The Besties GOTY Lists

2012 - all brackets

* denotes winner

Round 1

• Hotline Miami* vs Need for Speed: Most Wanted
• Mark of the Ninja vs Journey*
• Black Ops 2 vs The Walking Dead*
• Max Payne 3 vs Far Cry 3*
• Dishonored* vs Borderlands 2
• X-Com Enemy Unknown vs Spelunky*
• Persona 4 Golden* vs Halo 4
• FTL: Faster Than Light* vs Mass Effect 3

Quarter final

• Hotline Miami vs Journey*
• The Walking Dead vs Far Cry 3*
• Dishonored* vs Spelunky
• Persona 4 Golden vs FTL: Faster Than Light*

Semi final

• Journey vs Dishonored*
• Far cry 3* vs FTL: Faster Than Light

Final

• Dishonored* vs Far Cry 3

2013 - all brackets

* denotes winner

Round 1

• Grand Theft Auto V* vs Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
• Saints Row IV* vs Fire Emblem Awakening
• Towerfall* vs Tearaway
• The Last of Us* vs Rogue Legacy
• Super Mario 3D World vs The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds*
• Tomb Raider vs Bioshock Infinite*
• Brothers vs Stanley Parable*
• Kentucky Route Zero vs Gone Home*

Quarter finals

• Grand Theft Auto V* vs Saints Row IV
• Tower Fall* vs The Last of Us
• Gone Home* vs Stanley parable
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds* vs Bioshock Infinite

Semi finals

• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds* vs Grand Theft Auto V *
• Gone Home* vs Tower Fall

Final

• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds* vs Gone Home

2014 - all brackets

* denotes winner

Round 1

• Dragon Age: Inquisition* vs Shadows of Mordor
• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U* vs Mario Kart 8
• Hearthstone* vs Transistor
• Far Cry 4* vs PT
• Dark Souls II* vs Bayonetta 2
• Wolfenstein: The New Order * vs Destiny
• Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare* vs Titanfall
• Sunset Overdrive vs Shovel Knight*

Quarter finals

• Wolfenstein: The New Order vs Far Cry 4*
• Shovel Knight vs Hearthstone*
• Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare vs Super Smash Bros. for Wii U*
• Dragon Age: Inquisition vs Dark Souls II*

Semi finals

• Hearthstone* vs Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
• Dark Souls II* vs Far Cry 4

Final

• Hearthstone vs Dark Souls II*

2015 - all brackets

* denotes winner

Round 1

• Destiny: The Taken King (R)
• Just Cause 3 (C)
• Super Mario Maker (G)*
• Fallout 4 (J)

Round 2

• Ori and the Blind Forest (R)
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (C)
• Bloodborne (G)*
• Batman: Arkham Knight (J)

Round 3

• Downwell (R)
• Rocket League (C)*
• Undertale (G)
• Her Story (J)

Finals

• Super Mario Maker (G)
• Bloodborne (G)*
• Rocket League (C)

2016 - all brackets

* denotes winner

Round 1

• Hyperlight Drifter (G)
• Overwatch (R)*
• Super Hot (J)
• Battlefield 1 (C)

Round 2

• Pokémon Go (R)
• Dishonored 2 (J)
• Watchdogs 2 (C)
• Stardew Valley (G)*

Round 3

• Forza Horizon 3 (C)
• Doom (R)
• Dark Souls III (J)
• The Witness (G)*

Round 4

• Fire Emblem Fates (G)
• Quadralateral Cowboy (J)
• Inside (C)
• Titanfall 2 (R)*

Finals

• Overwatch (R)
• Stardew Valley (G)
• Titanfall 2 (R)
• The Witness (G)*

2017 - all brackets

* denotes winner

Round 1

• Gravity Rush 2 vs Horizon Zero Dawn*
• Destiny 2 vs Player Unknown's Battlegrounds*
• Lone Echo* vs Prey
• Wildcards, one chosen to advance
  • Splatoon 2
  • Steam World Dig 2
  • Metroid Samus Returns
  • Mario Plus Rabbids
  • Golf Story
  • Dead Cells*
  • What Remains of Edith Finch
  • Snipperclips
  • Neo
  • Yakuza Zero
  • Wolfenstein 2
  • Fire Emblem Heroes
  • Sexy Brutale
• Resident Evil 7 vs Super Mario Odyssey*
• Nier Automata* vs Cuphead
• Persona 5* vs Divinity: Original Sin 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild* vs Getting Over It

Quarter finals

• Horizon Zero Dawn vs Player Unknown's Battlegrounds*
• Super Mario Odyssey* vs Nier Automata
• Dead Cells vs Lone Echo*
• Persona 5 vs The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*

Semi finals

• Lone Echo vs Persona 5 vs The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
• Player Unknown's Battlegrounds* vs Super Mario Odyssey

Final

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild* vs Player Unknown's Battlegrounds

2018 - all brackets

* denotes winner

Honorable Mentions

• Ashen
• Hades
• Astro Bot Rescue Mission
• Destiny
• Prey: Moon Crash

Round 1

• Hollow Knight (R)
• Into the Breach (G)*
• Celeste (C)
• Spiderman (J)

Round 2

• Red Dead Redemption 2 (J)
• Monster Hunter World (G)
• Subnautica (R)
• God of War (C)*

Round 3

• Tetris Effect (R)
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Melee (G)
• Return of the Obra Dinn (J)*
• Assassin's Creed: Origins (C)

Final

• Into the Breach
• God of War
• Return of the Obra Dinn

2019 - all brackets

* denotes winner

Honorable Mentions

• Cards of Darkness
• Grindstone
• Destiny 2: Shadowkeep
• Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
• Dragon Quest Builders 2
• Divinity Original Sin

