Steam sale discounts nine years of Game Awards winners, plus 2023 nominees

GAMES
By James

It's time once again for Geoff Keighley to bestow his blessings on the best games of the year before retiring to Valhalla to party and sleep. To celebrate the occasion, Steam is currently offering discounts on a selection of winners from the past nine years of The Game Awards.

This is a fantastic opportunity to fill out your library with some of 2023's biggest releases, such as Diablo 4 And Starfieldbut you can also find discounts on essential titles you may have missed Brave hearts, Her storyor Celeste. While this promotion spotlights dozens of titles on Steam, we've rounded up some of our favorites that are currently discounted, along with their nominations for this year's Game Awards.

This year's nominees

Cocoon

The protagonist of Cocoon looks up at a towering mothman figure in a greenish room

Image: Geometric interactive/Annapurna interactive via polygon

Cocoon is the latest title from a studio founded by Jeppe Carlsen, the person responsible for the disturbing narrative platformers Limbo And Inside. A personal favorite among much of the Polygon staff, this psychedelic odyssey has been nominated for Best Independent Game of 2023.

Seeker

The player observes a newly formed bridge in the viewfinder, after placing a black and white photo of a bridge in floating position

Image: Sad Owl Studios/Thunderful via Polygon

Striking puzzle platformer Seeker has been nominated for best indie debut by the developers at Sad Owl Studios. A clever title based on the use of perspective, Seeker feels similar to Portalexcept you get an instant camera instead of a Portal gun.

Starfield

Artwork from Starfield: On a distant planet, as a giant moon sets, a lone astronaut turns his eyes to the sky. Meanwhile, a robot welds the hull of their ship

Image: Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks

Bethesda's latest open world title, Starfield, is an extended opera that is currently nominated for this year's best RPG. This title offers players a wealth of options to customize their experience by customizing their backstory, appearance, ships and more.

HiFi rush

Chai traverses the colorful open world of Hi-Fi Rush

Image: Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks via Polygon

Nominated for Best Action, Art Direction and Accessibility Innovations, the Hyper-Stylized Rhythm-Based Action Game HiFi rush is a witty and wild game with an excellent original soundtrack alongside licensed tracks from Nine Inch Nails, The Flaming Lips and The Prodigy (to name a few).

Diablo 4

A player attacks enemies in a snowy tundra in Diablo 4 and uses powerful flame magic to fend off their foes.

Image: Blizzard Entertainment

Diablo 4, the highly anticipated action-RPG sequel returns to the series' dark roots and has quickly become the live-service game of choice for many, earning it a nomination for Best Multiplayer this year. However, Diablo 4 is also eligible for an Accessibility Innovation Award as it includes a variety of customizable assistance options for dexterity, vision, and text.

Cyberpunk 2077

A member of Max Tactical Response aims and fires in Cyberpunk 2077.

Image: CD Project Rood

Cyberpunk 2077 – and specifically, the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Freedom expansion in 2023 — has risen from the ashes of a disastrous launch to become one of the gaming industry's biggest comeback stories. CD Projekt Red has shown a monumental level of dedication to meeting the expectations of its community, earning nominations for Best Continuous Game and Community Support in 2023.

Mortal Kombat 1

Ashrah jumps Hawk in the face in a screenshot from Mortal Kombat 1

Image: NetherRealm Studios/Warner Bros. Games

Mortal Kombat 1 is trying to take the title of best fighting game this year, but it's also nominated for accessibility innovations thanks to its robust suite of features like screen readers, color-blind modes, remappable controls, and more.

Dead Space (2023)

Isaac Clarke hovers above the exterior of the USG Ishimura and looks at an asteroid field in a screenshot from the 2023 remake of Dead Space

Image: Motive Studio/Electronic Arts

The 2023 Empty space remaster offered a streamlined and modernized take on this now classic survival horror title. The original was already a phenomenal achievement in sound design, but this direction, combined with modernized fidelity, has earned the award Empty space remaster a nomination for Best Audio Design.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged

Cars race down a shiny blue track into a tunnel in a screenshot from Hot Wheels Unleashed 2

Image: Milestone SRL

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2a game with cars like the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile, monster trucks and other daring die-cast cars competes with, among others Forza Motorsport And The Crew Motorfest for the best racing game of 2023.

Winners from previous years

Strayed

A cat walks through the wet, neon-lit streets of a walled cybercity in Stray.

Image: BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna Interactive

Strayedthe clever cat-focused title from developer BlueTwelve Studios, earned the Best Indie Game award in 2022 thanks to its clever mix of puzzle platforming and a world that really sparks curiosity, cat-based or otherwise.

No one's heaven

A galactic hub in No Man's Sky with docking stations for spaceships

Hello games

After a difficult start, No one's heaven developed into an amazing interstellar open world game thanks to Hello Games' dedication to delivering on its original promise, which earned the game an award for the best ongoing game in 2020. No one's heaven has still received regular narrative and content updates, and it's still worth checking out even seven years later.

Dead cells

The main character of Dead Cells jumps across the screen with a hammer

Image: Motion Twin

Tight controls combined with challenging and unpredictable gameplay have taken shape Dead cells to one of the best action games of 2018 and beyond. While this title has received several excellent DLC releases, Dead cells has also been the recipient of regular updates on content, balance, and quality of life, keeping the roguelike relevant into 2023.

Celeste

Celeste's red-haired heroine exploring a cave

Image: Extremely good games

Based on influential titles such as Super meat boy, Celeste is a brutal platformer that is an exercise in introspection and patience in times of fear. A beautiful art style complemented by Lena Raine's winning score Celeste the award for best independent game in 2018.

Wolfenstein: The New Colossus

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus - Kampfpistole grenade launcher that blows up armored Nazis

Machine Games/Bethesda Softworks

Bethesda followed the reinterpretation of the Wolfenstein franchise with a sequel that hit harder with its gunplay and narrative beats Wolfenstein: The New Colossuswhich won it the award for best action game of 2017.

Her story

An image of actress Viva Seifert as her character in Her Story, sitting in an interrogation room

Image: Sam Barlow

The FMV subtraction game Her story earned awards for Best Story and Best Performance in 2015. Anchored by stellar performances from actress Viva Seifert, Her story prompts the player to sift through dated video interviews to piece together events that have stumped investigators.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

Images of soldiers in WW1, created in a hand-drawn style, as part of the gameplay for Valiant Hearts

Image: Ubisoft Montpellier

The winner of the Best Story in 2014, Valiant Hearts: The Great War is a highly stylized platformer and puzzle game that follows a series of characters through key events of World War I. Published in collaboration with Apocalypse: World War Ia French documentary commemorating the centenary of the conflict, Brave hearts is a thoughtful and poignant approach to learning more about this war.

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