Greetings!
We have [gathered the nominations](https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSwitch/comments/10odv4d/2022_rnintendoswitch_goty_nominations_thread/) – it is time for you to vote for the best games of 2022!
**[CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR VOTES!](https://forms.gle/76SwrhfQNK89o2nBA)**
NOTE: You are not required to answer every category, but the more the better!
Voting will remain open through at least February 17th. If votes are still coming in after a week, then we may extend the voting window an extra day or two.
This year’s categories are:
# Section 1 – Gaming Together
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* **Best Online Multiplayer Game** – For outstanding online multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op and massively multiplayer experiences, irrespective of game genre.
* **Best Local Multiplayer Game** – For outstanding local multiplayer gameplay and design, including co-op, irrespective of game genre.
* **Best Family Game** – For the best game appropriate for family play, irrespective of genre.
# Section 2 – Categories by Genre
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* **Best Strategy Game** – For the best game requiring a well thought out plan to achieve victory
* **Best Role Playing Game (RPG)** – For the best game designed with rich player character customization and progression
* **Best Adventure Game** – For the best adventure game, which may mix combat with traversal and puzzle solving
* **Best Action Game** – For the best game in the action genre focused on combat.
* **Best Fighting Game** – For the best game designed primarily around head-to-head combat.
* **Best Sports / Racing Game** – For the best traditional and non-traditional sports and racing game.
* **Best Horror Game** – For that game that scared the socks off of you this year, the cause of all of those nightmares.
* **Best Platformer Game** – For outstanding design and creativity in a game where players must use skill to jump between platforms or over obstacles without falling or missing jumps.
* **Best Puzzle Game** – For the most enjoyable time racking your brain for the solution to the puzzle.
* **Best Music / Rhythm Game** – For the best game with a focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments.
* **Best Visual Novel** – For the best Visual Novel, which may combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustrations and a varying degree of interactivity
* **Best Simulation Game** – For games generally designed to closely simulate real world activities
# Section 3 – Categories by Qualities
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* **Best Soundtrack** – For outstanding music, inclusive of score, original song and/or licensed soundtrack.
* **Best Art Direction** – For outstanding creative achievement in artistic design and animation.
* **Best Narrative** – For outstanding storytelling and narrative development in a game.
* **Best Game Direction** – Awarded for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design.
* **Best Technical Achievement** – For the game which achieves a combination of gameplay and graphics which goes well beyond hardware expectations.
* **Best Voice Acting** – For outstanding voice acting, direction, and use of audio dialogue
# Section 4 – Release Categories
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* **Best Re-Release / Re-master** – For the best game whose original release was not on a current generation console (pre-2021) (Switch/PS5/Xbox Series X).
* **Nintendo Switch Exclusive Game** – Best game released in 2022 as a Nintendo Switch console exclusive.
* **Best Non-Switch Game** – Games for PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X
* **Best DLC** – The extra content that you felt was truly worth the money (or not in the case of free) and you don’t regret the time taken to play it.
* **Best Ongoing Game** – For outstanding development of ongoing content that evolves the player experience over time. Does NOT have to be a 2022 release.
* **Best Indie Game** – For outstanding creative and technical achievement in a game made outside the traditional publisher system.
* **Best Free-to-Play Game** – For budget-friendly games that you enjoyed and you don’t regret the time taken to play it
# Section 5 – Final Section
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* **Developer of the Year** – Developer studio who displayed outstanding platform support through a combination of quantity and quality of new releases.
* **3rd Party Publisher of the Year** – Publishing studio who displayed outstanding platform support through a combination of quantity and quality of new releases.
* **Nintendo Switch Game of the Year** – Recognizing a game that delivers the absolute best experience across all creative and technical fields.
by NintendoSwitchMods
31 Comments
Voted! 😀
I don’t think I should be voting 🙁
I’m only just now realizing how few of the 2022 releases I’ve played
My Switch GOTY is Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Wow, Game of the Year snubbed my first (Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope) *and* second (Bayonetta 3) choices this year.
Why is this in February and not late December?
Chained echoes – goty for me
If this is proprietary info, please feel free to disregard, but what was the cut-off threshold (proportion of votes? “Top six” only? Minimum number of votes?) for whether a game was included in a category or not?
I appreciate why the nominations thread is in Contest Mode (and can relate to why not every nomination can be included), but some of these categories seem kneecapped.
Disclosure: this could be because I don’t know how Contest Mode works beyond hiding comment scores permanently. Thank you for organizing!
Lol no Splatoon 3 at the last question but XC3 is on there
For Developer, Publisher, it’d be helpful if you listed some games in there.
Can someone explain how Digimon Survive is a horror game lol?
“Best game released in 2021 as a Nintendo Switch console exclusive” I think you meant to write 2022
I need to play Chained Echoes.
It seems cool.
[removed]
Choosing best soundtrack… broke me.
Scrolled do find Xenoblade Chronicles 3, because what can be better than that this year? Only to be reminded the Persona 5 and Nier: Automata were also there… Literally 2 of my favourite soundtracks of all time 😭Sorry Noah…
Still so hard to believe that Xenoblade 3 and Scarlet/Violet came out in the same year. It feels like I’m playing on 2 entirely different consoles.
I am here just to vote for neon white
Just realized the only game with a modern release I’ve played this year is 13 sentinels haha
For Best Game Direction – Awarded for outstanding creative vision and innovation in game direction and design, it feels like Pokemon Arceus should be in the running considering how much it completely deviates from the traditional Pokemon RPG format, and the new catching mechanic
I’m just here to get Kirby to win something
Why is Splatoon 3 not nominated as game of the year? oO
No nominations for Citizen Sleeper? What a bunch of frauds.
No nomination for Sparks of Hope for the best soundtrack? Inexcusable!
Kinda sad that nms isn’t on the indie game thing
I love chained echoes so much
Sonic Frontiers getting snubbed for best soundtrack once again smh
No Persona 5 in the GOTY category, wtf?
lol of course no pokemon games are nominated for best technical achievement
2022 was a solid year for the Switch! So happy that I got to play so many great games 🙌🏾
>best visual novel
>No mahoyo
Actual robbery
Did y’all hate Lego Star Wars or something? My favourite release last year. Why couldn’t I vote on it for almost any categories? Why isn’t it in the adventure game category?