 honorable mentions

Best Puzzle Game: Tetris Effect = 349 points, 3 honorable mentions
2. Return of the Obra Dinn = 287 points, 4 honorable mentions
3. Donut County = 81 points, 7 honorable mentions
4. Exapunks = 25 points, 1 honorable mentions
5. LUMINES REMASTERED = 16 points, 2 honorable mentions
6. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker = 14 points, 2 honorable mentions
7. Gorogoa = 10 points, 0 honorable mentions
8. Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido = 10 points, 3 honorable mentions
9. Marble It Up! = 7 points, 0 honorable mentions
10. Picross S2 = 4 points, 1 honorable mentions

Best Fighting Game: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate = 1082 points, 5 honorable mentions
2. Dragon Ball FighterZ = 191 points, 1 honorable mentions
3. Soulcalibur VI = 78 points, 4 honorable mentions
4. Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition = 19 points, 0 honorable mentions
5. BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle = 15 points, 1 honorable mentions
6. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection = 10 points, 1 honorable mentions
7. Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] = 5 points, 0 honorable mentions
8. Fighting EX Layer = 5 points, 0 honorable mentions
9. Dissidia Final Fantasy NT = 5 points, 0 honorable mentions
10. My Hero: One's Justice = 3 points, 0 honorable mentions

Best Shooter Game: Far Cry 5 = 102 points, 5 honorable mentions
2. Destiny 2: Forsaken = 97 points, 0 honorable mentions
3. Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion = 96 points, 1 honorable mentions
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 = 94 points, 1 honorable mentions
5. Fortnite Battle Royale = 74 points, 3 honorable mentions
6. Battlefield v = 73 points, 0 honorable mentions
7. Dusk = 59 points, 0 honorable mentions
8. Prey: Mooncrash = 23 points, 0 honorable mentions
9. PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds = 15 points, 1 honorable mentions
10. Firewall: Zero Hour = 12 points, 1 honorable mentions

Best Sports Game: Mario Tennis Aces = 40 points, 1 honorable mentions
2. MLB: The Show 18 = 9 points, 0 honorable mentions
3. NBA 2K19 = 8 points, 0 honorable mentions
4. Super Mega Baseball 2 = 7 points, 1 honorable mentions
5. FIFA 19 = 6 points, 0 honorable mentions
6. PES 2019 = 4 points, 0 honorable mentions
7. Creed: Rise to Glory = 2 points, 0 honorable mentions
8. Madden NFL 19 = 1 points, 0 honorable mentions
9. NHL 19 = 1 points, 0 honorable mentions
10. PANGYA Mobile = 1 points, 0 honorable mentions

Best Strategy Game: Into The Breach = 398 points, 0 honorable mentions
2. Valkyria Chronicles 4 = 145 points, 3 honorable mentions
3. Battletech = 63 points, 0 honorable mentions
4. The Banner Saga 3 = 29 points, 0 honorable mentions
5. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden = 27 points, 0 honorable mentions
6. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: Donkey Kong Adventure = 19 points, 0 honorable mentions
7. Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Rise and Fall = 13 points, 0 honorable mentions
8. Kingdom: Two Crowns = 9 points, 0 honorable mentions
9. Surviving Mars = 9 points, 0 honorable mentions
10. Sid Meier's Civilization VI = 8 points, 0 honorable mentions

Best Racing Game: Forza Horizon 4 = 296 points, 3 honorable mentions
2. Onrush = 31 points, 2 honorable mentions
3. Burnout Paradise Remastered = 16 points, 1 honorable mentions
4. Wipeout Omega Collection = 11 points, 2 honorable mentions
5. Wreckfest = 8 points, 0 honorable mentions
6. F1 2018 = 5 points, 0 honorable mentions
7. The Crew 2 = 4 points, 0 honorable mentions
8. Distance = 4 points, 0 honorable mentions
9. BallisticNG = 2 points, 1 honorable mentions
10. Rush = 2 points, 1 honorable mentions

Best Party, Rhythm, Board, And Card Game: Beat Saber = 113 points, 2 honorable mentions
2. Super Mario Party = 50 points, 2 honorable mentions
3. Magic: the Gathering Arena = 49 points, 0 honorable mentions
4. WarioWare Gold = 46 points, 2 honorable mentions
5. Overcooked 2 = 30 points, 4 honorable mentions
6. Artifact = 24 points, 1 honorable mentions
7. Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight = 15 points, 0 honorable mentions
8. Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight = 15 points, 1 honorable mentions
9. Nintendo Labo = 11 points, 1 honorable mentions
10. DJMax Respect = 8 points, 0 honorable mentions

