Rank #1
- Available points earned
- 56.1% 18,000 pts
- Times picked #1
- 182
- Sources awarding points
- 182
2017 Game of the Year (GOTY) Rankings
Top game that year
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Original
- Available points earned
- 56.1%
- Score
- 18,000 pts
- Sources used
- 321
- All sources checked
- May 9, 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
- 321
- All sources checked
- May 9, 2026
Sources by type
- Editorial
- 243
- Reader vote
- 65
- Industry award
- 3
- Judges and voters
- 10
Sources by scoring method
- Published vote count
- 0
- Published vote percentage
- 0
- Top 10 list
- 80
- Winner and nominees
- 0
- Winner only
- 241
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 321
Ranking
| Rank | Game | Available points earned | Times picked #1 | Sources awarding points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 56.1% 18,000 pts | 182 | 182 | |
| #2 | 13.6% 4,350 pts | 45 | 45 | |
| #3 | 7.9% 2,550 pts | 26 | 26 | |
| #4 | 4.4% 1,400 pts | 14 | 14 | |
| #5 | 4.1% 1,300 pts | 13 | 13 | |
| #6 | 3.1% 1,000 pts | 11 | 11 | |
| #6 | 3.1% 1,000 pts | 10 | 10 | |
| #8 | 2.5% 800 pts | 8 | 8 | |
| #9 | 1.2% 400 pts | 4 | 4 | |
| #10 | 1.1% 350 pts | 4 | 4 | |
| #11 | 0.9% 300 pts | 3 | 3 | |
| #12 | 0.3% 100 pts | 2 | 2 | |
| #12 | 0.3% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #12 | 0.3% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #12 | 0.3% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #12 | 0.3% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #12 | 0.3% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #18 | 0.2% 50 pts | 1 | 1 |
Rank #2
- Available points earned
- 13.6% 4,350 pts
- Times picked #1
- 45
- Sources awarding points
- 45
Rank #3
- Available points earned
- 7.9% 2,550 pts
- Times picked #1
- 26
- Sources awarding points
- 26
Rank #4
- Available points earned
- 4.4% 1,400 pts
- Times picked #1
- 14
- Sources awarding points
- 14
Rank #5
- Available points earned
- 4.1% 1,300 pts
- Times picked #1
- 13
- Sources awarding points
- 13
Rank #6
- Available points earned
- 3.1% 1,000 pts
- Times picked #1
- 11
- Sources awarding points
- 11
Rank #6
- Available points earned
- 3.1% 1,000 pts
- Times picked #1
- 10
- Sources awarding points
- 10
Rank #8
- Available points earned
- 2.5% 800 pts
- Times picked #1
- 8
- Sources awarding points
- 8
Rank #9
- Available points earned
- 1.2% 400 pts
- Times picked #1
- 4
- Sources awarding points
- 4
Rank #10
- Available points earned
- 1.1% 350 pts
- Times picked #1
- 4
- Sources awarding points
- 4
Rank #11
- Available points earned
- 0.9% 300 pts
- Times picked #1
- 3
- Sources awarding points
- 3
Rank #12
- Available points earned
- 0.3% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 2
- Sources awarding points
- 2
Rank #12
- Available points earned
- 0.3% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #12
- Available points earned
- 0.3% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #12
- Available points earned
- 0.3% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #12
- Available points earned
- 0.3% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #12
- Available points earned
- 0.3% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #18
- Available points earned
- 0.2% 50 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
2017 Criticism and Records
Breath of the Wild Left the Answers Off the Map
Hyrule did not list every destination and task. Distant mountains, strange lights, weather, and wind guided the player instead. Letting people discover and test their own answers won broad support.
The Landscape Gave Directions Instead of Icons
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild earned 182 of 321 records, or 56.1%. Horizon Zero Dawn finished second with 45, or 13.6%. Horizon also offered strong combat and an original machine ecosystem. Hyrule's larger lead cannot be explained by size alone.
When you climb the tower, the map opens, but nearby things to do are not automatically displayed. The player sees smoke, strange rocks, and a temple in the distance and decides where to go. The Guardian noted that the striking scenery creates curiosity but does not force a single path. [1]
This small difference changes who sets the goal. Moving to clear an icon means following a task chosen by the game. Crossing a mountain out of curiosity means creating the goal yourself. Breath of the Wild's greatest freedom was not simply going anywhere, but feeling that the discovery belonged to the player.
Rules Learned in One Place Worked Everywhere
Fire burns grass and trees and creates wind that blows upward. Metal conducts electricity, and walls become slippery when it rains. Wind also changes the direction of objects and flames. These rules are not only used in certain puzzles. Methods learned in one place can be reused in battle, movement, or other puzzles.
Nintendo first tested its ideas in a simple 2D prototype. The team studied how fire, wind, and objects could affect one another. The final game likewise avoided a single required solution. Combining rules could produce answers even the developers had not expected. [2] [3]
This is why almost all important tools are given at the beginning. Usually, you gain new abilities in the latter half of the game to open up blocked paths. In this game, the better a player understands the rules, the more things they can do. Equipment and stamina are important, but the greatest growth comes from learning how to use multiple rules together.
Nintendo Broke Familiar Habits to Renew Zelda
On the surface, the game appears to abandon Zelda tradition. Its goal, however, was to recover the first game's sense of exploration: entering an unknown world and solving problems with discovered tools. The Guardian likewise praised its blend of classic Zelda and the modern open world. [4]
There are also things lost. There are fewer large, dense dungeons and special boss battles like in previous works. The story is scattered into memory fragments that can be viewed in any order. Although it is free, the flow of emotions gradually growing is weak. The ability for weapons to break frequently makes it easier to use new equipment, but it also makes it difficult to use a favorite weapon for a long time.
Many voters valued the new freedom more than what was lost. Nintendo asked what made Zelda enjoyable instead of protecting every familiar habit. The result was a rare reinvention that kept an old series recognizable without repeating its past.
Broad Agreement Still Left Room for Another View
The Game Awards chose Breath of the Wild as the best game. D.I.C.E. Awards and Game Developers Choice Awards also made the same choice. D.I.C.E. won four categories, including Game of the Year. The 182 records include 144 from the editorial department, 29 from readers, 2 from industry, and 7 from a mix. Several groups supported it evenly. [5] [6] [7]
BAFTA's Best Game was What Remains of Edith Finch. Instead of a wide world, this game contains a short tragedy in each room of a mansion. Breath of the Wild won the Game Innovation award. But the top prize went to a shorter, more focused story. It wasn't a lack of Zelda, but rather a choice to ensure that good games don't have just one look. [8]
Breath of the Wild clearly defined 2017. It found open-world pleasure in curiosity and experiment rather than a long task list. Paragliding and climbing were easy details to copy. The harder achievement was a set of consistent rules that let players choose both the destination and the solution.
External references
- The Guardian Is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild the best-designed game ever? View source
- Nintendo Go behind the scenes with the making of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild View source
- Ars Technica Nintendo used 8-bit Zelda engine to prototype Breath of the Wild View source
- The Guardian The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild review View source
- The Game Awards 2017 winners View source
- Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences 21st Annual D.I.C.E. Award Winners View source
- Game Developers Choice Awards 18th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards View source
- BAFTA Winners Announced for the British Academy Games Awards in 2018 View source
How this year's score was calculated