Taking place on Thursday, February 6th, the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Awards will be livestreamed in its entirety when the event begins at 7:30 PT/10:30PM ET.
Today, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences revealed their nominees, with The Last of Us leading the way with 13 nominations, followed by Grand Theft Auto V at 7, BioShock Infinite at 6, and Assasssin’s Creed IV: Black Flag and Tearaway at 5 each.
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences President Martin Rae talked about the awards:
The games from 2013 are a mix of memorable, small footprint independent games and true blockbusters from the past console generation as they wind down in high style with notable games like Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us and Bioshock: Infinite. Each year our voters grapple with a surplus of impactful games, and 2013 was no different with its selection of stunning visuals, innovative gameplay and challenging narratives. It is an honor for the Academy to celebrate such a talented group of creators and their respective work at the D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony!
Here’s a full list of all the nominees and categories (Game of the Year is at the bottom):
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Beyond: Two Souls
- BioShock Infinite
- Puppeteer
- rain
- Rayman Legends
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
- Battlefield 4
- BioShock Infinite
- God of War: Ascension
- Grand Theft Auto V
- The Last of Us
Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Beyond: Two Souls
- BioShock Infinite
- The Last of Us
- The Novelist
- Tomb Raider
Outstanding Character Performance
- Grand Theft Auto V – Trevor
- Ryse: Son of Rome – Marius Titus
- The Last of Us – Ellie
- The Last of Us – Joel
- The Stanley Parable – Narrator
Downloadable Game of the Year
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
- Gone Home
- Papers, Please
- The Stanley Parable
Casual Game of the Year
- Candy Box
- Peggle 2
- Plants vs. Zombies 2
- Rayman Fiesta Run
- Ridiculous Fishing: A Tale of Redemption
Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year
- Diablo III
- Dota 2
- Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
- Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
- Pokémon X and Y
Outstanding Innovation in Gaming
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Papers, Please
- Tearaway
- The Last of Us
- The Stanley Parable
Sports Game of the Year
- FIFA 14
- Madden NFL 25
- MLB 13: The Show
- NBA 2K14
- NHL 14
Racing Game of the Year
- Forza Motorsport 5
- Gran Turismo 6
- Grid 2
- Need for Speed: Rivals
- Real Racing 3
Fighting Game of the Year
- DiveKick
- Injustice: Gods Among Us
- Killer Instinct
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- Europa Universalis 4
- Fire Emblem: Awakening
- Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Brave New World
- StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
- XCOM: Enemy Within
Family Game of the Year
- Disney Infinity
- LEGO Marvel Super Heroes
- Rayman Legends
- Skylanders: Swap Force
- Super Mario 3D World
Mobile Game of the Year
- Fetch
- Flick Kick Football Legends
- Plants vs. Zombies 2
- Ridiculous Fishing: A Tale of Redemption
- The Wolf Among Us
Handheld Game of the Year
- Fire Emblem: Awakening
- Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
- Pokémon X and Y
- Tearaway
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Adventure Game of the Year
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
- Tearaway
- The Last of Us
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
- Tomb Raider
Online Game of the Year
- Battlefield 4
- Borderlands 2
- Diablo III
- The Last of Us
- World of Tanks
Action Game of the Year
- Battlefield 4
- BioShock Infinite
- Dead Rising 3
- DmC: Devil May Cry
- Resogun
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
- Beyond: Two Souls
- Puppeteer
- Rayman Legends
- The Last of Us
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- BioShock Infinite
- Puppeteer
- Rayman Legends
- Tearaway
- The Last of Us
Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
- Battlefield 4
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Ryse: Son of Rome
- The Last of Us
Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
- Forza Motorsport 5
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Super Mario 3D World
- The Last of Us
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Papers, Please
- Tearaway
- The Last of Us
Game of the Year
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
- BioShock Infinite
- Grand Theft Auto 5
- The Last of Us
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Are you surprised about any games not nominated? Who do you think will take home Game of the Year? Let us know in the comments below.