Best Simulator: Frostpunk = 38 points, 0 honorable mentions
2. Two Point Hospital = 34 points, 1 honorable mentions
3. Rimworld = 21 points, 0 honorable mentions
4. Parkitect = 20 points, 0 honorable mentions
5. Cultist Simulator = 14 points, 2 honorable mentions
6. Football Manager 2019 = 4 points, 0 honorable mentions
7. Out of the Park Baseball 19 = 3 points, 0 honorable mentions
8. Not Tonight = 2 points, 0 honorable mentions
9. Project Hospital = 2 points, 0 honorable mentions
10. Railway Empire = 2 points, 0 honorable mentions

Best Re-Release/Remake/Port: Hollow Knight = 512 points, 6 honorable mentions
2. Shadow of the Colossus = 380 points, 7 honorable mentions
3. Yakuza Kiwami 2 = 187 points, 4 honorable mentions
4. Spyro Reignited Trilogy = 106 points, 0 honorable mentions
5. DARK SOULS: REMASTERED = 88 points, 1 honorable mentions
6. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze = 70 points, 1 honorable mentions
7. Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition = 60 points, 0 honorable mentions
8. Yakuza 0 = 57 points, 0 honorable mentions
9. Bayonetta 2 = 45 points, 2 honorable mentions
10. Sonic Mania Plus = 44 points, 1 honorable mentions

Most Popular Game (Based on most #1 votes): God of War, 330 votes
2. Red Dead Redemption 2, 152 votes
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, 80 votes
4. Celeste, 62 votes
5. Monster Hunter: World, 51 votes
6. Marvel's Spider-Man, 46 votes
7. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, 43 votes
8. Astro Bot Rescue Mission, 42 votes
9. Hollow Knight, 35 votes
10. Into The Breach, 22 votes

SweetNicole · Jan 20, 2019

OVERALL | GENRE | PLATFORM | CENSUS | DATA

Platform Awards

Best PC Game: Monster Hunter: World = 843 points, 3 honorable mentions
2. Celeste = 833 points, 3 honorable mentions
3. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age = 575 points, 2 honorable mentions
4. Assassin's Creed Odyssey = 459 points, 3 honorable mentions
5. Into The Breach = 398 points, 0 honorable mentions
6. Hitman 2 = 338 points, 1 honorable mentions
7. Dead Cells = 317 points, 5 honorable mentions
8. Forza Horizon 4 = 296 points, 3 honorable mentions
9. Return of the Obra Dinn = 287 points, 4 honorable mentions
10. Dragon Ball FighterZ = 191 points, 1 honorable mentions

Best PS4 Game: God of War = 2351 points, 3 honorable mentions
2. Marvel's Spider-Man = 1463 points, 4 honorable mentions
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 = 1442 points, 6 honorable mentions
4. Monster Hunter: World = 843 points, 3 honorable mentions
5. Celeste = 833 points, 3 honorable mentions
6. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age = 575 points, 2 honorable mentions
7. Astro Bot Rescue Mission = 520 points, 1 honorable mentions
8. Hollow Knight = 512 points, 6 honorable mentions
9. Assassin's Creed Odyssey = 459 points, 3 honorable mentions
10. Detroit: Become Human = 436 points, 6 honorable mentions

Best Xbox One Game: Red Dead Redemption 2 = 1442 points, 6 honorable mentions
2. Monster Hunter: World = 843 points, 3 honorable mentions
3. Celeste = 833 points, 3 honorable mentions
4. Hollow Knight = 512 points, 6 honorable mentions
5. Assassin's Creed Odyssey = 459 points, 3 honorable mentions
6. Hitman 2 = 338 points, 1 honorable mentions
7. Dead Cells = 317 points, 5 honorable mentions
8. Forza Horizon 4 = 296 points, 3 honorable mentions
9. Dragon Ball FighterZ = 191 points, 1 honorable mentions
10. Valkyria Chronicles 4 = 145 points, 3 honorable mentions

Best Nintendo Switch Game: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate = 1082 points, 5 honorable mentions
2. Celeste = 833 points, 3 honorable mentions
3. Hollow Knight = 512 points, 6 honorable mentions
4. Assassin's Creed Odyssey = 459 points, 3 honorable mentions
5. Into The Breach = 398 points, 0 honorable mentions
6. Octopath Traveler = 383 points, 3 honorable mentions
7. Dead Cells = 317 points, 5 honorable mentions
8. Dragon Ball FighterZ = 191 points, 1 honorable mentions
9. Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! = 172 points, 2 honorable mentions
10. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna The Golden Country = 154 points, 1 honorable mentions

