It's that time of year again when the nominations for The Steam Awards open. Nominate your favourite games under each category before voting begins next year.
The Steam Awards are back for the third year running with eight new and returning categories. During the Autumn Steam Sale, you can nominate any game for any award. Games that receive the most nominations will be shortlisted for the next round of voting that will return in February next year. The awards for this year are as follows:
The “Game of the Year” Award
Maybe it was its immersive gameplay, or its gripping story... its well-crafted characters, immaculate design, or addictive multiplayer. Whatever the reason, the winner of 2018's Game of the Year Award is an instant classic.
The “VR Game of the Year” Award
VR is the Wild West of game design. It's a lawless land of emerging standards where pretty much anything goes. The winner of this award is not only hugely fun but helps chart a course for the future of the medium
The “Labor of Love” Award
This game has been out for a while. The team is well past the first unveiling of their creative baby, but being the good parents they are, these devs continue to nurture and support their creation. This game, to this day, is still getting new content after all these years
The “Best Developer” Award
Whether it was by listening to their fans, creating something genuinely unexpected, or just delivering on the promise of a truly great game, this studio absolutely crushed it in 2018.
The “Best Environment” Award
All those chatty cutscenes, all those reminders that they need a health pack again. Let's face it, characters are overrated. As this winner illustrates, sometimes breathtaking scenery tells a better story than a thousand big-mouthed heroes.
The “Better with Friends” Award
There are some games out there that just aren't the same when you play by yourself. Maybe you need to have a friend to watch your back. Maybe you need to have a friend that you can stab in their back. Either way, mirth is awaiting those who gather friends to play these games.
The “Best Alternate History” Award
Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. Those who remember it just fine, but prefer to reinvent it, are doomed to get this award for 2018's most entertaining tinkering with the history books.
The “Most Fun with a Machine” Award
Whether it's a car, truck, robot, or other mechanized contraption, the winner of this award fired on all cylinders, engineering an unforgettable gameplay experience made possible by machines.
Going to the Steam Awards Nominations page will allow you to nominate any game you like for each of the categories. Alternatively, you can nominate a specific game directly from its store page. You cannot nominate a game for more than one of the categories so choose wisely and think about which would better represent that award. Nominating will also get you a badge for your Steam profile that you can level up by completing tasks.
Nominations will close at 5 am AEDT November 28th. The voting round will return next year in February. Like previous years, voting will also give players rewards in the form of trading cards which can be collected to craft and level another badge. Let us know what games you think deserve to win this year or if they don't fit into a category, which ones should receive a special mention.
