Nominations for the 2026 New York Game Awards have been announced, with Ghost of Yotei being recognized in four categories.
The Sucker Punch Productions title was nominated for Best Game of the Year, Best Screenplay and Best Music. Erika Ishii was nominated for her role as Atsu in the Best Actor category.
Sandfall Interactive's Claire Obscurus, Julián Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena's Despelote, and Supergiant Games' Hades 2 each received three nominations, all in the Game of the Year category.
Dogubomb's Blue Prince and Team Cherry's Hollow Knight: Silksong were nominated in two categories, including Best Indie Game of the Year.
Nintendo was the most nominated publisher with five nominations in four categories for Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokemon Legends: ZA, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Star-Crossed World.
The 2026 ceremony also includes a new “Best New York Game” category, recognizing games developed by studios based in the city.
“There were so many amazing games this year that we felt it was necessary to create a new Excelsior Award to bring more attention to the games coming out of New York,” said New York Videogame Critics Circle founder and president Harold Goldberg.
“This year’s awards include 66 of the best games created by game studios and individuals from around the world.”
The 15th annual New York Game Awards will take place on January 18, 2026 at the SVA Theater in Manhattan.
Here's the full list of nominees for the 2026 New York Game Awards:
Best Game of the Year
- Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
- Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts)
- Claire Obscurus: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
- Despelote (Julian Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena/Panic Inc.)
- Sword of the Sea (Giant Squid)
- Silent Hill F (NeoBards Entertainment/Konami Digital Entertainment)
- Hades 2 (Supergiant Games)
- The Ghost of Uthea (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)
Best Indie Game
- Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (Adglobe, Live Wire Inc./Binary Haze Interactive/Limited Edition Games)
- Blue Prince
- Despelote
- Deltarune, chapters 3+4 (Toby Fox/8-4)
- Consume Meeting (Justian Xia, AP Thomson, Ken “cod” Snyder, Discussion, WP/Hexexualtable Violet)
- No, I'm not human (Trioskaz/Critical reflex, Inpleron)
- Tiny Bookstore (Neoludic Games/Skystone Games, 2P Games)
- Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)
Best scenario in the game
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don't Nod, Montreal / Don't Nod)
- Acknowledged (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)
- Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy (Too Kyo Games, Media Vision/Aniplex, Xseed Games)
- Mafia: The Old Country (Hangar 13/Take-Two Interactive)
- Ghost of Yotei
- Blippo+ (Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Yacht/Panic Inc.)
A better world
- Split fiction
- Hollow Knight: Silk Song
- Hades 2
- Baby Steps (Bennett Foddy, Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch/Devolver Digital)
- Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (Retro Studios/Nintendo)
- Guardian (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios)
Best music in the game
- Lumines Arise (Upgrade, Monstars)
- South of Midnight (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios)
- Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33
- Mario Kart World (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
- Deltarune Chapters 3+4
- Sword of the Sea
- Hades 2
- Ghost of Yotei
Best Acting in a Game
- Adrian Ray as Hazel in South of Midnight
- Jennifer English as Mael in Claire Obscurus: Expedition 33
- Amelia Sargisson as Nora in The Lost Tapes: Blossom and Fury
- Alex Jordan as Jan Dolski in The Changers
- Judy Alice Lee as Melinoe in Hades 2
- She as Atsu in “Ghost of Yokakretey”
Best AR/VR Game
- Ghost Town (Fireproof Studios)
- Hoverbike V-Racer (VertexBreaker)
- Midnight Walk (Moonhood/Fast Travel Games, one-way ticket studio)
- Lumins arise
- Marvel's Deadpool VR (Twisted Pixel Games/Oculus Studios)
- Arken Age (VitruviusVR/Vitruvius Technologies)
Best children's game
- Sanderfolk (Secret Door/Dream Harbor)
- Koira (Studio Tolima/Don't nod)
- Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
- Lego Party (SMG Studio/Fictions)
- Pokémon Legends: ZA (Game Freak/The Pokémon Company, Nintendo)
- Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (Sonic Team/Sega)
Best Mobile Game
- Skate City: New York (Agens Games/Snowman)
- What is Collision? (Triband)
- Umamusume: Pretty Derby (Cygames, Exnoa/Kakao Games)
- Is this seat taken? (Poti Studio Poti/Useful Games presents)
- Dread Express (Draknek and Friends)
- Chaos Zero Nightmare (Super Creative/Smilegate)
Best remake
- The Talos Principle: Awakening (Croteam/Devolver Digital)
- The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered (Virtuos, Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
- A Tale of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (Marvelous/Xseed Games, Marvelous Europe)
- Trails in the Sky Chapter 1 (Nihon Falcom/GungHo Online Entertainment America)
- Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD-2D Remake (Square Enix, Artdink, Team Asano)
- Mortal Kombat: Legacy Collection (Digital Eclipse/Atari)
Best hidden treasure
- Keep Driving (YCJY Games)
- Nubby Number Factory (MogDogBlog Productions)
- News Tower (Sparrow Night, Twin Sails Interactive)
- Many Nights in Whispers (Selkie Harbor, Deconstructeam)
- Xenotilt: Hostile Pinball (Flarb, Wiznwar)
- And Roger (TearyHand Studio, Kodansha)
- Look Outside (Francis Coulombe, The Frankie Smile Show/Devolver Digital)
- Shujinkou (Rice Games)
New York's Best Game
- Despelote
- Baby steps
- Consume me
- Old Skies (Wadjet Eye Games)
- Ball x Pit
- Skate Story (Sam Eng, Snowhydra/Devolver Digital)
Best Supplement
- Sea of Stars: The Torments of a Watchmaker
- Lies of P: Overture (Neowiz, Round8 Studio)
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Star World (HAL/Nintendo)
- The Sims 4 Adventure Awaits (Maxis, The Sims Studio/Electronic Arts)
- Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate's Fortune (Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft)
- Hello Kitty Island Adventure – Wheat Flour Wonderland (Sunblink/Sunblink Entertainment)
Best gaming journalism
- Duncan Fyfe
- Felipe Pepe
- Jackson Tyler
- Joseph Earl Thomas
- Lewis Gordon
- Nikanor Gordon
- People make games
