• Steam users were asked to vote on titles for the 2023 Steam Awards during the platform’s Winter Sale.
• Unsurprisingly, Baldur’s Gate 3 was crowned the game of the year and for good reason.
• Bethesda’s Starfield won the award for most Innovate Gameplay which is surprising to say the least.

The last year will be remembered as one of the best for videogames and especially so for enjoyers of Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 which scooped Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2023.

Now the title has scooped the same accolade only this time from Valve’s 2023 Steam Awards. These awards see gamers voting on the best titles across a range of categories throughout the Winter Sale which ran from 21st December 2023 to 4th January 2024 this time around.

Baldur’s Gate beat out the likes of Resident Evil 4, Hogwarts Legacy, FC24, and Lethal Compay to secure the Game of the Year Award.

In truth, it’s easy to see why the game won the accolade. Baldur’s Gate 3 is only beaten by Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2 and PUBG in terms of current players. In December, the game reached a peak player count of 297 492, impressive figures for a single-player game released in August 2023.

Larian Studios bottled lightning with Baldur’s Gate 3 and it’s incredible to see a title such as it reach the heights it has.

As for the other winners, you can find all the nominees and winners below.

The most surprising award for us here at the Hypertext office is Starfield winning the Innovative Gameplay award. We suppose the ship building is unique, but that’s where our compliments end. Maybe that army of Bethesda employees who tried to convince players Starfield was quite good also decided to vote for the title during the Winter Sale.

VR Game of the Year

• F1 23
• Labyrinthine – Winner
• Gorilla Tag
• I Expect You To Die 3: Cog in the Machine
• Ghosts of Tabor

Labour of Love

• Apex Legends
• Dota 2
• Deep Rock Galactic
• Rust
• Red Dead Redemption II – Winner

Best Game on Steam Deck

• Diablo IV
• The Outlast Trials
• Dredge
• Hogwarts Legacy – Winner
• Brotato

Better with Friends

• Lethal Company – Winner
• Warhammer 40000: Darktide
• Sons of the Forest
• Sunkenland
• Party Animals

Outstanding Visual Style

• Darkest Dungeon
• Inward
• Cocoon
• Atomic Heart – Winner
• High on Life

Most Innovative Gameplay

• Starfield – Winner
• Remnant II
• Your Only Move Is Hustle
• Shadows of Doubt
• Contraband Police

Best Game You Suck At

• Overwatch 2
• Sifu – Winner
• Lords of the Fallen
• FC 24
• Street Fighter 6

Best Soundtrack

• Chants of Sennaar
• Hi-Fi Rush
• The Last of Us Part 1 – Winner
• Persona 5 Tactica
• Pizza Tower

Outstanding Story-Rich Game

• Lies of P
• Baldur’s Gate 3 – Winner
• Resident Evil 4
• Star Wars Jedi Survivor
• Love is All Around

Sit Back and Relax

• Coral Island
• Dave the Diver – Winner
• Cities Skylines II
• Potion Craft
• Train Sim World 4