5 GOTY Award Winning Video Games for You

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)

Developer: CD Projekt Red

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt set a new standard for open-world role-playing games. Players take on the role of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster hunter navigating a morally complex world filled with war, politics, and personal tragedy.

What separates this game from others is its writing quality. Side quests are as thoughtfully written as main story arcs, often forcing players to make difficult choices with no clear “good” outcome. Every decision carries weight, shaping both the world and Geralt’s relationships.

The world feels alive—villages respond to your actions, characters remember your choices, and the narrative respects player intelligence. Combined with its deep combat system, rich lore, and massive expansions (Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine), The Witcher 3 became a benchmark for narrative-driven RPGs.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)

Developer: Nintendo

Breath of the Wild completely reinvented one of gaming’s most iconic franchises. Instead of linear progression, it offered true freedom. From the moment players leave the starting area, the entire world is open to exploration in any direction.

The game’s brilliance lies in its systems-based design. Physics, weather, chemistry, and player creativity interact seamlessly. You are not told how to solve problems—you experiment, adapt, and learn naturally.

Rather than overwhelming players with objectives, the game trusts curiosity. This design philosophy made exploration feel personal and meaningful. Breath of the Wild influenced countless open-world games by proving that freedom and discovery can be more powerful than constant guidance.

3. God of War (2018)

Developer: Santa Monica Studio

God of War reinvented a once rage-driven action franchise into an emotionally grounded narrative about fatherhood, grief, and growth. Kratos, once known for his uncontrollable violence, is now a father struggling to guide his son, Atreus, in a harsh world.

The game’s single-camera presentation creates an uninterrupted, cinematic experience. Combat is weighty and deliberate, encouraging strategy over button-mashing. Every enemy encounter feels personal and impactful.

What truly elevated the game was its storytelling. It balanced epic mythological spectacle with intimate character moments, showing that action games can deliver deep emotional narratives without sacrificing gameplay.

4. Elden Ring (2022)

Developer: FromSoftware

Elden Ring merged FromSoftware’s signature difficulty with a vast open world, creating one of the most influential games of its generation. Set in the haunting Lands Between, the game invites players to explore without hand-holding, explanations, or traditional quest markers.

Discovery in Elden Ring feels earned. Lore is hidden in item descriptions, environmental clues, and fragmented dialogue. The game challenges players not just mechanically, but intellectually.

What makes Elden Ring exceptional is how it respects player agency. You choose where to go, when to fight, and how to overcome obstacles. Its success proved that challenging, opaque design still has a massive audience when executed with confidence.

5. Baldur’s Gate 3 (2023)

Developer: Larian Studios

Baldur’s Gate 3 redefined role-playing freedom. Built on Dungeons & Dragons rules, the game allows players to solve problems through dialogue, combat, deception, or creativity—often in ways developers didn’t explicitly predict.

Every character interaction feels reactive. Choices matter not only in the ending, but throughout the entire journey. Companion characters are deeply written, emotionally complex, and capable of surprising the player.

The game’s turn-based combat, narrative depth, and sheer player freedom made it a landmark title. It demonstrated that classic RPG design can thrive at AAA scale without compromise.