Support us on Patreon to keep GamingOnLinux alive. This ensures all of our main content remains free for everyone. Just good, fresh content! Alternatively, you can donate through PayPal. You can also buy games using our partner links for GOG and Humble Store.
We do often include affiliate links to earn us some pennies. See more here.

GOL GOTY Awards Are Over, Here's The Top 10 From Each Section

By - | Views: 21,035
Our first ever GOTY Awards are over, and we have the top 10 from the two sections ready for your viewing pleasure. This was a fun experiment we will do again next year.

You can now view the full GOTY page complete with leaderboards for each game. We had it up originally, but it was removed to prevent a voting bias for the top games based on feedback. This will remain open until a lot later in the year when we prepare the next one.

The winners are Borderlands 2, and 0 A.D., so massive congratulations to them both. They are both excellent games, and deserve being winners. We've sent both a tweet to let them know, with a nice image provided by community member sobkas.

Congratulations to all the games that didn't win, as you were great enough to be nominated that should mean something!

Open Source Winners
image

All Others
image
Own up, who voted for 7 Days to Die?

We will work on nicer images to import for the winner announcement next year.

Question Time
We don't want the 2015 awards to be rammed full of so many games we can't count them, so we wish to ask you how you think we should handle it?

Should we do as other sites do and only let editors nominate?
Should we limit nominations per-person?

What (apart from more categories!) do you feel we missed that's essential for next year? And what other more regular awards would you like to see us do? Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Editorial
0 Likes
About the author -
author picture
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly came back to check on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. Find me on Mastodon.
See more from me
The comments on this article are closed.
29 comments
Page: «3/3
  Go to:

flesk Jan 15, 2015
View PC info
  • Contributing Editor
I don't mind that we included everything this year, since it was our first GOTY Awards. In my opinion, the best solution next year will be to include only games that are made available for Linux in full. Meaning a game in Early Access (or some other form of unfinished state) is included the year it is considered complete by its developers, a game in chapters is included the year the last chapter is released and a game that was previously only available for other platforms is included the year it is made available for sale on Linux.

I'm happy 0 A.D. won the open source category, but I'm looking forward to the categories next year, since I think a high budget gem like The Talos Principle really deserved to win something. It has already gotten heaps of awards and nominations elsewhere though, so they can probably live with it.

Maybe an award for notable developers and publishers could be an idea too, to honor Linux friendly companies like Devolver Digital, Aspyr, Feral, Valve, Croteam, Double Fine and Arcen Games?
Eike Jan 15, 2015
View PC info
  • Supporter Plus
Quoting: fabertaweI never selected an open source game.... was this a category I missed or was that list just generated from the overall vote?

The section was not there from the very beginning of the vote.
Beamboom Jan 15, 2015
Borderlands 2 just HAD to win. But I'm surprised and a little sad Xcom didn't fetch more scores, and I am pleased to see Transistor do so well. But this really illustrates we need categories. :)

QuoteShould we do as other sites do and only let editors nominate?

IMO, you should let the editors agree on the final nominations, it serves no purpose to operate with mile-long lists filled with a ton of titles that really have nothing to do in a GOTY setting. They are just noise.
There should be a realtively limited number of nominations within each categories. But there should be multiple categories to make things more fair (or even to make any sense at all).

For example, it's just meaningless to pitch Transistor against Xcom and Borderlands. It's like comparing a budget car to a street racer - it just makes no sense to do so.

Also - obviously imo - the nominees should be restricted to games actually released that year. No games from earlier years, nor early Access/beta/demos should be counted. Only full releases, the final product shipped out of the gate.

And Liam, I would very much like to be part of this whole process next year, should that opportunity arise. I love these kind of things. :)
Donkey Jan 15, 2015
      All games categories (open source, non-free). Editor decides additional special categories.
      Nomination: Everyone gets to nominate a game and also gets to to place a nominating vote for each game they like (multiple votes per person). Results from the voting and nominations are open and everyone can see the results during the process. At least one week before the voting ends the lists should be frozen and finalized (new games can no longer be added).
      Nomination process ends.
      The top number of most voted games gets selected for the next round. The number should be at least 10 but could be increased by an editor based on the statistics from the voting so all games worthy gets selected. Also if a game gets selected into a special category then it should automatically get selected in the "All games categories" as well. For the final vote the "All games categories" should now include the top 10 most voted games, plus additional games added based on statistics, plus additional games added from special categories.
      If properly motivated the editor could select additional games (or remove games).
      Final vote. Only one vote per person and category. Results from the voting process should be hidden which prevents popular votes.
      Final results are reviled. (The winners receives a small token).

How about doing another practice vote during the summer?
minj Jan 15, 2015
Well, I'd like to again point out the fact that short of the American polls (sorry guys:P) one vote per user is the worst voting system.
scaine Jan 15, 2015
View PC info
  • Contributing Editor
  • Mega Supporter
I've spent a lot of hours in Borderlands 2 (and TPS), but the game that affected me most was the Talos Principle. Also, gutted that Tales of Maj'Eyal didn't make the shortlist - it annoys me when people reference Dungeons of Dredmor or FTL as the pinnacle of rogue-like (assuming they can spell rogue...) and yet these same people haven't played ToME. It is the standard by which all others should be measured.
Cpukiller Jan 15, 2015
I think SuperTuxCart refers to SuperTuxKart, doesn't it? ;)
fabertawe Jan 15, 2015
Quoting: liamdawe
Quoting: fabertaweI never selected an open source game.... was this a category I missed or was that list just generated from the overall vote?

It had its own voting.

Oops I'll be more attentive in future!
Keizgon Jan 23, 2015
Glad to see Transistor up there. :)

Now as far as voting is concerned, I think it needs to be more relevant to the year. While I love Battle for Wesnoth and is my most actively played Open Source game, I don't regularly check out the updates, but this is afaik, not a game release of 2014, nor are many of the ones. Open source categories should be relevant to "what has improved most" or developed through activity. We all know many open source projects stagnate or die sometimes due to inactivity, so it would be more beneficial to readers to see what has been regularly updating or has been enjoyed through said updates of that year.

IMO of categories:

- Open source: Best development improvements of 2015
- Open source: Best new / anticipated project(s) of 2015 (this could even be a "What has been revived" through development activity)

- Commercial: Best / Most anticipated port(s) of 2015
- Commercial: Best DRM-free of 2015

- Editor's Choice award of 2015
While you're here, please consider supporting GamingOnLinux on:

Reward Tiers: Patreon. Plain Donations: PayPal.

This ensures all of our main content remains totally free for everyone! Patreon supporters can also remove all adverts and sponsors! Supporting us helps bring good, fresh content. Without your continued support, we simply could not continue!

You can find even more ways to support us on this dedicated page any time. If you already are, thank you!
The comments on this article are closed.