The Japan Game Awards is the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's awards ceremony, which was created in 1996 as the CESA Awards. While it represents the Japanese

video game industry The video game industry encompasses the development, marketing, and monetization of video games. The industry encompasses dozens of job disciplines and thousands of jobs worldwide. The video game industry has grown from niches to mainstrea ...

, it is not limited to Japanese video games, but also includes international video games.

METI Award Divisions

Games of the Year

The " Games of the Year Division" awards existing released works.

Future

The "Future Division" awards non-released works.

Amateur

The three-category "Amateur Division" awards original works that have not been commercially marketed regardless of whether the entrant is a juridical entity, group or individual.

History

Japan Game Awards 2007 booth, Tokyo Game Show 20070919

The ceremony changed its name from launch's "CESA Awards" (CESA大賞, ''CESA taisho'') and "CESA Game Awards" to the actual "Japan Game Awards" (日本ゲーム大賞). The Japanese

financial year A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ...

runs from April 1 to March 31, it applies to all games that were released onto the Japanese market in this period. The following are the winners of the Grand Award.

CESA Awards '96 (1996)

*''

Sakura Wars (1996 video game) is a cross-genre video game developed by Sega and Red Company and published by Sega in 1996. It is the first installment in the '' Sakura Wars'' series, created by Oji Hiroi. Originally released for the Sega Saturn, it was later ported to o ...

'' (Sega Enterprises) Sega Saturn

CESA Awards '97 (1997)

*'' Final Fantasy VII'' (Square) PlayStation

The 3rd CESA Awards (1998)

*'' The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' (Nintendo)

Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...

The 4th Japan Game Awards (1999)

*'' Dokodemo Issyo'' (Sony Computer Entertainment) PlayStation

The 5th Japan Game Awards (2000)

*'' Phantasy Star Online'' (Sega)

Dreamcast The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, Nint ...

The 6th CESA Game Awards (2001~2002)

Period: January 1, 2001 to March 31, 2002 *'' Final Fantasy X'' (Square) PlayStation 2

The 7th CESA Game Awards (2002~2003)

Period: April 1, 2002 to March 31, 2003 *'' Taiko no Tatsujin: Tatakon de Dodon ga Don'' (Namco) PlayStation 2 *''

Final Fantasy XI also known as ''Final Fantasy XI Online'', is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), originally developed and published by Squaresoft and then published by Square Enix as the eleventh main installment of the ''Final Fantas ...

'' (Square) PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows

The 8th CESA Game Awards (2003~2004)

Period: April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004 *

Grand Prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

Monster Hunter is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fantasy-themed action role-playing video games that started with the game '' Monster Hunter'' for the PlayStation 2, released in 2004. Titles have been released across a variety of platforms ...

'' (Capcom) PlayStation 2 *Best Sales Award ''

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen and are 2004 remakes of the 1996 Game Boy role-playing video games ''Pokémon Red'' and ''Blue''. They were developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. ''FireRed'' and ''LeafGreen'' were ...

'' *Global Prize (Japanese works) ''

WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain ''WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain '' (known as ''Exciting Pro Wrestling 5'' in Japan) is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 2 in North America on October 27, 2003. It is the sequel to ...

'' *Global Prize (overseas works) '' Need for Speed: Underground'' *Special Awards '' EyeToy: Play'', '' Kenshin Dragon Quest: Yomigaerishi Densetsu no Ken'', '' Nintendo Classic NES Series''

The 9th CESA Game Awards (2004~2005)

Period: April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005 *Grand Award: '' Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King'' (Square-Enix) PlayStation 2 *Award for Excellence:

Gran Turismo 4 ''Gran Turismo 4'' is a 2004 racing video game for the PlayStation 2, the fourth installment in the main ''Gran Turismo'' series and the sixth for the overall series. It was developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entert ...

PS2;

Sawaru Made in Wario ''WarioWare: Touched!'' is a minigame compilation party video game released by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. The fourth installment of the ''WarioWare'' series, and the first of three on the Nintendo DS, the game involves rapidly completing "mic ...