Best Handheld Game: Iconoclasts = 83 points, 2 honorable mentions
2. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon = 74 points, 10 honorable mentions
3. WarioWare Gold = 46 points, 2 honorable mentions
4. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey = 18 points, 2 honorable mentions
5. The Alliance Alive = 16 points, 0 honorable mentions
6. Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology = 16 points, 1 honorable mentions
7. Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight = 15 points, 0 honorable mentions
8. Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight = 15 points, 1 honorable mentions
9. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker = 14 points, 2 honorable mentions
10. Timespinner = 12 points, 0 honorable mentions

Best Mobile Game: Donut County = 81 points, 7 honorable mentions
2. Fortnite Battle Royale = 74 points, 3 honorable mentions
3. Florence = 50 points, 2 honorable mentions
4. Dandara = 11 points, 0 honorable mentions
5. Black Bird = 8 points, 1 honorable mentions
6. The Jackbox Party Pack 5 = 8 points, 0 honorable mentions
7. The Room: Old Sins = 7 points, 2 honorable mentions
8. Dragalia Lost = 5 points, 1 honorable mentions
9. Epic Seven = 4 points, 0 honorable mentions
10. Part Time UFO = 4 points, 0 honorable mentions

Best VR Game: Astro Bot Rescue Mission = 520 points, 1 honorable mentions
2. Tetris Effect = 349 points, 3 honorable mentions
3. Beat Saber = 113 points, 2 honorable mentions
4. Moss = 37 points, 3 honorable mentions
5. Firewall: Zero Hour = 12 points, 1 honorable mentions
6. Wipeout Omega Collection = 11 points, 2 honorable mentions
7. The Persistence = 6 points, 1 honorable mentions
8. Zone of the Enders VR = 5 points, 0 honorable mentions
9. Distance = 4 points, 0 honorable mentions
10. The Forest = 4 points, 0 honorable mentions

Best Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment, 5185 points
2. Nintendo, 1797 points
3. Take-Two Interactive, 1471 points
4. Square Enix, 1193 points
5. Capcom, 991 points
6. Sega, 890 points
7. Matt Makes Games, 833 points
8. Ubisoft, 592 points
9. Team CCherry, 512 points
10. bandai namco, 489 points
11. Subset Games, 398 points
12. Microsoft Studios, 373 points
13. Enhance Games, 365 points
14. WB Games, 338 points
15. Activision Blizzard, 328 points
16. Motion Twin, 317 points
17. 3909, 287 points
18. Devolver Digital, 200 points
19. EA, 180 points
20. Annapurna, 169 points

Best Platform: Playstation 4, 14553 points
2. PC, 8952 points
3. Xbox One, 7972 points
4. Nintendo Switch, 6549 points
5. Mobile, 294 points
6. Playstation Vita, 228 points
7. Nintendo 3DS, 201 points
8. Playstation 3, 11 points
9. Xbox 360, 6 points
10. Wii U, 0 points

SweetNicole · Jan 20, 2019

OVERALL | GENRE | PLATFORM | CENSUS | DATA

Census

SweetNicole · Jan 20, 2019

OVERALL | GENRE | PLATFORM | CENSUS | DATA

Data

Full Unfiltered Data - Overall Rankings
HTML Webpage | Downloadable CSV

Full Filtered Data - Overall Rankings
(Games Receiving At Least 3 Points)
HTML Webpage | Downloadable CSV

mrmickfran · Jan 20, 2019

Spider-man over Red Dead holy shit

Dancrane212 · Jan 20, 2019

Thanks to everyone involved for all the work on this!

DNAbro · Jan 20, 2019

Hollow Knight did well. Higher than #9.

benzopil · Jan 20, 2019

#12 & #13 are missing?

Ultimadrago · Jan 20, 2019

2018 was great! God of War got its deserving crown while though I loved Red Dead Redemption 2 nearly as much, so you did alright ResetERA.

Here's to this year delivering!

NediarPT88 · Jan 20, 2019

Thanks for all the work.

One question, why isn't Hollow Knight at number 9?

JakeNoseIt · Jan 20, 2019

This is THE list! Thanks to everyone for managing this, the results look lovely

Lotus · Jan 20, 2019

Oh wow, RDR2 didn't even beat Spider-Man.

Well anyways, as expected for GoW, and pretty dope results for Celeste and Hollow Knight.

tophu · Jan 20, 2019

mrmickfran said:
Spider-man over Red Dead holy shit

SonyERA ;)

I thoght Spider-man was the better game.

Normal · Jan 20, 2019

Detroit in the top ten. Nice.

Deleted member 12833 · Jan 20, 2019

Spider-Man beat RDR2? Era is trash.

Mezoly · Jan 20, 2019

Where is 12 & 13?

monstar · Jan 20, 2019

FYI, the quote for "Into the Breach" is actually about Tetris Effect

SleepSmasher · Jan 20, 2019

Awesome. Monster Hunter quotes are duplicated though. Fantastic year.

