Back during the Steam Winter Sale in December, Valve allowed Steam users to vote for games and developers in eight categories for the Steam Awards. The best developer category was so highly contested that Valve even increased the number of nominees to 10 and excluded themselves from the process. That’s one of the reasons why you won’t see any of Valve on the Steam Awards 2018 winners list.
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The nominees didn’t have to release in 2018 and Steam users were free to vote for a variety of titles and developers in each category. Although most of the results aren’t all that surprising, PUBG won the overall Game of the Year award and that was truly a bit shocking in my opinion. Check out the full list of Steam Awards 2018 winners and a little piece of information about each winner, including CD Projekt Red who won the highly-contested best developer award.
Game of the Year: Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds
“Maybe it was its immersive gameplay, or its gripping story… its well-crafted characters, immaculate design, or addictive multiplayer. Whatever the reason, the winner of 2018’s Game of the Year Award is an instant classic.”
VR Game of the Year: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR
“VR is the Wild West of game design. It’s a lawless land of emerging standards where pretty much anything goes. The winner of this award is not only hugely fun, but helps chart a course for the future of the medium.”
Labo(u)r of Love: Grand Theft Auto 5
“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.”
Best Developer: CD Projekt Red
“Whether it was by listening to their fans, creating something genuinely unexpected, or just delivering on the promise of a truly great game, this studio absolutely crushed it in 2018.”
Best Environment: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
“All those chatty cutscenes, all those reminders that they need a health pack again. Let’s face it, characters are overrated. As this winner illustrates, sometimes breathtaking scenery tells a better story than a thousand big-mouthed heroes.”
Better With Friends: Rainbow Six Siege
“There are some games out there that just aren’t the same when you play by yourself. Maybe you need to have a friend to watch your back. Maybe you need to have a friend that you can stab in their back. Either way, mirth is awaiting those who gather friends to play these games.”
Best Alternate History: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
“Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it. Those who remember it just fine, but prefer to reinvent it, are doomed to get this award for 2018’s most entertaining tinkering with the history books.”
Most Fun With a Machine: Rocket League
“Whether it’s a car, truck, robot, or other mechanized contraption, the winner of this award fired on all cylinders, engineering an unforgettable gameplay experience made possible by machines.”
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Valve revealed the winners first on Steam.tv and you can check out the full, 17-minute presentation as captured and uploaded by GamersPrey below, then tell us what you think about the winners in the comment section.
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