DS; SAN NENN BGUMI KINNPACHI SENSEI DENSETSU NO KYOUDAN NI TATE PS2;

Shin Sangokumusou 4 is a hack and slash video game set in China and the fifth installment in the ''Dynasty Warriors'' series, developed by Omega Force and published by Koei. The game was released on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is based on the Chinese novel ''Roma ...

PS2

Japan Game Awards 2006 (2005~2006)

Period: April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006 *'' Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day!'' (Nintendo) Nintendo DS *''

Final Fantasy XII is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. The twelfth main installment of the '' Final Fantasy'' series, it was first released for the PlayStation 2 in 2006. It introduced several innovations to the series: an open ...

'' (Square-Enix) PlayStation 2

Japan Game Awards 2007 (2006~2007)

Period: April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007 *''

Wii Sports ''Wii Sports'' is a 2006 sports simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The 1.0 (pre-release) version of the game was released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and the ...

'' (Nintendo) Wii *''

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation Portable. It is the second handheld installment in the ''Monster Hunter'' franchise. Marketed as a sequel to '' Monster Hunter Freedom'', ''Freedom 2'' is ...

'' (Capcom) PlayStation Portable

Japan Game Awards 2008 (2007~2008)

Period: April 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008 *''

Wii Fit is an exergaming video game designed by Nintendo's Hiroshi Matsunaga for the Wii home video game console, featuring a variety of yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance mini-games for use with the Wii Balance Board peripheral. Matsunag ...

'' (Nintendo) Wii *''

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite ''Monster Hunter Freedom Unite'' is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation Portable and iOS. It is an expansion of the original ''Monster Hunter Freedom 2'' and was released on March 27, 2008 in J ...

'' (Capcom) PlayStation Portable

Japan Game Awards 2009 (2008~2009)

Period: April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009 *''

Mario Kart Wii is a kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the sixth installment in the ''Mario Kart'' series, and was released in April 2008. Like its previous installments, ''Mario Kart Wii'' incorporates playable characters ...

'' (Nintendo) Wii *'' Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots'' (

Konami , is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has casino ...

Digital Entertainment)

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November ...

Japan Game Awards 2010 (2009~2010)

Period: April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010 *'' New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' (Nintendo) Wii

Japan Game Awards 2011 (2010~2011)

Period: April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011 *''

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd is the third handheld installment in the ''Monster Hunter'' franchise, developed by Capcom for the PlayStation Portable. Like its predecessor, ''Monster Hunter Freedom 2'', ''Portable 3rd'' is an original title that adapts the core content of ''M ...

'' (Capcom) PSP

Japan Game Awards 2012 (2011~2012)

Period: April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012 Games of the Year Division: * Grand Award: '' Gravity Daze'' PS Vita * Game Designers Award: '' Journey (video game)'' * Award for Excellence: ''Gravity Daze'', '' The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim'', '' Kid Icarus: Uprising'', ''

Super Mario 3D Land is a platform video game in the ''Super Mario'' series developed and published by Nintendo for their Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. It was released worldwide in November 2011, beginning in Japan. It was the first ''Mario'' game to be re ...

'', '' The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword'', ''

Dark Souls is a series of action role-playing games created by Hidetaka Miyazaki of FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The series began with the release of '' Dark Souls'' (2011) and has seen two sequels, ''Dark Souls II'' (2014) ...

'', '' Final Fantasy XIII'', ''

Mario Kart 7 ''Mario Kart 7'' is a Kart racing game, kart racing video game developed by Nintendo EAD in cooperation with Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011. As with the previous games in the Mario Kart, ''Mario Kart'' ser ...

'', '' Monster Hunter 3'', ''One Piece: Pirate Warrior's'' * Special Award: '' Mushroom Garden'' * Best Sales Award: ''Mario Kart 7'' * Global Award (Japanese Product): ''

Pokémon Black and White and are 2010 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. They are the first installments in the fifth generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game series. First releas ...

'' * Global Award: '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3''

Japan Game Awards 2013 (2012~2013)

Period: April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013 Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award: ''

Puzzle & Dragons is a puzzle video game with role-playing and strategy elements, developed and published by GungHo Online Entertainment for the iOS, Android, and Amazon Fire platforms. ''Puzzle & Dragons'' is a match-three puzzle game, requiring players t ...

