The 27th D.I.C.E. Awards return next month to Las Vegas, where the industry-only event celebrates the best games and achievements in games of 2023. Unlike The Game Awards, which are hosted and produced by Geoff Keighley, with votes from media outlets and the public in some instances, the D.I.C.E Awards are voted on exclusively by game developers. 

Basically, it’s the awards show where the people who made the games you played last year determine their favorite games of last year. It’s an awards show of The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, with D.I.C.E standing for Design, Innovate, Communicate, and Entertain, and amongst the awards, the academy typically inducts someone into the Academy of Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame – we spoke to Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon about it in 2022. 

Like in previous years, Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller and IGN’s Stella Chung will host the show, which will be livestreamed on Thursday, February 15, 2024.

As you might know, 2023 was a great year for games (but an admittedly terrible one for the people who make them with more than 10,000 laid off in the games industry). Leading the pack of the 27th annual D.I.C.E. Awards is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, developed by Insomniac Games, with nine nominations. Following it is Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake 2, with eight nominations. And behind it is Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3, with seven nominations. 

Here Are The 27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Nominations

Below, we’ll list each of the categories in this year’s D.I.C.E. Awards and the games nominated for it. 

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

Final Fantasy XVI
Hi-Fi Rush
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Mortal Kombat 1
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

Alan Wake 2
Hogwarts Legacy
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Starfield

Outstanding Achievement in Character

Alan Wake 2 – Saga Anderson
Baldur’s Gate 3 – Astarion
Baldur’s Gate 3 – Karlach
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – Miles Morales
Thirsty Suitors – Jala

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

Alan Wake 2
Diablo IV
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Planet of Lana
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

Alan Wake 2
Cocoon
Hi-Fi Rush
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Outstanding Achievement in Story

Alan Wake 2
Baldur’s Gate 3
Dave the Diver
Thirsty Suitors
Venba

Outstanding Technical Achievement

Alan Wake 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Hogwarts Legacy
The Finals
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Action Game of the Year

Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon
Dead Space
Hi-Fi Rush
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Remnant II

Adventure Game of the Year

Alan Wake 2
Cocoon
Dave the Diver
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Family Game of the Year

Disney Illusion Island
Fae Farm
Hello Kitty Island Adventure
Midnight Girl
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Fighting Game of the Year

Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
Mortal Kombat 1
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
Pocket Bravery
Street Fighter 6

Racing Game of the Year

F-Zero 99
Forza Motorsport
Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged
Lego 2K Drive

Role-Playing Game of the Year

Baldur’s Gate 3
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Diablo IV
Final Fantasy XVI
Starfield

Sports Game of the Year

EA Sports FC 24
MLB The Show 23
WWE 2K23

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

Against the Storm
Cobalt Core
Dune: Spice Wars
The Last Spell
Wartales

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

Asgard’s Wrath 2
Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
Horizon: Call of the Mountain
Vertigo 2
We Are One

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

Asgard’s Wrath 2
Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
Horizon: Call of the Mountain
Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice
Vertigo 2

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

Cocoon
Dredge
El Paso, Elsewhere
Thirsty Suitors
Venba

Mobile Game of the Year

Gubbins
Hello Kitty Island Adventure
Honkai: Star Rail
Terra Nil
What the Car?

Online Game of the Year

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
Diablo IV
Omega Strikers
Street Fighter 6
The Finals

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

Baldur’s Gate 3
Cocoon
Dave the Diver
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

Baldur’s Gate 3
Cocoon
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Game of the Year

Alan Wake 2
Baldur’s Gate 3
Cocoon
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The D.I.C.E. Awards will be livestreamed on Thursday, February 15, 2024. 

What do you think developers will select as the Game of the Year? Let us know in the comments below!