The die is cast, and the winners from the the 24th D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Awards have been chosen and announced. Hosted by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), the D.I.C.E Awards awarded the top honor, the 2021 Game of the Year Award to Hades, a popular and critically acclaimed roguelike action dungeon crawler video game developed and published by indie star , Supergiant Games. In Hades, Zagreus, the son of Hades, the god of the dead, fights to escape the Underworld where his father rules.
With five wins, Hades led the overall award count, followed the Ghost of Tsushima with four, with GThe last of Us Part II and Half-Life: Alyx picking up two awards apiece.
More than just a by-the-book online awards show, however, the D.I.C.E. Awards offered a little glitz by being emceed by co-hosts Greg Miller, co-founder of the internet video show and podcast Kinda Funny, and Jessica Chobot, host of Expedition Unknown on the Discovery Channel. Also, to mix up the content, virtual panels of the nominees were hosted by moderated Kahlief Adams, host of Spawn on Me, and will be available later on via the AIAS site at interactive.org. In the meantime, IGN has the nearly-three-hour video of the whole presentation available through YouTube:
From the D.I.C.E blog post announcing the full list of winners in all 23 awards categories, here’s the complete rundown
Game of the Year
Hades
- Publisher: Supergiant Games
- Developer: Supergiant Games
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
Hades
- Publisher: Supergiant Games
- Developer: Supergiant Games
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
Hades
- Publisher: Supergiant Games
- Developer: Supergiant Games
Mobile Game of the Year
Legends of Runeterra
- Publisher: Riot Games
- Developer: Riot Games
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
Hades
- Publisher: Supergiant Games
- Developer: Supergiant Games
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
Half-Life: Alyx
- Publisher: Valve
- Developer: Valve
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
Half-Life: Alyx
- Publisher: Valve
- Developer: Valve
Online Game of the Year
Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Developer: Mediatonic
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Developer: Asobo Studio
Sports Game of the Year
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
- Publisher: Activision Publishing, Inc.
- Developer: Vicarious Visions
Role-Playing Game of the Year
FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE
- Publisher: Square Enix
- Developer: Square Enix
Racing Game of the Year
Mario Kart Live
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Developer: Nintendo
Fighting Game of the Year
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate
- Publisher: Warner Bros. Games
- Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Family Game of the Year
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Publisher: Nintendo
- Developer: Nintendo
Adventure Game of the Year
Ghost of Tsushima
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Developer: Sucker Punch
Action Game of the Year
Hades
- Publisher: Supergiant Games
- Developer: Supergiant Games
Outstanding Technical Achievement
Dreams
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Developer: Media Molecule
Outstanding Achievement in Story
The Last of Us Part II
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Developer: Naughty Dog
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
Ghost of Tsushima
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Developer: Sucker Punch
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
Ghost of Tsushima
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Developer: Sucker Punch
Outstanding Achievement in Character
Miles Morales – Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Developer: Insomniac Games
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
Ghost of Tsushima
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Developer: Sucker Punch
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
The Last of Us Part II
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Developer: Naughty Dog