'' development team of GungHo Online Entertainment. Games of the Year Division: * Grand Award: '' Animal Crossing: New Leaf'' (Nintendo) 3DS * Game Designers Award: ''

The Unfinished Swan ''The Unfinished Swan'' is an adventure video game developed by Santa Monica Studio and Giant Sparrow and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 in October 2012. The game starts with a completely white space in which the ...

'' * Award for Excellence: ''Animal Crossing: New Leaf'', ''

Resident Evil 6 ''Resident Evil 6'' is a 2012 third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom. A major installment in the '' Resident Evil'' series, ''Resident Evil 6'' was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in October 2012, and for ...

'', '' Bravely Default: Flying Fairy'', '' Dragon Quest X Online'', ''

Fantasy Life ''Fantasy Life'' is a role-playing life simulation game developed by Level-5 for the Nintendo 3DS. The game was self-released in Japan in 2012 and was published worldwide by Nintendo in 2014. The game was written and produced by Akihiro Hino ...

'', '' Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon'', '' New Super Mario Bros. U'', ''

Phantasy Star Online 2 is a free-to-play online action role-playing game in the ''Phantasy Star'' series, developed and published by Sega. It was created as a successor to ''Phantasy Star Online'' and '' Phantasy Star Universe'', ''Phantasy Star Online 2'' features ...

'', ''

Pokémon Black and White 2 (an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise. In terms of what each of those c ...

'', '' Soul Sacrifice'', '' Super Danganronpa 2'' * Special Award: ''

'' * Best Sales Award: ''Animal Crossing: New Leaf'' * Global Award: '' Call of Duty: Black Ops II''

Japan Game Awards 2014 (2013~2014)

Period: April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014 *

Grand Prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

Monster Hunter 4 is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the fourth game in the ''Monster Hunter'' series and the second to be released on the Nintendo 3DS. Originally released in Japan on September 14, 2013. On January 26, ...

'' (Capcom) 3DS and '' Yo-kai Watch'' (Level-5) 3DS (tie) *Game Designer Prize '' Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons'' *Excellence Awards ''

Dark Souls II is a 2014 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Games. An entry in the ''Dark Souls'' series, it was released for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Taking place in the kingdom of Drangleic, the gam ...

'', '' Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn'', '' Grand Theft Auto V'', '' Kan Colle'', '' Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes'', ''

'', ''

Pokémon X and Y and are 2013 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. They are the first installments in the sixth generation of the main ''Pokémon'' video game series. First a ...

'', ''

Puzzle & Dragons Z ''Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition'' is a 2015 role-playing puzzle video game for Nintendo 3DS developed by GungHo Online Entertainment. It is a compilation of ''Puzzle & Dragons Z'' (2013) and ''Puzzle & Dragons ...

'', ''

Super Mario 3D World is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U in 2013. It is the sixth original 3D platform game in the ''Super Mario'' series and the sequel to '' Super Mario 3D Land'' (2011) for the Nintendo 3DS. Players control Ma ...

'', ''

The Last of Us ''The Last of Us'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Players control Joel (The Last of Us), Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie (The Last of Us), Ell ...

'', '' Yo-kai Watch'' *Special Awards ''Solitiba'' *Best Sales Award ''Pokémon X and Y'' *Global Prize (Japanese works) ''Pokémon X and Y'' *Global Prize (overseas works) ''Grand Theft Auto V''

Japan Game Awards 2015 (2014~2015)

Period: April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015 *

Grand Prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

'' Yo-kai Watch 2'' (Level-5) 3DS *Game Designer Prize ''

Ingress (video game) ''Ingress'' (or ''Ingress Prime'') is an augmented reality (AR) mobile game developed and published by Niantic for Android and iOS devices. The game first released on December 14, 2013, for Android devices and then for iOS devices on July 14, 20 ...

'' *Excellence Awards ''

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and (colloquially and collectively referred to as ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' or ''Smash 4'') is a group of two 2014 crossover fighting video games developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS ...