Round 1

• A Short Hike (R)
• What the Golf? (C)
• Hypno Space Outlaw (J)
• Outer Wilds (G)*

Round 2

• Outer Worlds (J)
• Astral Chain (C)
• Pokemon Sword and Shield (G)
• Luigi's Mansion 3 (R)*

Round 3

• Baba is You (C)
• Disco Elysium (J)
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (G)*
• Control (R)

Wildcard lightning round - listeners' picks

• Lighting Round 1
  • Untitled Goose Game vs Cadence of Hyrule*
  • Death Stranding vs Mario Maker 2*
  • Borderlands 3 vs Sayonara Wild Hearts*
  • Fire Emblem 3 Houses* vs Kingdom Hearts 3
• Lighting Round 2
  • Cadence of Hyrule* vs Mario Maker 2
  • Sayonara Wild Hearts vs Fire Emblem 3 Houses*
• Lighting Round 3
  • Cadence of Hyrule* vs Fire Emblem 3 Houses

Final

• Cadence of Hyrule
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice*
• Luigi's Mansion 3
• Outer Wilds

2020 - all brackets

* denotes winner

Honorable Mentions

• Immortals Fenyx Rising
• Dragon Quest XI S
• Dicey Dungeons

Round 1

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons* vs Star Wars Squadrons (L)
• Final Fantasy 7 Remake vs Paradise Killer*
• Hades* vs Doom Eternal (L)
• Kentucky Route Zero* vs Astro's Playroom
• Microsoft Flight Simulator vs Among Us (L)*
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps* vs Griftlands
• Spelunky 2* vs Blaseball
• Monster Train* vs 13 Sentinels

Round 2

• Paradise Killer vs Among Us*
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons* vs Kentucky Route Zero
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps vs Hades*
• Spelunky 2* vs Monster Train

Round 3

• Hades* vs Spelunky 2
• Among Us vs Animal Crossing: New Horizons*

Final

• Hades* vs Animal Crossing: New Horizons

2021 - all brackets

Honorable Mentions

• Kingdom Two Crowns
• Norselands
• Before Your Eyes
• Chickery
• Hitman 3

Round 1

• Metroid Dread* vs Loop Hero
• Death's Gambit: Afterlife vs. Wildermyth*
• The Forgotten City vs Halo: Infinite*
• Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye vs Monster Hunter: Rise*
• Inscryption* vs Psychonauts 2
• Forza Horizon 5* vs Death's Door
• Unsighted vs Deathloop*
• Ratchet and Clank vs Resident Evil: Village*

Quarter Finals

• Metroid Dread* vs Wildermyth
• Halo: Infinite* vs Monster Hunter: Rise
• Inscryption* vs Forza Horizon 5
• Unsighted vs Resident Evil: Village*

Semi Finals

• Metroid Dread* vs Halo: Infinite
• Inscryption vs Resident Evil: Village*

Finals

• Metroid Dread vs Resident Evil: Village*

2022 - all brackets

Round 1

• Kirby and the Forgotten Land* vs Pokémon Legends: Arceus (L)
• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope vs Cult of the Lamb*
• Vampire Survivors* vs Neon White
• Tunic* vs Stray (L)
• God of War Ragnarök* vs Horizon Forbidden West
• Citizen Sleeper* vs Case of the Golden Idol
• Pentiment* vs Immortality
• Nobody Saves the World* vs Marvel Snap

Round 2

n.b. Kirby and the Forgotten Land loses its bracket, but is put through instead of a winner being picked from the bracket for God of War Ragnarök vs Nobody Saves the World

• Kirby and the Forgotten Land vs Tunic*
• Cult of the Lamb vs Vampire Survivors*
• God of War Ragnarök vs Nobody Saves the World
• Citizen Sleeper* vs Pentiment

Top five

1. Elden Ring
2. Tunic
3. Citizen Sleeper
4. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
5. Vampire Survivors

2023 - all brackets

Round 1

• Baldur's Gate 3* vs Chants of Sennaar
• Armored Core 6 vs Alan Wake 2*
• Dave the Diver (L) vs Dredge*
• Sea of Stars* vs Blasphemous 2
• Spider-Man 2 vs Resident Evil 4 Remake*
• Connections* (L) vs Cocoon (L)
• Lies of P* vs Super Mario Wonder
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty vs The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom*

Round 2

n.b. Resident Evil 4 Remake loses its bracket, but is put through instead of Sea of Stars

• Baldur's Gate 3* vs Connections
• Dredge vs Sea of Stars*
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom* vs Lies of P
• Alan Wake 2* vs Resident Evil 4 Remake
• Lies of P vs The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom*

Top four

1. Baldur's Gate 3
2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
3. Alan Wake 2
4. Resident Evil 4 Remake

2024 - all brackets

Round 1

• Astro Bot* vs Rise of the Golden Idol
• Animal Well vs Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
• UFO 50* vs Fields of Mistria (L)
• 1000 x Resist (LP) vs Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth*
• Tactical Breach Wizards vs Steamworld Heist 2*
• Crow Country* vs Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
• Dragon's Dogma 2 vs Helldivers 2*
• Balatro* vs Metaphor: ReFantazio

Round 2

• Astro Bot vs Animal Well*
• UFO 50* vs Steamworld Heist 2
• Crow Country vs Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth*
• Helldivers 2 vs Balatro*

Wildcard round

Special round to choose a previous bracket loser to move into the top 5.

• Astro Bot vs Metaphor: ReFantazio*

Top five

1. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
2. UFO 50
3. Balatro
4. Animal Well
5. Metaphor: ReFantazio