SXSW Gaming Finalists Announced

The SXSW Gaming Awards return this year as the event moves to Downtown's Moody Theater. The co-hosts of the free show are YouTube stars Janet Varney and Markiplier. The categories have changed somewhat, but here's the list of nominees.

Public voting will take place in most categories via Wikia in the coming weeks. The nominees for the Gamer's Voice Award will be on hand at the SXSW Gaming Expo where attendees can play and vote for their favorites.

So, here are those nominees:

Video Game of the Year

Bayonetta 2 – Platinum Games
Dark Souls II – From Software
Dragon Age: Inquisition – BioWare
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Monolith Productions
Shovel Knight – Yacht Club Games

Mobile Game of the Year

Bravely Default – Square Enix
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft – Blizzard Entertainment
Monument Valley – ustwo
Super Smash Bros. 3DS – Nintendo
Threes – Sirvo

Table Top Game of the Year

Dead of Winter – Plaid Hat Games
Five Tribes – Days of Wonder
King of New York – IELLO
Sheriff of Nottingham – Arcane Wonders
Star Realms – White Wizard Games

Excellence in Gameplay

Dragon Age: Inquisition – Electronic Arts
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Monolith Productions
Nidhogg – Messhof
Super Smash Bros. Wii U – Nintendo
Titanfall – Respawn Entertainment

Excellence in Art

The Banner Saga – Stoic Studio
Child of Light – Ubisoft Montreal
Monument Valley – ustwo
Transistor – Supergiant Games
The Wolf Among Us – Telltale Games

Excellence in Animation

Assassin’s Creed Unity – Ubisoft Montreal
inFAMOUS: Second Son – Sucker Punch Productions
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Monolith Productions
Super Smash Bros. Wii U – Nintendo
Titanfall – Respawn Entertainment

Excellence in Technical Achievement

Alien: Isolation – The Creative Assembly
Destiny – Bungie
Dragon Age: Inquisition – BioWare
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Monolith Productions
Sunset Overdrive – Insomniac Games

Excellence in Visual Achievement

Alien: Isolation – The Creative Assembly
Far Cry 4 – Ubisoft Montreal
Monument Valley – ustwo
Transistor – Supergiant Games
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter – The Astronauts

Excellence in Narrative

The Banner Saga – Stoic Studio
Dragon Age: Inquisition – BioWare
Valiant Hearts: The Great War – Ubisoft Montpellier
The Wolf Among Us – Telltale Games
Wolfenstein: The New Order – MachineGames

Excellence in Design and Direction

Dark Souls II – From Software
Dragon Age: Inquisition – BioWare
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor – Monolith Productions
Sunset Overdrive – Insomniac Games
The Talos Principle – Devolver Digital/Croteam

Excellence in SFX

Alien: Isolation – The Creative Assembly
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare – Sledgehammer Games
The Evil Within – Tango Gameworks
Far Cry 4 – Ubisoft Montreal
Titanfall – Respawn Entertainment

Excellence in Musical Score

The Banner Saga – Stoic Studio
Destiny – Bungie
Child of Light – Ubisoft Montreal
Transistor – Supergiant Games
Valiant Hearts: The Great War – Ubisoft Montpellier

Excellence in Multiplayer

Destiny – Bungie
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare – Sledgehammer Games
Super Smash Bros. Wii U – Nintendo
Titanfall – Respawn Entertainment
Towerfall Ascension – Matt Makes Games

Excellence in Convergence
Awarded to the game that best exemplifies excellence in the crossover to other entertainment mediums such as film, music, toys, animation, sports and more.

Alien: Isolation – The Creative Assembly
Disney Infinity 2.0 – Avalanche Software
FIFA 15 – EA Canada
South Park: The Stick of Truth – Obsidian Entertainment
The Wolf Among Us – Telltale Games

Most Valuable Character

Bigby Wolf (The Wolf Among Us) – Telltale Games
Ellie (The Last of Us: Left Behind) – Naughty Dog
The Goat (Goat Simulator) – Coffee Stain Studios
Octodad (Octodad: Dadliest Catch) – Young Horses
Red (Transistor) – Supergiant Games

Most Valuable Esports Team

Alliance
Cloud9
Evil Geniuses
Fnatic
SK Gaming

Most Valuable Online Channel

Cynical Brit
Rooster Teeth
SMOSH Games
TheSyndicateProject
VanossGaming

Most Valuable Add-On Content

Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea Series – Irrational Games
Dark Souls II: Crown of the King Series – From Software
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Blizzard Entertainment
The Last of Us: Left Behind – Naughty Dog
World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor – Blizzard Entertainment

Most Anticipated Crowdfunded Game

The Banner Saga – Stoic Studios
Divinity: Original Sin – Larian Studios
Shovel Knight – Yacht Club Games
Star Citizen – Cloud Imperium Games
Wasteland 2 – inXile Entertainment

Matthew Crump Cultural Innovation Award
Awarded to the best game that most challenges the “norm” of everyday gaming and offers a culturally innovative view of a game world, character or gameplay.

Goat Simulator – Coffee Stain Studios
The Last of Us: Left Behind – Naughty Dog
Never Alone – Upper One Games
This War of Mine – 11 bit studios
Valiant Hearts: The Great War – Ubisoft Montpellier

Gamer’s Voice
Awarded to the favorite game in the Indie Corner as decided by gamers on the SXSW Gaming Expo floor

Apotheon – Alientrap Games
Armikrog – Pencil Test Studios
Assault Android Cactus – Witch Beam
Cadence – Made With Monster Love
Children of Morta – Dead Mage
Chroma Squad – Behold Studios
Darkest Dungeon – Red Hook Studios
Extreme Exorcism – Golden Ruby Games
Gemini – Echostone Games
Grow – CriKeT Games
Hyper Light Drifter – Heart Machine
Ice-Bound – Down to the Wire
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes – Steel Crate Games
Lurking – DigiPen Institute of Technology Singapore
Noct – c3sk
Nom Nom Galaxy – Q-Games
Nova-111 – Funktronic Labs
Push Me Pull You – House House
ROCKETSROCKETSROCKETS – Radial Games
Salt and Sanctuary – Ska Studios
SoundSelf – Robin Arnott
SpeedRunners – tinyBuild Games
Stardust Vanguards – Zanrai Interactive
That Dragon, Cancer – Nominous Games
The Escapists – Team17 Digital
The Flame in the Flood – The Molasses Flood
White Night – Osome Studio
XING: The Land Beyond – White Lotus Interactive
Yomi’s Gate – Spriteborne
Zombie Night Terror – Jerome Levet