'', ''

Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...

'', '' Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below'', ''

Bloodborne is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. ''Bloodborne'' follows the player's character, a Hunter, through the decrepit Gothic, Victorian-era–inspired ...

'', ''

Mario Kart 8 is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It features the ''Mario Kart'' series' game mechanics, in which players drive go-karts using ''Mario'' franchise characters in various race formats. Items placed a ...

'', '' Monster Hunter 4G'', ''Yo-kai Watch 2'', ''

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and are 2014 remakes of the 2002 Game Boy Advance role-playing video games ''Pokémon Ruby'' and ''Sapphire'', also including features from '' Pokémon Emerald''. The games are part of the sixth generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game ser ...

'', ''

Yakuza 0 ''Yakuza 0'' is an action-adventure game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It is the sixth main entry in the '' Yakuza series'' and a prequel to the original game. It was released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in J ...

'' *Special Awards ''

Minecraft ''Minecraft'' is a sandbox game developed by Mojang Studios. The game was created by Markus "Notch" Persson in the Java (programming language), Java programming language. Following several early private testing versions, it was first made pub ...

'', ''

Monster Strike is a mobile Japanese role-playing physics game with elements of puzzle, strategy and cooperative multiplayer. It is developed by XFLAG for iOS and Android platforms. The game was created by former Capcom game designer Yoshiki Okamoto. In J ...

'' *Best Sales Award ''Yo-kai Watch 2'' *Global Prize (Japanese works) ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U'' *Global Prize (overseas works) '' Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare''

Japan Game Awards 2016 (2015~2016)

Period: April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 *

Grand Prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

Splatoon (video game) is a 2015 third-person shooter video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. The game centers around Inklings— anthropomorphic cephalopodic lifeforms that can transform between humanoid and cephalopod forms and frequent ...

'' (Nintendo)

Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. Th ...

*Game Designer Prize '' Life Is Strange'' *Excellence Awards ''

Dark Souls III is a 2016 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows. The third and final entry in the ''Dark Souls'' series, it is played in a Virtual camera system# ...

'', ''

Dragon Quest Builders ''Dragon Quest Builders'' is a sandbox action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, iOS and Android and published by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch. The game is set in Al ...

'', ''

Fallout 4 ''Fallout 4'' is a 2015 action role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fourth main game in the ''Fallout'' series and was released worldwide on November 10, 2015, for PlayStation 4, ...

'', '' Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain'', ''

'', ''

Monster Hunter Cross ''Monster Hunter Generations'' is an action role-playing game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo 3DS. Announced in May 2015, the game was released in Japan as ''Monster Hunter X'' in November 2015 and internationally in July 2016. ...

'', ''Splatoon'', ''

Super Mario Maker is a 2015 side-scrolling platform game and game creation system developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U, released worldwide in September 2015. Players can create, play, and share courses online, free of charge, based on the styles ...

'', '' The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt'', '' Yo-kai Watch Blasters'' *Best Sales Award ''Monster Hunter Cross'' *Global Prize (Japanese works) ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U'' *Global Prize (overseas works) '' Call of Duty: Black Ops III''

Japan Game Awards 2017 (2016~2017)

Period: April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 *

Grand Prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

'' The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'' (Nintendo,

Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...

) *Game Designer Prize ''

Inside (video game) ''Inside'' is a puzzle-platform game developed and published by Playdead in 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows. The game was released for iOS in December 2017 and Nintendo Switch in June 2018. A macOS version was released ...

'' *Excellence Awards '' Resident Evil 7: Biohazard'', ''

Final Fantasy XV is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. The fifteenth main installment of the ''Final Fantasy'' series, it was released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2016, Microsoft Windows in 2018, and as a launch title ...

'', ''

Horizon Zero Dawn ''Horizon Zero Dawn'' is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The plot follows Aloy, a young hunter in a world overrun by machines, who sets out to uncover her past. The ...

'', '' Monster Hunter XX'', '' Nier: Automata'', ''

Nioh is an action role-playing video game developed by Team Ninja. It was released for PlayStation 4 in February 2017, and was published by Sony Interactive Entertainment internationally, and by Koei Tecmo in Japan. An edition for PlayStation 4 and ...

