Balatro and Zenless Zone Zero are among the TGA 2024 nominees

It’s that time of year again when we finally get to see who the nominees are for Geoff Keighely’s showcase next month. After the stellar year we’ve had with videogames, it comes as no surprise that the competition is tough between The Game Awards 2024 nominees, especially with the inclusion of DLC and remasters as candidates – we admit it: Shadow of the Erdtree is excellent.

Still, we’re all about the best mobile games and the best Switch games here at Pocket Tactics, and we’re thrilled to see Zenless Zone Zero, AFK Journey, Balatro, Wuthering Waves, and Pokémon TCG Pocket among the nominees for Mobile Game of the Year. If you want to know why two of them are in the running, take a look at our Zenless Zone Zero review and Wuthering Waves review, where we score them nine and eight, respectively.

Nintendo also had a pretty good showing with its releases this year, something that TGA 2024 recognizes, giving the Japanese publisher numerous nominations across various categories, including Best Family Game, Best Adventure Game, and Best Multiplayer Game with Princess Peach: Showtime, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and Super Mario Party Jamboree.

You might notice that no Nintendo games are up for the biggest award of them all: Game of the Year. So, which games are? Well, to our absolute joy, Balatro is a contender. However, it faces some tough competition in the form of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Astro Bot, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Black Myth Wukong, and Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree. Other notable games to appear in this year’s many categories include Silent Hill 2, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Remember, you can help determine who the winners are at The Game Awards 2024 on December 12 by visiting the website and selecting which game you want to nominate. You can do it for every category or just the ones that have the games you care about.

If you need help passing the time until the prestigious awards take place next month, our lists of the best Switch RPGs and best mobile RPGs have some great adventures for you to embark on.