Unlike a lot of end-of-year gaming awards, the Steam Awards have a rather … unique set of criteria. None require the games in question to have come out in 2017, making for a list that has a lot of oldies but goodies still clinging onto fame in this, the year of our lord 2017.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that means The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, a game that came out in 2015, is still receiving industry accolades from its hopelessly addicted fans. (The Witcher: Enhanced Edition received a firm nod as well.) And all that without the sense of progression and accomplishment that comes from loot boxes. Incredible.
The Steam Awards have historically boasted a fascinating set of names that are a lot spicier than the typical yearbook-superlative-style award titles we’re used to. Last year’s award titles included “I Thought This Game Was Cool Before It Won An Award,” “Whoooaaaaaaa, Dude!”, “Boom Boom” and my personal favorite, “Best Use Of A Farm Animal.”
This year’s award names were a bit more arcane, but the winners were no surprise. Is there an award out there that PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds hasn’t won? Is there a laurel wreath Witcher 3 doesn’t wear? Who doesn’t love Stardew Valley? How many hours of life have been lost to the hypnotic pull of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive ? And of course, Cuphead, Cuphead, Cuphead , everyone’s favorite indie darling with all the fun of a ‘30s retro aesthetic mostly stripped of the mind-bogglingly racist aesthetics present in the actual 1930s. Just saying.
This year’s unique categories are a cheerfully creative slurry of gaming enthusiasm, from “Mom’s Spaghetti” (“games so intense that they elicit a physical reaction”) to “Cry Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War” (“You're an agent of chaos and no one is going to tell you what to do”). Are you listening, Game Awards? These are my kinds of categories, with the exception of the disappointingly mundane “Best Soundtrack.” Come on, Valve, if I wanted that kind of blandity blandness, I’d go check out the Game Awards.
All that being said, here’s a full list of the Steam Awards 2017 winners:
Choices Matter: The Witcher III: Wild Hunt
Mom's Spaghetti: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
Labor Of Love: Warframe
Suspension of Disbelief: Rocket League
The World Is Grim Enough, Let's Just All Get Along: Stardew Valley
No Apologies: The Witcher: Enhanced Edition
Defies Description: Garry's Mod
Cry Havoc And Let Slip The Dogs Of War: Just Cause 3
Haunts My Dreams: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Soul of Vitruvius: Rise of the Tomb Raider
Whoooaaaaaaa, Dude! 2.0: The Evil Within 2
Best Soundtrack: Cuphead
Even Better Than I Expected: Cuphead
You can check out the winners here (and last year’s winners here for comparison). What categories do you think we’ll see next year? What kind of game do you hope sweeps the competition? Did you vote for any of the winners? What, no No Man’s Sky? Feel free to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
