Baldur's Gate 3 wins the Best Game award at the BAFTAs, with Hi-Fi Rush taking Best Animation
What you need to know
The BAFTA Games Awards are an annual British awards ceremony that honors outstanding achievements in the video game industry.
Baldur's Gate 3 won the biggest award of the evening, while smaller titles like Hi-Fi Rush and Venba received accolades.
Alan Wake 2 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder were also multiple award-winning titles for the evening.
It's that time of year again: the BAFTA Games Awards. It is a more stoic event than Jeff's Game Awards, but it is a favorite of mine because it often has some surprise winners. For example, it awarded the indie hit Vampire Survivors with Best Game in 2023. Nominations for 2024 across the categories included 10 nominations for Baldur's Gate 3—no surprise there—9 nominations for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and even 5 nominations for Hi-Fi Rush.
The winner this year was of no surprise, with a clean sweep of the best awards for Baldur's Gate 3 taking Best Game. Best Music and the Player's Choice award amongst others. Here's a run-through of the nominees and deserved winners, two of which you can play on Xbox Game Pass.
Debut Game Award
Nominees
Cocoon
Dave the Diver
Dredge
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical
Venba
Viewfinder
WINNER
Venba
You can play Venba on Xbox Game Pass or purchase for $14.99 at Xbox
Audio Achievement
Nominees
Alan Wake 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
Hi-Fi Rush
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Star Wars: Jedi Survivor
WINNER
Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 is currently $39.99 at Green Man Gaming and you can read our full Alan Wake 2 review.
Multiplayer Game
Nominees
Baldur's Gate 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
Diablo IV
Forza Motorsport
Party Animals
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
WINNER
Super Mario Bros Wonder
Super Mario Bros Wonder was $59.99 now $69.99 at Amazon
EVOLVING GAME
Nominees
Cyberpunk 2077
Final Fantasy XVI Online
Fortnite
Forza Horizon 5
Genshin Impact
No Man’s Sky
WINNER
Cyberpunk 2077
Available from GOG for $59.99 and you can check out our Cyberpunk 2077 and Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty reviews.
Game Design
Nominees
Cocoon
Dave the Diver
Dredge
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Viewfinder
WINNER
Dave the Diver
You can grab Dave the Diver for $19.99 at Green Man Gaming.
BRITISH GAME
Nominees
Cassette Beasts
Dead Island 2
Disney Illusion Island
Football Manager 2024
Viewfinder
Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin
WINNER
Viewfinder
Viewfinder is currently $17.49 at Steam.
MULTIPLAYER
Nominees
Baldur’s Gate 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
Diablo IV
Forza Motorsport
Party Animals
Super Mario Bros Wonder
WINNER
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros Wonder was $59.99 now $69.99 at Amazon
Artistic Achievement
Nominees
Alan Wake 2
Baldur’s Gate 3
Cocoon
Diablo IV
Final Fantasy XVI
Hi-Fi Rush
WINNER
Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake 2 is currently $39.99 at Green Man Gaming and you can read our full Alan Wake 2 review.
New Intellectual Property
Nominees
Chants of Sennaar
Dave the Diver
Dredge
Hi-Fi Rush
Jusant
Viewfinder
WINNER
Viewfinder
Narrative
Nominees
Alan Wake 2
Baldur’s Gate 3
Dredge
Final Fantasy XVI
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Star Wars: Jedi Survivor
WINNER
Baldur's Gate 3
You can get Baldur's Gate 3 for $59.99 on GOG or $62.99 at Xbox. Check our our Baldur's Gate 3 review.
Supporting Role
Nominees
Andrew Wincott - Raphael in Baldur’s Gate 3
Debra Wilson - Cere Junda in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Ralph Ineson - Cidolfus “Cid” Telamon in Final Fantasy XVI
Sam Lake - Alex Casey in Alan Wake 2
Tony Todd - Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Tracy Wiles - Jaheira in Baldur’s Gate 3
WINNER
Andrew Wincott - Raphael in Baldur’s Gate 3
You can get Baldur's Gate 3 for $59.99 on GOG or $62.99 at Xbox. Check our our Baldur's Gate 3 review.
Family
Nominees
Cocoon
Dave the Diver
Disney Illusion Island
Hi-Fi Rush
Hogwarts Legacy
Super Mario Bros Wonder
WINNER
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Players' Choice
Nominees
Baldur’s Gate 3
Cyberpunk 2077
Fortnite
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Lethal Company
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WINNER
Baldur's Gate 3
You can get Baldur's Gate 3 for $59.99 on GOG or $62.99 at Xbox. Check our our Baldur's Gate 3 review.
Animation
Nominees
Alan Wake 2
Hi-Fi Rush
Hogwarts Legacy
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Super Mario Bros Wonder
WINNER
Hi-Fi Rush
Hi-Fi Rush is another Xbox Game Pass title, or you can grab at Fanatical for $16.79. Check out or Hi-Fi Rush review.
Music
Nominees
Alan Wake 2
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Baldur’s Gate 3
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WINNER
Baldur's Gate 3 (Borislav Slavov)
You can get Baldur's Gate 3 for $59.99 on GOG or $62.99 at Xbox. Check our our Baldur's Gate 3 review.
Game beyond entertainment
Nominees
Chants of Sennaar
Goodbye Volcano High
Tchia
Terra Nil
Thirsty Suitors
Venba
WINNER
Tchia
Tchia is currently $14.99 at Epic Games.
Technical Achievement
Nominees
Alan Wake 2
Final Fantasy XVI
Horizon Call of the Mountain
Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WINNER
Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Legend of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom is currently on sale at Amazon, and you can grab it for $55.
Leading Role
Nominees
Amelia Tyler - Narrator in Baldur’s Gate 3
Cameron Monaghan - Cal Kestis in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Nadji Jeter - Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Neil Newbon - Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3
Samantha Béart - Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3
Yuri Lownenthals - Peter Parker in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
WINNER
Nadji Jeter - Miles Morales in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a PlayStation exclusive, and it's $69.99 at Amazon.
Best Game
Nominees
Alan Wake 2
Baldur’s Gate 3
Dave the Diver
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Super Mario Bros Wonder
WINNER
Baldur's Gate 3
You can get Baldur's Gate 3 for $59.99 on GOG or $62.99 at Xbox. Check our our Baldur's Gate 3 review.
A celebration of games
I was hoping for a few surprises this evening, but let's face it, Baldur's Gate 3 is the deserved winner and at least for me, blew everything else out of the water in 2023, and I say that as a hot-bloodied Diablo 4 fan. It was nice to see both Hi-Fi Rush and Dave the Diver get awards, and I must admit I teared up a tad seeing Borislav Slavov emotionally accepting his award for the Baldur's Gate 3 soundtrack, something I still listen to often. It is possibly my favorite game soundtrack of all time.
This evening's focus was firmly on the games and the wonderful hearts and souls that make them, which is why the BAFTA Games Awards will always remain my favorite award ceremony. If you want to catch the full two-hour ceremony, it's available on YouTube.
