Golden Joystick Archives

AppWizard

December 17, 2025

Six Xbox Game Pass titles to dive into during the holidays

The text describes a cozy holiday atmosphere enhanced by gaming, highlighting six games suitable for the festive season: 1. Fallout 4: An award-winning RPG set in a post-apocalyptic Boston where players can build settlements and explore a vast open world. 2. Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor: A game where players control a dwarf miner, gathering resources and battling aliens, featuring a unique path-carving mechanic and a rich progression system. 3. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7: The latest installment in the franchise, offering three game modes and over thirty multiplayer maps for co-op campaigns and competitive play. 4. Age of Mythology: Retold: A reimagining of the 2002 classic real-time strategy game, featuring mythological heroes and significant gameplay improvements. 5. Abiotic Factor: A survival game where players are stranded scientists dealing with a paranormal outbreak, focusing on resource scavenging and teamwork, nominated for PC Game of the Year. 6. Diablo 4: A loot-driven game with engaging mechanics, featuring roguelike events and character customization, set in demon-infested zones.

AppWizard

December 13, 2025

With Starfield’s promised “exciting things” for 2025 still yet to materialize, it feels like we’ve been left to suffocate in space

Fans of Starfield have experienced a disappointing year, with criticism aimed at the game's lack of interstellar exploration and tedious planetary exploration. The official Starfield Twitter account acknowledged fan concerns in March, promising updates that have yet to materialize. The first expansion, Shattered Space, released a year after the game's launch, received 'mostly negative' reviews for its limited content. Despite some communication from Bethesda, including a developer spotlight and hints at a second DLC titled Terran Armada, fans remain uncertain due to the lack of substantial updates and a dedicated expansion page on Steam. As the year ends, the flow of information about Starfield has been minimal, leaving fans disheartened.

BetaBeacon

December 11, 2025

Epic is letting you grab this critically acclaimed roguelite for free

The Epic Games Store offers free games every Thursday on Android and PC. Today's free game is Dead Cells, a popular roguelite, Metroidvania-inspired game.

AppWizard

December 7, 2025

Catch up on the GOTY conversation with these Game Awards nominees on Xbox Game Pass

The Golden Joystick Awards have concluded, and discussions about Game of the Year are increasing as The Game Awards approach. Xbox Game Pass provides access to many acclaimed games from the year. The latest installment of Ninja Gaiden, featuring the character Yakumo, continues the series' tradition of precision gameplay and intense battles. Hades, a nominee for Game of the Year in 2020 and winner of multiple awards, allows players to control Zagreus as he attempts to escape the underworld, encountering gods and engaging in combat. Hades is recognized for its unique gameplay loop and character development, and its sequel, Hades 2, has also received several nominations.

AppWizard

November 28, 2025

Lies of P director says ‘I will not disappoint you’ when it comes to the sequel, and after playing its award-winning DLC this year, I fully believe him

Lies of P has gained critical acclaim with its recent downloadable content (DLC) titled Overture, which won the Best Game Expansion at the Golden Joystick Awards. The DLC features a rich narrative and stylistic innovation, incorporating cinematic storytelling and team-up challenges. It enhances gameplay with a stance break mechanic inspired by Bloodborne and Sekiro. Overture transforms a convoluted story into an emotionally engaging experience, showcasing character arcs that evoke genuine emotion. Anticipation for a sequel is high, with promises of hauntingly beautiful covers of classic rhythm game tracks integrated into the game's gothic atmosphere.

AppWizard

November 27, 2025

Clair Obscur creative director says he knew the game was going to be ‘cool,’ but he really didn’t expect it to be so ‘big’

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold over five million copies and received significant recognition at the Golden Joystick Awards. Creative director Guillaume Broche expressed surprise at the game's popularity, stating it was not expected to be a major success before its launch. Voice actor Ben Starr noted that the game was never intended to achieve such heights and attributed its success to its authenticity. The game has also received a record number of nominations for The Game Awards 2025, with results to be revealed on December 11.

AppWizard

November 21, 2025

Minecraft and Pokemon Go among winners at Golden Joystick Awards

The Golden Joystick Awards, celebrating its 43rd year, recognized standout games through public votes and an expert panel. Minecraft won the Still Playing Award for console and PC games, marking its 15th anniversary and maintaining a monthly player base of around 160 million. In the mobile gaming category, Pokemon Go received the Still Playing Award, having transformed player interaction since its 2016 launch. Donkey Kong Bonanza won the Critics' Choice Award, highlighting the character's lasting influence in gaming.

AppWizard

November 22, 2024

Minecraft is the winner of the Still Playing Award at the Golden Joystick Awards 2024

Minecraft has won the Still Playing Award for PC and Console at the Golden Joystick Awards 2024. It has sold over 300 million copies since its launch in 2009. Notable nominees for the award included Apex Legends, Counter-Strike 2, EA Sports FC, Dota 2, Fortnite, GTA Online, Naraka: Bladepoint, Roblox, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, Valorant, and Warframe. The developers are shifting to a strategy of regular free update "game drops" instead of infrequent major patches. Additionally, an animated series on Netflix and a live-action film featuring Jack Black and Jason Momoa are in development.

AppWizard

November 22, 2024

Rockstar teases ‘absolutely mind-blowing things’ in the works as Grand Theft Auto 6 wins Most Wanted Game at the Golden Joystick Awards

Black Myth: Wukong won the Ultimate Game of the Year award at the 42nd annual Golden Joystick Awards. Helldivers 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth each won four awards. Grand Theft Auto 6 was awarded Most Wanted Game. Satisfactory was named PC Game of the Year. The awards included various categories with winners such as Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for Best Storytelling, Black Myth: Wukong for Best Visual Design, and Helldivers 2 for Best Multiplayer Game. Other notable awards included Astro Bot for Best Audio Design, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree for Best Game Expansion, and Another Crab’s Treasure for Best Indie Game Self Published. Team ASOBI was recognized as Studio of the Year, and the Steam Deck OLED won Best Gaming Hardware. The Best Game Adaptation award went to Fallout, while Briana White and Cody Christian won for Best Supporting Performer and Best Lead Performer, respectively. The Still Playing categories recognized Honkai: Star Rail and Minecraft. The Critics’ Choice Award was given to Helldivers 2, and Balatro received the Breakthrough Award. A recording of the event is available for viewing.

AppWizard

November 21, 2024

Satisfactory snags PC Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards 2024

Satisfactory was awarded PC Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards. The game, developed by the creators of Goat Simulator, has evolved since its Early Access debut in 2019 and has received an aggregate score of 91 on Metacritic. It achieved a record-breaking concurrent player count on Steam, surpassing its previous peak by more than five times, with a noted increase from 34,000 concurrent users. The game allows players to build factories on alien planets and can be played solo or with friends. Other nominees for PC Game of the Year included Animal Well, Balatro, Frostpunk 2, Tactical Breach Wizards, and UFO 50.