'', ''

Overwatch ''Overwatch'' is a multimedia franchise centered on a series of online multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) video games developed by Blizzard Entertainment: '' Overwatch'' released in 2016, and ''Overwatch 2'' released in 2022. Both games f ...

'', ''

Persona 5 is a 2016 role-playing video game developed by Atlus. It takes place in modern-day Tokyo and follows a high school student known by the pseudonym Joker who transfers to a new school after being falsely accused of assault and put on probation ...

'', ''

Pokémon Sun and Moon and are 2016 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. They are the first installments in the seventh generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game series. First a ...

'', ''

The Last Guardian ''The Last Guardian'' is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Japan Studio and GenDesign and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. Players control a boy who befriends a giant half-bird, half-mammal creatur ...

'', ''The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'' *Special Award ''

PlayStation VR The PlayStation VR (PS VR, known by its code name Project Morpheus during development) is a virtual reality headset developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, which was released in October 2016. It is fully functional with the PlayStation 4 an ...

'' *Best Sales Award ''Pokémon Sun and Moon'' *Global Prize (Japanese works) ''Pokémon Sun and Moon'' *Global Prize (overseas works) '' FIFA 17''

Japan Game Awards 2018 (2017~2018)

Period: April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018 *

Grand Prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

'' Monster Hunter: World'' ( Capcom, PS4/PC) *Game Designer Prize '' Gorogoa'' *Excellence Awards ''

Undertale ''Undertale'' is a 2015 2D role-playing video game created by American indie developer Toby Fox. The player controls a child who has fallen into the Underground: a large, secluded region under the surface of the Earth, separated by a magical ...

'', '' Call of Duty: WWII'', ''

Super Mario Odyssey is a 2017 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. An entry in the ''Super Mario'' series, it follows Mario and his new ally Cappy—a sentient hat that allows Mario to control other characters and objects� ...

'', ''

Splatoon 2 is a 2017 third-person shooter game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It was released on July 21, 2017, and is a direct sequel to ''Splatoon'', which includes a new story-driven single-player mode and various onl ...

'', '' Xenoblade 2'', ''

Dragon Quest XI ''Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age'' is a role-playing video game by Square Enix. The eleventh entry in the long-running ''Dragon Quest'' video game series, it was released in Japan for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 4 in July 2017 an ...

'', ''

Fate/Grand Order is a free-to-play Japanese mobile game, developed by Lasengle (formerly Delightworks) using Unity, and published by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The game is based on Type-Moon's ''Fate/stay night'' franchise, and w ...

'', ''

Fortnite ''Fortnite'' is an online video game developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. It is available in three distinct game mode versions that otherwise share the same general gameplay and game engine: ''Fortnite Battle Royale'', a free-to- ...

'', ''

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds ''PUBG: Battlegrounds'' (previously known as ''PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds'') is a battle royale game developed by PUBG Studios and published by Krafton. The game, which was inspired by the Japanese film '' Battle Royale'' (2000), is based ...

'', '' Pokémon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon'', ''Monster Hunter: World'' *Best Sales Award ''Dragon Quest XI'' *Global Prize (Japanese works) '' The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'' *Global Prize (overseas works) ''Call of Duty: WWII''

Japan Game Awards 2019 (2018~2019)

Period: April 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019 *

Grand Prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeed ...

'' ( Nintendo, Nintendo Switch) *Game Designer Prize ''

Astro Bot Rescue Mission ''Astro Bot Rescue Mission'' is a 2018 platform video game developed by Japan Studio's Team Asobi division and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation 4's PlayStation VR headset. It stars a cast of robot characters first in ...

'' *Excellence Awards , '' Detroit: Become Human'', '' Marvel's Spider-Man'', ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', ''

Judgment Judgement (or US spelling judgment) is also known as ''adjudication'', which means the evaluation of evidence to make a decision. Judgement is also the ability to make considered decisions. The term has at least five distinct uses. Aristotle s ...

