The Last of Us, Tearaway, and Gone Home lead GDC award nominations

The Game Developers Choice Awards nominees have been announced, and an eclectic mix leads the pack with five nominations each: The Last of Us, Tearaway, and Gone Home.

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The Game Developers Choice Awards nominees have been announced, and the three leading the pack are a somewhat surprising mix. Given its GOTY buzz, The Last of Us was to be expected. It gained five nominations including Game of the Year, Best Design, Best Visual Art, Best Narrative, and Best Technology. But more dark horse frontrunners are the Vita game Tearaway and the indie adventure Gone Home, each of which also had five nods.

Other games that garnered multiple nominations include Tomb Raider and Grand Theft Auto 5 with three apiece, and the iOS game Device 6 with two nominations. Smaller teams made the list in a big way, appearing on nine of the ten categories.

The ceremony will take place Wednesday, March 19 at 6:30, during the Game Developers Conference. Check out the full list of nominees below.

Game of the Year

  • Gone Home (The Fullbright Company)

  • Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)

  • The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony)

  • Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo EAD Tokyo/Nintendo)

  • Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix)

Honorable Mentions: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo), Papers, Please (Lucas Pope), The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe), Tearaway (Media Molecule/Sony).

Innovation Award

  • DEVICE 6 (Simogo)

  • Gone Home (The Fullbright Company)

  • Papers, Please (Lucas Pope)

  • Tearaway (Media Molecule/Sony)

  • The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe)

Honorable Mentions: Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons (Starbreeze/505 Games), Candy Box (Aniwey), Kerbal Space Program (Squad), The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony), Proteus (Ed Key/David Kanaga).

Best Debut

  • Blue Manchu (Card Hunter)

  • The Fullbright Company (Gone Home)

  • Galactic Cafe (The Stanley Parable)

  • Squad (Kerbal Space Program)

  • Undead Labs (State Of Decay)

Honorable Mentions: Facepalm Games (The Swapper), Frogmind Games (Badland), Grinding Gear Games (Path Of Exile), Suspicious Developments (Gunpoint), Warner Bros. Games Montreal (Batman: Arkham Origins).

Best Design

  • Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)

  • The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony)

  • The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo)

  • Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo EAD Tokyo/Nintendo)

  • Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix)

Honorable Mentions: DOTA 2 (Valve) Pokemon X & Y (Game Freak/Nintendo), Rogue Legacy (Cellar Door Games), The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe), SteamWorld Dig (Image & Form), TowerFall (Matt Thorson/Miniboss/Alec Holowka).

Best Handheld/Mobile Game

  • DEVICE 6 (Simogo)

  • Fire Emblem: Awakening (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)

  • The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo)

  • Ridiculous Fishing (Vlambeer)

  • Tearaway (Media Molecule/Sony)

Honorable Mentions: Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo), 868-HACK (Michael Brough), Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (Next Level Games/Nintendo), Plants Vs. Zombies 2 (PopCap/Electronic Arts), The Room Two (Fireproof Games), SteamWorld Dig (Image & Form).

Best Visual Art

  • BioShock Infinite (Irrational Games/2K Games)

  • DmC (Ninja Theory/Capcom)

  • The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony)

  • Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch (Level 5/Namco Bandai)

  • Tearaway (Media Molecule/Sony)

Honorable Mentions: Don't Starve (Klei Entertaintment), Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games), Papers, Please (Lucas Pope), Puppeteer (SCE Japan/Sony), Ryse: Son Of Rome (Crytek/Microsoft), Wonderful 101 (Platinum Games/Nintendo).

Best Narrative

  • Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons (Starbreeze/505 Games)

  • Gone Home (The Fullbright Company)

  • The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony)

  • Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix)

  • The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe)

Honorable Mentions: Attack Of The Friday Monsters (Millennium Kitchen/Level 5), BioShock Infinite (Irrational Games/2K Games), The Cave (DoubleFine Games), Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch (Level 5/Namco Bandai), Shadowrun Returns (Harebrained Schemes).

Best Audio

  • BioShock Infinite (Irrational Games/2K Games),

  • Forza Motorsport 5 (Turn 10 Studios/Microsoft Games)

  • Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)

  • Saints Row IV (Volition/Deep Silver)

  • Tearaway (Media Molecule/Sony)

Honorable Mentions: Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo), Battlefield 4 (DICE/Electronic Arts), Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft), Gone Home (The Fullbright Company), Metro: Last Light (4A Games/Deep Silver).

Best Downloadable Game

  • Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons (Starbreeze/505 Games)

  • Gone Home (The Fullbright Company)

  • Papers, Please (Lucas Pope)

  • Resogun (Housemarque/Sony)

  • The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe)

Honorable Mentions: Guacamelee (DrinkBox Studios), Gunpoint (Suspicious Developments), State Of Decay (Undead Labs), SteamWorld Dig (Image & Form), TowerFall (Matt Thorson/Miniboss/Alec Holowka), The Wolf Among Us (Telltale Games).

Best Technology

  • Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)

  • Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)

  • The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony)

  • Killzone: Shadow Fall (Guerrilla Games/Sony)

  • Tearaway (Media Molecule/Sony)

Honorable Mentions: Battlefield 4 (DICE/Electronic Arts), DOTA 2 (Valve), Forza Motorsport 5 (Turn 10 Studios/Microsoft Games), Metro: Last Light (4A Games/Deep Silver), Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix).

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