In a word: The 25th annual Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain (DICE) awards arrive next month, and the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS) announced the nominees this week. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart leads with nine.
Just behind Ratchet & Clank and its nine applications is Deathloop with eight (Deathloop led the Game Awards nominations last year). Ratchet & Clank was also revealed this week as one of the most downloaded PlayStation 5 games in North America in 2021.
Inscryption and It Takes Two tied for third with six nominations each (It Takes Two won Game of the Year at The Game Awards). Returnal earned five nominations, while Kena: Bridge of Spirits and Resident Evil Village tied for fifth with four each.
Hades won Game of the Year at last year’s DICE Awards, along with five other categories. Other games that won multiple categories last year included The Last of Us II, Ghost of Tsushima, and Half-Life: Alyx.
Here is the full list of nominees:
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Death Loop
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Death Loop
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Resident Evil Village
Outstanding Achievement in Character
- Death Buckle – Colt Vahn
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Kena
- Life is Strange: True Colors – Alex Chen
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – Rivet
- Resident Evil Village – Lady Dimitrescu
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
- Death Loop
- It takes two
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits
- Psychonauts 2
- Return
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
- Forza Horizon 5
- Infinite Halo
- It takes two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Return
Outstanding Achievement in History
- Under your eyes
- Inscryption
- MARVEL’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Psychonauts 2
- The forgotten city
Outstanding Technical Achievement
- Battlefield™ 2042
- Forza Horizon 5
- Mounting
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Return
Action Game of the Year
- Death Loop
- Infinite Halo
- Metroid Dread
- Return
- The Ascension
Adventure Game of the Year
- The gate of death
- It takes two
- MARVEL’s Guardians of the Galaxy
- Psychonauts 2
- Resident Evil Village
Family Game of the Year
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise
- cozy grove
- Mario Party Superstars
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Warioware: Gather Together
Fighting Game of the Year
- GUILTY EQUIPMENT -STRIVE-
- Melty Blood: Lumina-Type
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
Racing Game of the Year
- F1 2021
- Forza Horizon 5
- Hot Wheels Unleashed
Roleplaying game of the year
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
- Shin Megami Tensei V
- Tales of Arise
- wild myth
Sports Game of the Year
- EA SPORTS FIFA 22
- Mario Golf: Super Rush
- NBA 2k22
- Republic of Horsemen
- The climb 2
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
- Age of Empires IV
- dark haven
- Griftlands
- Inscryption
- Loop hero
Technical realization in immersive reality
- Echo Solitaire II
- confusing places
- Resident Evil 4 VR
- song in the smoke
- YUKI
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
- Demoo
- I expect you to die 2
- Echo Solitaire II
- Resident Evil 4 VR
- song in the smoke
Outstanding Directing for an Indie Game
- The gate of death
- Inscryption
- Loop hero
- Sable
- Unpacking
Mobile Game of the Year
- behind the frame
- Fantastic
- League of Legends: Savage Rift
- Mounting
- Pokemon UNITE
Online Game of the Year
- Back 4 Blood
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
- Infinite Halo
- City KO
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
- Death Loop
- Inscryption
- It takes two
- Loop hero
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
- Death Loop
- Inscryption
- It takes two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- The artistic escape
Game of the Year
- Death Loop
- Inscryption
- It takes two
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
- Return
As always, AIAS media partner IGN will release the awards during the 25th Annual DICE Summit on February 24.