'', ''

Dragon Quest Builders 2 ''Dragon Quest Builders 2'' is an action role-playing sandbox game developed by Square Enix and Omega Force, with Square Enix publishing it. It is the sequel to ''Dragon Quest Builders'', and was released for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 i ...

'', ''

Resident Evil 2 (2019 video game) ''Resident Evil 2'' is a 2019 survival horror game developed and published by Capcom. A remake of the 1998 game ''Resident Evil 2'', it was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in January 2019 and for Amazon Luna, PlayStation 5 ...

'', ''

Apex Legends ''Apex Legends'' is a free-to-play battle royale-hero shooter game developed by Respawn Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in February 2019, for Nintendo Switch in March ...

'', ''

Devil May Cry 5 is a 2019 action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sixth installment overall and the fifth mainline installment in the ''Devil May Cry'' series. Capcom released it for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 8 March 201 ...

'', '' Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice'', ''

Kingdom Hearts III is a 2019 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows and Nintendo Switch. It is the twelfth installment in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series, and serves as a conclusion of the ...

'' *Special Award ''

Nintendo Labo is a toys-to-life concept developed by Nintendo and released in April 2018. Labo consists of 2 parts, where one part is a game and one part is multiple sheets of cardboard. The games come as kits that include cardboard cut-outs and other materi ...

'' *Best Sales Award ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' *Global Prize (Japanese works) ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' *Global Prize (overseas works) ''

Red Dead Redemption 2 ''Red Dead Redemption 2'' is a 2018 action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games. The game is the third entry in the ''Red Dead'' series and a prequel to the 2010 game ''Red Dead Redemption''. The story is set in 1899 and f ...

Japan Game Awards 2020 (2019~2020)

Period: April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2020 *

Grand Prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

'' Animal Crossing: New Horizons'' ( Nintendo, Nintendo Switch) *Game Designer Prize '' Baba is You'' *Excellence Awards '' 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim'', '' Animal Crossing: New Horizons'', ''

Death Stranding ''Death Stranding'' is a 2019 action game developed by Kojima Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. It is the first game from director Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions after their split from Kona ...

'', '' Fire Emblem: Three Houses'', '' Monster Hunter World: Iceborne'', ''

Nioh 2 is an action role-playing video game developed by Team Ninja for the PlayStation 4. It was published by Koei Tecmo in Japan and Sony Interactive Entertainment worldwide on March 13, 2020. It is both a prequel and sequel to ''Nioh'' (2017). Versio ...

'', ''

Persona 5 Royal is a 2016 role-playing video game developed by Atlus. It takes place in modern-day Tokyo and follows a high school student known by the pseudonym Joker who transfers to a new school after being falsely accused of assault and put on probation. ...

'', ''

Pokémon Sword and Shield and are 2019 role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch console. They are the first installments in the eighth generation of the Pokémon (video game series), '' ...

'', ''

Ring Fit Adventure is an exercising action role-playing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. The game comes with two physical components: the Ring-Con, a Pilates ring that the user holds and one Joy-Con slots into, and a Leg Strap, a ...

'', '' Yakuza: Like a Dragon'' *Special Award ''

Dragon Quest Walk is a geolocation-based role-playing video game developed by COLOPL and published by Square Enix for Android and iOS. It is a free-to-play entry in the '' Dragon Quest'' series and was released in Japan on 12 September 2019. Gameplay The gamepl ...

'' *Best Sales Award ''Pokémon Sword and Shield'' *Global Prize (Japanese works) ''Pokémon Sword and Shield'' *Global Prize (overseas works) '' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare'' *The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award ''Animal Crossing: New Horizons''

Japan Game Awards 2021 (2020~2021)

Period: April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021 *

Grand Prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

Ghost of Tsushima ''Ghost of Tsushima'' is a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The player controls Jin Sakai, samurai on a quest to protect Tsushima Island during the first Mongo ...

'' ( Sony Interactive Entertainment, PS4), ''

Monster Hunter Rise is a 2021 action role-playing game by Capcom. It is the sixth mainline installment in the ''Monster Hunter'' series and was released for the Nintendo Switch in March 2021 and Windows in January 2022. An expansion pack, ''Monster Hunter Rise: Sun ...

