Ghost of Yōtei tops New York Game Awards 2026 nominations

The nominees for the New York Game Awards 2026 have been revealed, with Ghost of Yōtei being recognised across four categories.

Sucker Punch Productions’ title was nominated for Best Game of the Year, Best Writing, and Best Music. Erika Ishii was recognised for their role as Atsu in the Best Acting category.

Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur, Julián Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena’s Despelote, and Supergiant Games’ Hades 2 received three nominations each, all appearing in the Game of the Year category.

Dogubomb’s Blue Prince and Team Cherry’s Hollow Knight: Silksong were nominated in two categories, including Best Indie Game of the Year.

Nintendo was the most nominated publisher with five nominations across four categories for Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Star-Crossed World.

The 2026 ceremony also includes a new category, the Best New York Game, which recognises games developed by studios based in the city.

“This year had so many amazing games that we felt it was necessary to introduce the new Excelsior Award to shine an extra spotlight on the games coming out of New York,” said New York Videogame Critics Circle founder and president Harold Goldberg.

“”This year’s awards highlight 66 of the best games made by game studios and individuals across the world.”

The 15th annual New York Game Awards takes place on January 18, 2026 at the SVA Theatre in Manhattan.

Here are the full list of nominees for the New York Game Awards 2026:

Best Game of the Year

• Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
• Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios/Electronic Arts)
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
• Despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena/Panic Inc.)
• Sword of the Sea (Giant Squid)
• Silent Hill F (NeoBards Entertainment/Konami Digital Entertainment)
• Hades 2 (Supergiant Games)
• Ghost of Yōtei (Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Best Indie Game

• Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist (Adglobe, Live Wire Inc./Binary Haze Interactive/Limited Run Games)
• Blue Prince
• Despelote
• Deltarune Chapters 3+4 (Toby Fox/8-4)
• Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Ken “coda” Snyder, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P/Hexecutable)
• No, I’m not a Human (Trioskaz/Critical Reflex, Inpleron)
• Tiny Bookshop (Neoludic Games/Skystone Games, 2P Games)
• Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry)

Best Writing in a Game

• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Don’t Nod Montréal/Don’t Nod)
• Avowed (Obsidian Entertainment/Xbox Game Studios)
• The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy (Too Kyo Games, Media Vision/Aniplex, Xseed Games)
• Mafia: The Old Country (Hangar 13/Take-Two Interactive)
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Blippo+ (Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Yacht/Panic Inc.)

Best World

• Split Fiction
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Hades 2
• Baby Steps (Bennett Foddy, Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch/Devolver Digital)
• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (Retro Studios/Nintendo)
• Keeper (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios)

Best Music in a Game

• Lumines Arise (Enhance, Monstars)
• South of Midnight (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios)
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Mario Kart World (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
• Deltarune Chapters 3+4
• Sword of the Sea
• Hades 2
• Ghost of Yōtei

Best Acting in a Game

• Adriyan Rae as Hazel in South of Midnight
• Jennifer English as Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Amelia Sargisson as Nora in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
• Alex Jordan as Jan Dolski in The Alters
• Judy Alice Lee as Melinoë in Hades 2
• Erika Ishii as Atsu in Ghost of Yōtei

Best AR/VR Game

• Ghost Town (Fireproof Studios)
• V-Racer Hoverbike (VertexBreaker)
• The Midnight Walk (Moonhood/Fast Travel Games, Oneway Ticket Studio)
• Lumines Arise
• Marvel’s Deadpool VR (Twisted Pixel Games/Oculus Studios)
• Arken Age (VitruviusVR/Vitruvius Technologies)

Best Kids Game

• Sunderfolk (Secret Door/Dreamhaven)
• Koira (Studio Tolima/Don’t Nod)
• Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
• Lego Party (SMG Studio/Fictions)
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Game Freak/The Pokémon Company, Nintendo)
• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (Sonic Team/Sega)

Best Mobile Game

• Skate City: New York (Agens Games/Snowman)
• What The Clash? (Triband)
• Umamusume: Pretty Derby (Cygames, Exnoa/Kakao Games)
• Is This Seat Taken? (Poti Poti Studio/Wholesome Games Presents)
• Spooky Express (Draknek & Friends)
• Chaos Zero Nightmare (Super Creative/Smilegate)

Best Remake

• The Talos Principle: Reawakened (Croteam/Devolver Digital)
• The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered (Virtuos, Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
• Story Of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (Marvelous/Xseed Games, Marvelous Europe)
• Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter (Nihon Falcom/GungHo Online Entertainment America)
• Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake (Square Enix, Artdink, Team Asano)
• Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection (Digital Eclipse/Atari)

Best Hidden Gem

• Keep Driving (YCJY Games)
• Nubby’s Number Factory (MogDogBlog Productions)
• News Tower (Sparrow Night, Twin Sails Interactive)
• Many Nights a Whisper (Selkie Harbour, Deconstructeam)
• Xenotilt: Hostile Pinball Action (Flarb, Wiznwar)
• And Roger (TearyHand Studio, Kodansha)
• Look Outside (Francis Coulombe, Frankie Smile Show/Devolver Digital)
• Shujinkou (Rice Games)

Best New York Game

• Despelote
• Baby Steps
• Consume Me
• Old Skies (Wadjet Eye Games)
• Ball x Pit
• Skate Story (Sam Eng, Snowhydra/Devolver Digital)

Best DLC

• Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker
• Lies of P: Overture (Neowiz, Round8 Studio)
• Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Star-Crossed World (HAL Laboratory/Nintendo)
• The Sims 4 Adventure Awaits (Maxis, The Sims Studio/Electronic Arts)
• Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune (Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft)
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure – Wheatflour Wonderland (Sunblink/Sunblink Entertainment)

Best Games Journalism

• Duncan Fyfe
• Felipe Pepe
• Jackson Tyler
• Joseph Earl Thomas
• Lewis Gordon
• Nicanor Gordon
• People Make Games