Rank #1
- Available points earned
- 37.5% 10,650 pts
- Times picked #1
- 107
- Sources awarding points
- 107
2016 Game of the Year (GOTY) Rankings
Top game that year
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Original
- Available points earned
- 37.5%
- Score
- 10,650 pts
- Sources used
- 284
- All sources checked
- May 15, 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
- 284
- All sources checked
- May 15, 2026
Sources by type
- Editorial
- 225
- Reader vote
- 52
- Industry award
- 2
- Judges and voters
- 5
Sources by scoring method
- Published vote count
- 0
- Published vote percentage
- 0
- Top 10 list
- 113
- Winner and nominees
- 0
- Winner only
- 171
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 284
Ranking
| Rank | Game | Available points earned | Times picked #1 | Sources awarding points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 37.5% 10,650 pts | 107 | 107 | |
| #2 | 24.6% 6,983.3 pts | 71 | 71 | |
| #3 | 5.8% 1,633.3 pts | 17 | 17 | |
| #4 | 4.2% 1,200 pts | 12 | 12 | |
| #5 | 3.9% 1,100 pts | 11 | 11 | |
| #5 | 3.9% 1,100 pts | 11 | 11 | |
| #7 | 3.5% 1,000 pts | 10 | 10 | |
| #7 | 3.5% 1,000 pts | 10 | 10 | |
| #9 | 2.6% 733.3 pts | 8 | 8 | |
| #10 | 2.1% 600 pts | 6 | 6 | |
| #11 | 1.4% 400 pts | 4 | 4 | |
| #11 | 1.4% 400 pts | 4 | 4 | |
| #13 | 0.7% 200 pts | 2 | 2 | |
| #13 | 0.7% 200 pts | 2 | 2 | |
| #13 | 0.7% 200 pts | 2 | 2 | |
| #16 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #16 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #16 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #16 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #16 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 |
Rank #2
- Available points earned
- 24.6% 6,983.3 pts
- Times picked #1
- 71
- Sources awarding points
- 71
Rank #3
- Available points earned
- 5.8% 1,633.3 pts
- Times picked #1
- 17
- Sources awarding points
- 17
Rank #4
- Available points earned
- 4.2% 1,200 pts
- Times picked #1
- 12
- Sources awarding points
- 12
Rank #5
- Available points earned
- 3.9% 1,100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 11
- Sources awarding points
- 11
Rank #5
- Available points earned
- 3.9% 1,100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 11
- Sources awarding points
- 11
Rank #7
- Available points earned
- 3.5% 1,000 pts
- Times picked #1
- 10
- Sources awarding points
- 10
Rank #7
- Available points earned
- 3.5% 1,000 pts
- Times picked #1
- 10
- Sources awarding points
- 10
Rank #9
- Available points earned
- 2.6% 733.3 pts
- Times picked #1
- 8
- Sources awarding points
- 8
Rank #10
- Available points earned
- 2.1% 600 pts
- Times picked #1
- 6
- Sources awarding points
- 6
Rank #11
- Available points earned
- 1.4% 400 pts
- Times picked #1
- 4
- Sources awarding points
- 4
Rank #11
- Available points earned
- 1.4% 400 pts
- Times picked #1
- 4
- Sources awarding points
- 4
Rank #13
- Available points earned
- 0.7% 200 pts
- Times picked #1
- 2
- Sources awarding points
- 2
Rank #13
- Available points earned
- 0.7% 200 pts
- Times picked #1
- 2
- Sources awarding points
- 2
Rank #13
- Available points earned
- 0.7% 200 pts
- Times picked #1
- 2
- Sources awarding points
- 2
Rank #16
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #16
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #16
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #16
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #16
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
2016 Retrospective
In 2016, a Finished Story Faced a Game Built to Keep Changing
Year-end lists chose Uncharted 4 most often, while The Game Awards and D.I.C.E. Awards chose Overwatch. The result depended on whether voters valued a complete story or the promise of an online game that could keep evolving.
One Game Moved Toward an Ending; the Other Thrived on Repetition
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End received 107 of 284 first-place selections, or 37.5%. Overwatch received 71, or 24.6%. One aimed to close a story after a dozen hours; the other tried to keep hundreds of short matches from feeling the same.
The subtitle, A Thief's End, gives the direction of the story. More important than the treasure is whether Nathan Drake can stop adventuring. The Guardian praised the film for spending time on older characters and relationships while maintaining a large action narrative. TIME also thought that the quiet scenes ended the series well. [1] [2]
There is no set ending in Overwatch. Initially there were 21 heroes and 12 maps. The story was interspersed with short videos and dialogue. The key was to look at the opposing team, change heroes, and solve the same game differently. There was a conflict between a game where you had to watch until the end to evaluate it and a game where the evaluation changed the longer you played. [4]
Uncharted 4 Was Strongest in Its Quiet Moments
Naughty Dog still did a good job with the cliff falling scenes and fast car chases. But what lingers longer is Nate and Elena's daily life. This is the moment when two people play a game on the sofa or catch a lie at the dinner table. Rather than showing a flashy hero, it showed the life that remained after the adventure.
The team used larger combat spaces and a grappling hook to offer more choices without losing the character-driven story. Those spaces did not imitate an open world. They let players decide whether to sneak, fight directly, or find another route. [3]
The ending can feel too comfortable: Nate's violent past does not sit easily beside the peaceful final scene. Even so, many voters saw it as a graceful farewell to a blockbuster action series.
Overwatch Let Poor Aimers Still Help the Team
Overwatch's strength lies not in the number of heroes but in the way it divides roles. It is not just the attack hero who aims accurately that is important. Heroes who open the way with barriers, place turrets, and heal allies were also essential to victory. Jeff Kaplan explained that shooting has made it possible for even strangers to help the team right away. [5]
Switching heroes was just as important as choosing one. Kaplan explained that the roster was not balanced around equal one-on-one fights; a struggling team needed to read the opposition and change its lineup. Success depended on composition and quick decisions as much as accurate shooting. [6]
Easy entry did not mean a shallow game. Roles made sense within minutes, while hero matchups and map routes added team-level depth. Casual and competitive players could remain inside the same rules. Industry awards valued that range.
Different Awards Used Different Measures
BAFTA chose Uncharted 4 as Best Game, rewarding its completed story, characters, and craft. The Game Awards and D.I.C.E. Awards chose Overwatch, judging not only its launch version but its potential for updates, a lasting community, and new forms of competition. [7] [8] [9]
Uncharted 4's 107 records include 73 editorial selections, 30 reader votes, and 4 mixed selections. Media outlets and players supported it widely, yet major industry awards differed. The answer changed depending on whether voters sought the best finished game or the game most likely to change what came next.
Choosing a game of the year became harder after 2016. A finished release now had to be compared with a service game that kept changing. Uncharted 4 showed the power of a carefully completed farewell. Overwatch proved that an unfinished, evolving game could also define its year.
External references
- The Guardian Uncharted 4 single-player review: a rollicking, globetrotting adventure View source
- TIME Uncharted 4: A Thief's End Review View source
- The Guardian Uncharted 4: how Nathan Drake became more than an action hero View source
- The Guardian Overwatch review: fast, fun and a joy throughout View source
- TIME Overwatch Wants To Appeal To Every Kind of Gamer View source
- GameSpot The Story of Overwatch: The Complete Jeff Kaplan Interview View source
- BAFTA Winners Announced for the British Academy Games Awards in 2017 View source
- The Game Awards 2016 winners View source
- Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences 2017 Awards: Game of the Year View source