Announcing the winners of the eighth annual edition SXSW Gaming Awards, recognizing the most creative and influential titles, teams and individuals in the industry across 12 different categories.
The winners were announced during the virtual show SXSW Gaming Awards produced in partnership with IGN and presented by Discord. The ceremony also highlighted exclusive segments of the creative process behind the games, the talent that influenced and advanced the game’s culture in 2020, and exciting future project previews.
This year’s SXSW Gaming Awards included 43 nominees in 12 different categories, with the winners determined by a weighted total between the contributions of the team and the advisory board, as well as the public vote.
Winners of the 2021 SXSW Gaming Awards category
Video game of the year
Awarded for the game that exemplifies overall excellence and creates a distinctive gaming experience across all platforms and genres.
Winner: Hades – Supergiant games
Indie Game of the Year
Awarded to the independent game that exemplifies general excellence and creates a distinctive gaming experience across all platforms and genres.
Winner: Deep Rock Galactic – Ghost ship games / coffee stain publishing
Table game of the year
Awarded to the game that exemplifies the general excellence and ingenuity of any table game in any genre.
Winner: The search for planet X – Renegade Game Studios / Foxtrot Games
VR game of the year
Awarded to the VR game that exemplifies the overall excellence in gameplay and design on any VR platform.
Winner: Half-life: Alyx – Valve
Matthew Crump Award for Cultural Innovation
Awarded to the game that best defies the “norm” of the daily game and offers a culturally innovative vision of a game world, character or gameplay.
Winner: Dreams – Media Molecule / Sony Interactive Entertainment
Excellence in animation, art and visual realization
Awarded for the game with the best designed and impressive visuals, including animation effects and graphics.
Winner: Tsushima’s Ghost – Sucker Punch Productions / Sony Interactive Entertainment
Excellence in game design
Awarded to the game with the best overall design concept, game mechanics and best execution.
Winner: Hades – Supergiant games
Punctuation excellence
Awarded to the game that best exemplifies artistic excellence in musical score and how it advances in the game’s narrative.
Winner: Ori and the will of the Wisps – Moon Studios / Xbox Game Studios
Multiplayer Excellence
Awarded to the game with the best player-to-player interaction experience.
Winner: Deep Rock Galactic – Ghost ship games / coffee stain publishing
Excellence in narrative
Awarded to the game with the best storyline and dialogue.
Winner: The Last of Us Part II – Naughty Dog / Sony Interactive Entertainment
Excellence in Audio Design
Awarded to the game with the most striking and impacting sound effects.
Winner: DOOM Eternal – id Software / Bethesda Softworks
Excellence in technical achievement
Awarded for the game that pushed technology and programming resources further or more effectively.
Winner: Microsoft Flight Simulator – Asobo Studio / Xbox Game Studios
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2021 SXSW Gaming Awards!
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Game Awards Ceremony at SXSW 2019 – Photo by Shannon Johnston.