The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced the nominees for the 2016 DICE Awards.
Square Enix’s Rise of the Tomb Raider and CD Projekt’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt lead all other games with eight nominations apiece, including “Game of the Year.” They’ll be competing for the AIAS’s highest honor against three other games: Bloodborne, Fallout 4, and Ori and the Blind Forest. All told, 53 different titles received at least one nomination.
“Looking at the nominees for the 19th Annual DICE Awards, I am especially impressed by the broad range of titles catering to gamers’ increasingly sophisticated and diverse tastes,” said Martin Rae, the President of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. “It is always gratifying to watch our industry and its many artists and craftsmen grow and continue to challenge and thrill audiences.”
In addition to this year’s awards show, Satoru Iwata will be honored with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award and Hideo Kojima will be inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame.
The ceremony for the 2016 DICE Awards will take place on Thursday, February 16, during this year’s DICE (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit. The full list of nominees can be found after the break.
Game of the Year
- Bloodborne
- Fallout 4
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Handheld Game of the Year
- Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space
- Helldivers
- Pokemon: Super Mystery Dungeon
- Yo-Kai Watch
Mobile Game of the Year
- DomiNations
- Fallout Shelter
- Lara Croft Go
- Pac-Man 256
- The Room Three
Action Game of the Year
- Destiny: The Taken King
- Helldivers
- Just Cause 3
- Star Wars: Battlefront
- Splatoon
Adventure Game of the Year
- Batman: Arkham Knight
- Life Is Strange
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
Family Game of the Year
- Guitar Hero Live
- Lego Dimensions
- Rock Band 4
- Super Mario Maker
- Tearaway Unfolded
Fighting Game of the Year
- Mortal Kombat X
- Dead or Alive: Last Round
- Rising Thunder
Racing Game of the Year
- Forza Motorsport 6
- Need For Speed
- Project CARS
Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year
- Bloodborne
- Fallout 4
- Pillars of Eternity
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Undertale
Sports Game of the Year
- FIFA 16
- Madden NFL 16
- MLB 15: The Show
- NBA 2K16
- Rocket League
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- Cities: Skylines
- Fallout Shelter
- Grey Goo
- Heroes of the Storm
- Kerbal Space Program
Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (Evie Frye)
- Her Story (Hannah Smith)
- Life Is Strange (Maxine Caulfield)
- Rise of the Tomb Raider (Lara Croft)
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Geralt of Rivia)
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Fallout 4
- Her Story
- Lara Croft Go
- Massive Chalice
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Fallout 4
- Life Is Strange
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Undertale
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Batman: Arkham Knight
- Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
- Destiny: The Taken King
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- Star Wars: Battlefront
- The Order: 1886
Outstanding Achievement in Story
- Fallout 4
- Her Story
- Tales From the Borderlands
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Outstanding Achievement in Online Gameplay
- Destiny: The Taken King
- Halo 5: Guardians
- Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
- Rocket League
- Splatoon
Outstanding Technical Achievement
- Just Cause 3
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- Star Wars: Battlefront
- The Order: 1886
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
- Batman: Arkham Knight
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- The Order: 1886
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Lara Croft Go
- Ori and the Blind Forest
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- The Order: 1886
- Star Wars: Battlefront
D.I.C.E. Sprite Award
- Her Story
- GALAK-Z
- Kerbal Space Program
- Rocket League
- Undertale
