Rank #1
- Available points earned
- 55.2% 9,100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 91
- Sources awarding points
- 91
2015 Game of the Year (GOTY) Rankings
Top game that year
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Original
- Available points earned
- 55.2%
- Score
- 9,100 pts
- Sources used
- 165
- All sources checked
- May 20, 2026
How this year's score was calculated
Sources used for this ranking
See the sources used to calculate this year's ranking, including each source's name and type.
Collection complete
We have checked every source and possible result we found. Nothing is currently waiting for review.
- Sources used
- 165
- All sources checked
- May 20, 2026
Sources by type
- Editorial
- 106
- Reader vote
- 46
- Industry award
- 4
- Judges and voters
- 9
Sources by scoring method
- Published vote count
- 0
- Published vote percentage
- 0
- Top 10 list
- 106
- Winner and nominees
- 0
- Winner only
- 59
Sources used for scoring
See each source's name and type, who made the selection, and how its points were calculated.
Show sources Hide sources 165
Ranking
| Rank | Game | Available points earned | Times picked #1 | Sources awarding points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 55.2% 9,100 pts | 91 | 91 | |
| #2 | 13.3% 2,200 pts | 22 | 22 | |
| #3 | 7.9% 1,300 pts | 13 | 13 | |
| #4 | 6.7% 1,100 pts | 11 | 11 | |
| #5 | 4.8% 800 pts | 8 | 8 | |
| #6 | 1.8% 300 pts | 3 | 3 | |
| #7 | 1.2% 200 pts | 2 | 2 | |
| #7 | 1.2% 200 pts | 2 | 2 | |
| #7 | 1.2% 200 pts | 2 | 2 | |
| #7 | 1.2% 200 pts | 2 | 2 | |
| #11 | 0.6% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #11 | 0.6% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #11 | 0.6% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #11 | 0.6% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #11 | 0.6% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #11 | 0.6% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #11 | 0.6% 100 pts | 1 | 1 |
Rank #2
- Available points earned
- 13.3% 2,200 pts
- Times picked #1
- 22
- Sources awarding points
- 22
Rank #3
- Available points earned
- 7.9% 1,300 pts
- Times picked #1
- 13
- Sources awarding points
- 13
Rank #4
- Available points earned
- 6.7% 1,100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 11
- Sources awarding points
- 11
Rank #5
- Available points earned
- 4.8% 800 pts
- Times picked #1
- 8
- Sources awarding points
- 8
Rank #6
- Available points earned
- 1.8% 300 pts
- Times picked #1
- 3
- Sources awarding points
- 3
Rank #7
- Available points earned
- 1.2% 200 pts
- Times picked #1
- 2
- Sources awarding points
- 2
Rank #7
- Available points earned
- 1.2% 200 pts
- Times picked #1
- 2
- Sources awarding points
- 2
Rank #7
- Available points earned
- 1.2% 200 pts
- Times picked #1
- 2
- Sources awarding points
- 2
Rank #7
- Available points earned
- 1.2% 200 pts
- Times picked #1
- 2
- Sources awarding points
- 2
Rank #11
- Available points earned
- 0.6% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #11
- Available points earned
- 0.6% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #11
- Available points earned
- 0.6% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #11
- Available points earned
- 0.6% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #11
- Available points earned
- 0.6% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #11
- Available points earned
- 0.6% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #11
- Available points earned
- 0.6% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
2015 Retrospective
The Witcher 3 Made Small Quests Matter
The Witcher 3 did not dominate 2015 simply because its map was large. Small contracts found on the road carried human problems and difficult choices. Quests beyond the main story were worth following to the end.
Even Minor Contracts Told Stories Worth Finishing
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt received 91 of 165 first-place selections, or 55.2%. Fallout 4 followed with 22, or 13.3%. One game clearly led the year, but its central story alone does not explain the result.
Monster contracts and village disputes offered more than money and experience. A search for a missing person could reveal war, poverty, and prejudice. A well-meant choice might cause harm later. Geralt was not an all-knowing hero, but a working professional forced to decide before he understood every side.
A CD Projekt Red quest designer explained that small quests could change characters and local conditions. Some choices also connected to the central story. These were not errands sealed off from the main plot, but causes and effects within the same world. [1]
A Dominant Winner Still Had Clear Flaws
A decisive win did not make The Witcher 3 flawless. Reviews at launch criticized its uneven combat, awkward movement, cluttered inventory, and technical problems. PC Gamer praised the world and quests while still finding the combat and controls rough. [4]
Those flaws did not define the whole game. Players moved to the next region for more than a cleared map marker or stronger equipment. They wanted to know whom they would meet and what difficult choice might follow. Strong stories made the repeated activities easier to accept.
This is where it differed from Dragon Age: Inquisition. Inquisition placed open-world activities around its character drama. The Witcher 3 tried to make wandering and discovery part of that drama. Not every question mark was rewarding, but its best quests joined place and story naturally.
Critics and Players Backed the Same Game
The Game Awards and Game Developers Choice Awards both chose The Witcher 3. Its records include 54 editorial selections, 28 reader votes, 2 industry selections, and 7 mixed selections. The strong reader share shows that long-term player satisfaction and critical opinion often met. [5] [6]
BAFTA instead chose Fallout 4. Its exploration, crafting, and settlement building let players create their own stories. Within the same broad genre, BAFTA favored systemic freedom while more year-end lists favored authored choices and consequences. [7]
The lesson was not that every later quest needed a moral choice. The larger change was an expectation that side content should be written with the care of the main story. After The Witcher 3, a large world could not earn praise simply by being busy. Its smaller stories also had to justify their place.
External references
- GameSpot How the Side Quests in The Witcher 3 Can Change the Main Story View source
- PC Gamer The Witcher 3 interview: quests, world design and more View source
- GameSpot CD Projekt Red Explains Why The Witcher 3's Open World Worked View source
- PC Gamer The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt review View source
- The Game Awards 2015 winners View source
- Game Developers Choice Awards Game of the Year Award archive View source
- BAFTA British Academy Games Awards: 2016 winners View source