The 2017 Game Developers Choice Awards nominees showcased a legendary year of gaming, featuring titans like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn alongside groundbreaking indie debuts.

I remember sitting in my living room in early 2026, scrolling through old gaming news archives, when I stumbled upon the announcement for the 18th annual Game Developers Choice Awards nominees. It felt like opening a time capsule from a legendary year in gaming. The sheer quality and diversity of the titles nominated back then still resonate today, a testament to a period where creativity and technical prowess seemed to reach a new peak. The headlines were dominated by two titans, each with six nominations: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Horizon Zero Dawn. Just reading their names side-by-side again sends a thrill down my spine, reminding me of the countless hours I spent lost in their worlds.

Looking back, the Game of the Year category was a battlefield of genres. You had the serene, open-ended exploration of Hyrule in Breath of the Wild, a game that fundamentally changed how I think about adventure. Then there was the lush, machine-filled post-apocalypse of Horizon Zero Dawn, with its gripping story of discovery. But the competition didn't stop there. Nier: Automata challenged me philosophically with its haunting narrative and multiple endings. Super Mario Odyssey was pure, unadulterated joy in platforming form. And who could forget the cultural phenomenon that was PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, which defined an entire era of multiplayer gaming? It was a list where every choice felt monumental.

The narrative category was equally fierce, showcasing games that used interactivity to tell stories in ways film or books never could. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice was a harrowing and respectful journey into psychosis, an experience that stayed with me long after the credits rolled. What Remains of Edith Finch was a masterpiece of short-story vignettes, each more inventive than the last. While Horizon Zero Dawn' epic tale of Aloy was nominated here too, it was fascinating to see it compete against more intimate, personal stories like Night in the Woods and the alt-history intensity of Wolfenstein II.

What truly made that year special, in my opinion, was the celebration of new voices. The Best Debut category was a love letter to indie brilliance:

• StudioMDHR for Cuphead – a labor of love that revived 1930s animation.

• Team Cherry for Hollow Knight – a deep, melancholic, and beautiful metroidvania.

• Infinite Fall for Night in the Woods – a relatable story about small-town life.

• Sidebar Games for Golf Story – a charming RPG that wasn't really about golf.

• Jason Roberts for Gorogoa – a purely ingenious puzzle game.

Seeing these names alongside industry giants was incredibly inspiring. It proved that a single visionary or a small team could create something that stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the biggest budgets.

The audio nominations were a feast for the ears. Cuphead's live-recorded jazz, Nier: Automata's transcendent soundtrack, the immersive binaural audio of Hellblade, the minimalist piano notes of Zelda, and the sweeping orchestral scores of Horizon—each created a distinct emotional landscape. I can still hum melodies from each one. Design was another heavyweight category, essentially a subset of the GOTY race, highlighting how integral clever mechanics and world-building were to each nominee's success.

The Innovation Award was particularly close to my heart. It recognized games that dared to be different. Gorogoa with its hand-drawn, multi-panel puzzle mechanics was unlike anything I'd ever played. What Remains of Edith Finch turned mundane actions into profound gameplay. Everything was... well, a philosophical simulation about being everything. Seeing PUBG and Breath of the Wild here too showed that innovation wasn't just for small experimental games; it could redefine entire genres and open-world design.

Visually, the spectrum was stunning. From the stylized, hyper-cool UI and animations of Persona 5 to the painstakingly hand-drawn 1930s aesthetic of Cuphead. From the breathtaking naturalistic beauty of Horizon Zero Dawn to the painterly, impressionistic world of Breath of the Wild, and finally to the simple yet expressive 2D art of Night in the Woods. Each game presented a completely unique artistic vision, proving there is no single "best" way to make a game look beautiful.

On the technical front, it was a clash of engines and ambition. Destiny 2's seamless shared world, Hellblade's cutting-edge performance capture and audio tech, Assassin's Creed: Origins' massive, living rendition of ancient Egypt, and the two technical powerhouses: Horizon Zero Dawn's incredible AI and rendering, and Breath of the Wild's systemic chemistry and physics engine. These were the games pushing hardware to its limits.

Even the specialized categories were packed. VR was coming into its own with the time-bending action of Superhot VR, the cooperative starship simulation of Star Trek: Bridge Crew, the zero-gravity narrative of Lone Echo, the terrifying immersion of Resident Evil 7, and the daunting prospect of exploring all of Skyrim in virtual reality. Mobile gaming, too, was in a golden age with clever titles like Reigns: Her Majesty, the delightful Hidden Folks, the serene sequel Monument Valley 2, the portable version of Gorogoa, and the poignant messaging-sim Bury Me, My Love.

Revisiting this list today, in 2026, is a powerful reminder of why I love this medium. That year wasn't about one game winning; it was about a collective triumph of imagination. Each nominee, from the biggest blockbuster to the smallest debut, contributed to a mosaic of what games could be. As I look at the games of today, I see the direct lineage of the ideas celebrated in that 18th awards ceremony. The boundaries pushed then have become the foundations we build upon now. It was, without a doubt, a year for the history books, and I feel fortunate to have played through it.