ViewtifulJC · Jan 20, 2019

1. LMAO the gap between God of War and everything else
2. RDR2 being so far reaching but losing to not just one but two Sony exclusives. ERA backlash is real.
3. Celeste, the real GOTY, needed 10 more points to be in the top 5. I blame...*checks notes* everybody who didn't vote for it at #1

noyram23 · Jan 20, 2019

GoW, Spidey, Astrobot, and Dq11 baybee

Eolz · Jan 20, 2019

Really varied top 20! Didn't expect DQXI that high.
Where are number 12 and 13?

iag · Jan 20, 2019

AC Odyssey on Switch's list of best games?

ryushe · Jan 20, 2019

DQXI at number 7 is A-OK with me!

Stinkinmushroom · Jan 20, 2019

Theres a quote for Tetris Effect in #11 Into The Breach??

Edit: basically theres 12 and 13 missing

ViewtifulJC · Jan 20, 2019

Damn, RIP whatever came in at #12 and #13

chainlinkspiral · Jan 20, 2019

Congrats vidya games!

Dancrane212 · Jan 20, 2019

NediarPT88 said:
Thanks for all the work.

One question, why isn't Hollow Knight at number 9?

Ballot Scoring
Note that while all points will be tallied, only NEW playable content will be eligible for GOTY and Genre Award consideration.
All content is eligible for Platform Award consideration. Rereleases, ports, and other content will be awarded in their own category.

jawzpause · Jan 20, 2019

Gow wins by clear majority just as it deserved. Quite surprised Spiderman beat rdr2 but i guess i wasn't the only one that was disappointed by it

Dysun · Jan 20, 2019

Didn't think Spider-Man would top RDR2, wow

Datajoy · Jan 20, 2019

Great Year! 2019 looking even better.

Deleted member 426 · Jan 20, 2019

Wait, what? Hollow Knight is a remake?

Deleted member 3925 · Jan 20, 2019

Oh. Didn't expect to be quoted for GoW. Thanks!

Fantastic year for gaming.

Hours Left · Jan 20, 2019

If Octopath Traveler got 383 points, shouldn't it be in the overall top 20?

asheliaX · Jan 20, 2019

Detroit at number 10...i'll take it!

Loxley · Jan 20, 2019

I'm just happy to see DQXI that high.

QuiteSomething · Jan 20, 2019

nice
Detroit closing the top 10 is hilarious

Deleted member 18742 · Jan 20, 2019

mrmickfran said:
Spider-man over Red Dead holy shit

Its not by much. But Spiderman is a way better and more deserving game

rainking187 · Jan 20, 2019

I loved Hollow Knight but I don't understand how it won best remake, or why it was even in the category. Don't really think a late console port with some gameplay improvements should count as a remake.

Anthony Hopkins · Jan 20, 2019

Good job to the people who made this.

DevilMayGuy · Jan 20, 2019

No way RDR at 3?

RagdollRhino · Jan 20, 2019

Astro Bot in the top ten with less than 4 million PSVR owners. That's insane. If more had the opportunity to play it would be way up there.

funky · Jan 20, 2019

Detroit in the top 10.

Aurc · Jan 20, 2019

God of War and Spider-Man above Red Dead Redemption 2! There is a god!

asheliaX · Jan 20, 2019

Ruslnis said:
nice
Detroit closing the top 10 is hilarious

Hilarious? How so?

Deleted member 12833 · Jan 20, 2019

Why such a large decline in votes?

Plywood · Jan 20, 2019

All these Spider-Man voters didn't even play its predecessor Sunset Overdrive, mess. Shame. You should feel bad. Boo yourselves.

Deleted member 135 · Jan 20, 2019

God of War.

Citizen Kane of gaming, truly revolutionary and the best game ever made.

Deleted member 18347 · Jan 20, 2019

Hours Left said:
If Octopath Traveler got 383 points, shouldn't it be in the overall top 20?

It is. Wait for OP to update the list.

As expected best GoTY list right here.

Diarrhea Day-Lewis · Jan 20, 2019

I'm sorry if this has been discussed but why does Hollow Knight count as a remake? What makes it a remake and not a port?

SotC, Spyro and Kiwami 2 all recreate old content in new engines with new art based on the old art so that seems like the basis of a remake to me. But I may be missing something obvious

ResetEra Games of the Year Awards 2018

The Old Guard

The Old Guard

The Old Guard

The Old Guard

The Old Guard

Catch My Drift

One Winged Slayer

User requested account closure

Jimbo Replacement

use of an alt account

User requested account closure

User requested account closure

Prophet of Truth

User requested account closure

User requested account closure

Does not approve of this tag

User requested account closure

User requested account closure