'' ( Capcom, Nintendo Switch) *Game Designer Prize '' Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit'' *Excellence Awards '' Resident Evil 3 Remake'', ''

Final Fantasy VII Remake is a 2020 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. It is the first in a planned trilogy of games remaking the 1997 PlayStation game '' Final Fantasy VII''. Set in the dystopian cyberpunk metropolis of Midgar, playe ...

'', ''

The Last of Us Part II ''The Last of Us Part II'' is a 2020 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. Set five years after ''The Last of Us'' (2013), the game focuses on two playable chara ...

'', ''Ghost of Tsushima'', ''

Genshin Impact ''Genshin Impact'' is an action role-playing game developed and published by miHoYo. It was released for Android, iOS, PlayStation 4, and Windows in 2020, on PlayStation 5 in 2021, and is set for release on Nintendo Switch. The game feature ...

'', '' Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin'', '' Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban!'', ''Buddy Mission: BOND'', ''

Uma Musume Pretty Derby is a multimedia franchise created by Cygames. A mobile game for iOS and Android was scheduled to debut in late 2018 and then delayed to February 2021. A 13-episode anime television series adaptation by P.A. Works aired from April ...

'', ''Monster Hunter Rise'' *Game Designer Award runner-up '' It Takes Two'', ''Ghost of Tsushima'', ''Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin'' *Best Sales Award ''Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban!'' *Global Prize (Japanese works) '' Animal Crossing: New Horizons'' *Global Prize (overseas works) '' Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War'' *The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award Kou Shibusawa (

Koei Tecmo is a Japanese video game, amusement and anime holding company created in 2009 by the merger of Koei and Tecmo. Koei Tecmo Holdings owns several companies, the biggest one of those being its flagship game developer and publisher Koei Tecmo Games ...

Japan Game Awards 2022 (2021~2022)

Period: April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022 *

Grand Prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

Elden Ring is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki with worldbuilding provided by fantasy writer George R. R. Martin, it was released for PlayStation 4, PlayS ...

'' ( Bandai Namco Entertainment; PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S) *Game Designer Prize ''

Inscryption ''Inscryption'' is a roguelike deck-building game developed by Daniel Mullins Games and published by Devolver Digital. ''Inscryption'' was released for Microsoft Windows on October 19, 2021. It was released on Linux and macOS on June 22, 2022, w ...

'' *Excellence Awards ''

Resident Evil Village ''Resident Evil Village'' is a 2021 survival horror game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sequel to '' Resident Evil 7: Biohazard'' (2017). Players control Ethan Winters, who searches for his kidnapped daughter in a village filled wit ...

'', '' Sky: Children of the Light'', ''

Tales of Arise is an action role-playing game developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The seventeenth main entry in the '' Tales'' series, it was originally planned to ...

'', ''

Lost Judgment ''Lost Judgment'' is an action-adventure video game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and published by Sega. It was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on September 24, 2021, for Amazon Luna on March 31, 2022, ...

'', '' Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker'', '' Pokémon Legends: Arceus'', ''

Horizon Forbidden West ''Horizon Forbidden West'' is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The sequel to 2017's ''Horizon Zero Dawn'', the game is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the Weste ...

'', ''Elden Ring'', '' Ghostwire: Tokyo'', ''

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a 2022 platform video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the thirteenth mainline installment in the ''Kirby'' series, as well as the first game in the series in full 3D, excluding spin- ...

'' *Game Designer Award runner-up '' 7 Days to End With You'', '' Needy Streamer Overload'' *Best Sales Award ''

Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and are 2021 remakes of the 2006 Nintendo DS role-playing video games ''Pokémon Diamond'' and ''Pearl''. The games are part of the eighth generation of the ''Pokémon'' video game series and were developed by ILCA and published by Nint ...

'' *Global Prize (Japanese works) ''Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl'' *Global Prize (overseas works) '' Call of Duty: Vanguard'' *The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award Hidetaka Miyazaki ( FromSoftware)

References

External links

Official website
{{JGA GOTY 1996 establishments in Japan Awards established in 1996 Video game awards Video gaming in Japan