PlayStation LifeStyle's Game of the Year Awards 2019

We’ve announced all of our winners! Check the category links below to find out which games won both our staff and Reader’s Choice votes.

2019 has been an excellent year for games, despite this current console generation beginning to wind down. This year finally saw the release of long-awaited games like Kingdom Hearts III and Death Stranding, monumental new releases in long-running franchises and some weird new IPs. As with every year, we’re taking some time as 2019 comes to a close to celebrate the games that released this year, awarding the best of the best with our Game of the Year Awards. Last year it was God of War that took our top spot. Which game do you think will win it this year?

We’ve narrowed down and eliminated some of the categories this year (sorry Vita) but there are still plenty of ways for games to be recognized. All of the PSLS Game of the Year awards are chosen by the entire staff through an open nomination process and then a final vote on the nominees. You might see some curious omissions or additions in the nominees, not to mention some surprising winners next week, but we think it speaks to the unique voice and diverse interests that the collective PlayStation LifeStyle staff has.

Below the list of nominees, you’ll find a reader’s choice poll where you can cast your own vote. While it won’t have any bearing on our staff awards, we will be posting the reader’s choice winners along with our own selections next week.

Please note that review scores have no bearing on the nominations or winners, as each review was handled by a single writer and the Game of the Year awards account for our full staff.

Today we’re only revealing the nominees. Starting next week on Monday, December 16, we will begin announcing the winners, leading up to our final Game of the Year 2019 award on Friday, December 20.

Check out the list below for all of the PSLS Game of the Year Awards 2019 nominees.

PSLS Game of the Year Awards 2019 Nominees

Game of the Year

Resident Evil 2
Days Gone
Control
Devil May Cry 5
Death Stranding

Best Publisher

Annapurna Interactive
Sega
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Capcom
Square Enix

Best Indie Game

Sayonara Wild Hearts
GRIS
Ghost Giant
Frostpunk
Destiny 2:Shadowkeep

Best PlayStation Exclusive

Judgment
Death Stranding
Days Gone
MediEvil
Concrete Genie

Best Family Game

Concrete Genie
Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville
Team Sonic Racing
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
Crash Team Racing

Best RPG

SaGa Scarlet Graces Ambition
Indivisible
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered
Kingdom Hearts III
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

Best Action Game

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Devil May Cry 5
Death Stranding
Control
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Best Horror Game

Blair Witch
Resident Evil 2
Days Gone
Observation
Man of Medan

Best PSVR Game

Concrete Genie
Trover Saves the Universe
Ghost Giant
Blood and Truth
No Man’s Sky NEXT

Best Adventure Game

Judgment
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Death Stranding
Days Gone
The Outer Worlds

Best Narrative

Concrete Genie
A Plague Tale: Innocence
Control
The Outer Worlds
Death Stranding

Best Sports/Racing Game

Crash Team Racing
Team Sonic Racing
MLB The Show 19
Need for Speed Heat
FIFA 20

Biggest Disappointment

Microsoft Buys Double Fine/Obsidian
JUMP FORCE
Anthem/BioWare issues
Kingdom Hearts III
Shenmue 3

Best DLC/Expansion

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep
Elder Scrolls Online Season of the Dragon
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
Monster Hunter World Iceborne
No Man’s Sky NEXT

Best Fighting Game

Mortal Kombat 11
Jump Force
Dead or Alive 6
Kill la Kill IF
Power Rangers Battle for the Grid

Best Art Style

Dragon Quest Builders 2
Sayonara Wild Hearts
Concrete Genie
Death Stranding
Borderlands 3

Most Anticipated Game of 2020

Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Cyberpunk 2077
The Last of Us Part II
Marvel’s Avengers

Best Game Soundtrack

Sayonara Wild Hearts
Devil May Cry 5
Days Gone
Death Stranding
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

Best Shooter

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep
Borderlands 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Apex Legends
Control

Biggest Surprise

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered/All of Square Enix E3
Apex Legends
Shawn Layden Leaves Sony
Raising Kratos Documentary
Wired PS5 Info Drop

Best New Idea

All of Death Stranding
Concrete Genie’s painting
Control’s New Weird
Crystar’s crying
Team Sonic Racing’s team racing

Best Open World

Death Stranding
Days Gone
The Outer Worlds
Control
Borderlands 3

Best Ongoing Game

Destiny 2
No Man’s Sky
Overwatch
Elder Scrolls Online
Final Fantasy XIV

Best Performance in a Game

Ashly Burch (Parvati) – The Outer Worlds
Courtney Hope (Jesse Faden) – Control
Norman Reedus (Sam “Porter” Bridges) – Death Stranding
Sam Witwer (Deacon St. John) – Days Gone
Tommie Earl Jenkins (Die Hardman) – Death Stranding

Most Impactful Game

Death Stranding
Sayonara Wild Hearts
Concrete Genie
A Plague Tale: Innocence
Ghost Giant

Best Multiplayer

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Death Stranding
Borderlands 3
Team Sonic Racing

Industry Person of the Year

Hideo Kojima
Mat Piscatella
Tetsuya Nomura and his E3 Shorts
Sam Lake
Cory Barlog

Let us know what you think of the nominees and cast your predictions for which games you think will win in each category.

PSLS Game of the Year Awards – Reader’s Choice

The Reader’s Choice poll is now closed. Check the links at the top of the page to see if your picks won.

Stay tuned December 16-20 as we bring you all of the PSLS Game of the Year Awards 2109 winners.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Game of the Year 2019 Awards – The Nominees and Winners

PSLS Game of the Year Awards 2019 Nominees

PSLS Game of the Year Awards – Reader’s Choice