The Steam Awards 2017 winners have been crowned. The second Steam Awards event featured a range of categories, celebrating games which offer players multiple choices and paths to take, titles that make for an intense experience, and much more.
Here’s the list of categories, nominees, and winners:
Choices Matter Award
Games are about agency, and this award is for the game that has it in spades. Maybe it’s because there are 31 ways you can breach into a villains lair. Perhaps there are dozens of potential partners for you to build a romantic future with. Or maybe you find yourself constantly saying “Where oh where should I plant those turnips”? In all three scenarios there is a common bond: the choice was always yours.
- Winner: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Divinity: Original Sin II
- Life Is Strange Before The Storm
- Dishonored 2
- The Walking Dead A New Frontier
The Mom’s Spaghetti Award
There are games that make you excited. There are games that make you happy. Then there are games so intense that they elicit a physical reaction. We’re talking weak knees. We’re talking sweaty palms. We’re talking fear-induced accidents. We’re talking your friends reminding you to breathe. We’re talking about mom’s spaghetti.
- Winner: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
- Resident Evil 7
- Alien Isolation
- Outlast II
- The Evil Within 2
The Labor Of Love Award
This game has been out for a while. The team is well past the first unveiling of their creative baby, but being the good parents they are, these devs continue to nurture and support their creation. This game, to this day, is still getting new content after all these years.
- Winner: Warframe
- Team Fortress 2
- Path Of Exile
- Crusader Kings II
- Titan Quest
The Suspension Of Disbelief Award
Let’s be honest: games can have some pretty ridiculous elements in them… from the stories that drive the action, to the items required to conquer obstacles, to even the protagonists themselves. This award is for the game that has a key component, which when described out of context, seems totally insane, but while playing the game doesn’t even make you bat an eye, because in the moment it makes total sense.
- Winner: Rocket League
- Saints Row IV
- South Park The Fractured But Whole
- Goat Simulator
- Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
The World Is Grim Enough Let’s Just Get Along Award
Games delight and entertain us, giving us much needed breaks from the sorrows and low points of our lives… and let’s be honest, for a lot of people it’s been a rough 2017. That is why the SASC has chosen to celebrate a game that doesn’t involve combat or conflict.
- Winner: Stardew Valley
- Cities Skylines
- To The Moon
- Abzu
- Slime Rancher
The No Apologies Award
This award is for the game that you love unconditionally. Does it have some faults? Maybe. Do other people not understand your love for it? Sure. But make no mistake. There is no guilt here. Only pleasure.
- Winner: The Witcher Enhanced Edition
- Rust
- Mount & Blade Warband
- HuniePop
- Gothic II Gold Edition
The Defies Description Award
This game is like… well actually it’s more similar to…picture a combination of… ya know what, I can’t describe it, just play it.
- Winner: Garry’s Mod
- The Stanley Parable
- Doki Doki Literature Club
- Antichamber
- Pony Island
The Cry Havoc And Let Slip The Dogs Of War Award
The Bard said it best. This game doesn’t necessarily offer the biggest explosions… it offers something better. Potential. Potential to be a rampaging force of nature. Or not. Who knows. You’re an agent of chaos and no one is going to tell you what to do.
- Winner: Just Cause 3
- Middle-earth: Shadow Of War
- Total War: Warhammer II
- Broforce
- Red Faction Guerrilla
The Haunts My Dreams Award
This award is slightly a misnomer, because this game doesn’t just haunt your dreams. It consumes your thoughts every waking moment of the day. This game doesn’t demand your time. You give it willingly.
- Winner: CS:GO
- Dark Souls III
- Civilization VI
- Dota 2
- Factorio
The Soul Of Vitruvius Award
The Vitruvian Man was Leonardo’s celebration of the ideal form. And in that spirit the SASC looks to celebrate the game with the most lovingly rendered character… be it human, alien, anthropomorphic cat people, or even a piece of produce.
- Winner: Rise Of The Tomb Raider
- Nier Automata
- Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- I Am Bread
- Bayonetta
The Whoooaaaaaaa, Dude! 2.0 Award
The Academy wasn’t clear enough in the awards description last year. Let’s try this again. This award is for the “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” of video games.
- Winner: The Evil Within 2
- Hotline Miami 2
- AntiChamber
- Luna
- CPU Invaders
The Best Soundtrack Award
There are very few things that can enhance a game better than music. The right song can set the tone for every aspect of gameplay, from simple exploration, to climactic boss fights. This award is for the soundtrack that captured the essence of their game so perfectly that it effortlessly immersed players into the game world.
- Winner: Cuphead
- Nier Automata
- Undertale
- Transistor
- Crypt Of The NecroDancer
The Even Better Than I Expected Award
We’ve all been there. You get super excited for a game, you pre-order it, and you anxiously wait as it downloads. Then you finally play it. How do you feel now? If the answer is “Elated beyond words because even I, a conductor aboard the hype train, was blown away with how good this thing was” then you have found the perfect candidate for this award.
- Winner: Cuphead
- Assassin’s Creed Origins
- Call Of Duty WWII
- Hollow Knight
- Sonic Mania
What do you think of The Steam Awards 2017 winners? Were they deserving, or should other games have taken the crown? Let us know.
Source: Steam
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