The nominees for the 2024 Game Awards have been announced, with Astro Bot and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth leading the pack with seven nominations each.

Among the nominees, Balatro, an indie game developed by a solo developer, stands out as a potential contender for Game of the Year, despite tough competition from major titles like Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and Black Myth: Wukong.

Balatro has received five nominations, highlighting the growing recognition of indie developers within the gaming industry.

The game is praised for its unique deckbuilding mechanic and high replayability, having already won Best Indie Game at the Golden Joystick Awards.

If Balatro wins, it would be the first solo-developed game to take home the GOTY award, a feat only previously achieved by one other indie title, It Takes Two, which faced controversy due to its backing by Electronic Arts.

The inclusion of both a DLC and an indie game in the GOTY nominations indicates a shift in The Game Awards' criteria, suggesting a broader acceptance of diverse game types in future years.

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, the first DLC expansion nominated for the Game of the Year award, has stirred controversy due to the exclusion of other significant expansions like Witcher 3: Blood and Wine.