Rank #1
- Score share
- 22% 6,420 pts
- Winner selections
- 62
- Sources
- 67
2021 Game of the Year (GOTY) Rankings
Representative GOTY
It Takes Two Original
- Score share
- 22%
- Score
- 6,420 pts
- Sources
- 292
- Review status date
- Apr 24, 2026
Year context
How the year played out
In 2021, the striking point is not simply that It Takes Two finished first, but that consensus was hard to form. It Takes Two won The Game Awards and D.I.C.E., yet BAFTA chose Returnal, GDC chose Inscryption, Golden Joystick chose Resident Evil Village, and NAVGTR chose Deathloop. The upper field did not collapse into one story; each major body seemed to nominate a different strength as the year's representative.
How this year was counted
Trust summary
A compact view of the source pool behind this year's ranking. Public pages show the outlet names and source mix.
Collection complete
Known sources and candidates have been reviewed, with no open items currently pending.
- Sources
- 292
- Review status date
- Apr 24, 2026
Source mix
- Editorial
- 265
- Reader vote
- 21
- Industry award
- 5
- Mixed award
- 1
Scoring depth
- Public vote count
- 0
- Public vote share
- 0
- Ranked lists
- 10
- Winner and nominees
- 0
- Winner only
- 282
Outlet names included
This list shows verified outlet names, categories, selection types, and scoring bases.
Expand outlet names Collapse outlet names 292
- 2P jeux vidéo (CA)
- 3DJuegos
- 3DNews
- 5by5 / DLC
- ActuGaming
- Afisha Daily
- Akihabara Blues
- Akihabara Blues (ES)
- Al-Ain
- Antyweb
- Any Button Gaming
- Arab Game Awards
- Ars Technica
- Atomix
- BAFTA Games Awards
- BiliBili (CN)
- Cadelta
- Canaltech
- CBR
- CentrumHer (SK)
- Cerealkillerz
- CGMagazine (CA)
- Championat
- Checkpoint
- CineMedios
- CNET
- COGconnected
- Collider
- ComicBook.com
- Coming Soon
- Cubiq
- CyberLudus
- Cybersport
- D.I.C.E. Awards
- DarkZero
- Den of Geek
- Destructoid
- Destructoid (US)
- Dexterto
- Digital Trends
- Digitec (CH)
- Digitec / Galaxus (CH)
- Diktor
- Disgusting Men
- DrCommodore
- DTF
- DTF (RU)
- DualShockers
- DualShockers (UK)
- EarlyGame (US)
- EDGE Magazine
- EFTM
- EGM
- Ekspert Ceneo
- El Destilador Cultural
- El País
- Empire
- Entertainment Weekly
- Entertainment.ie
- Esquire
- Eurogamer
- Eurogamer (UK)
- Eurogamer Germany (DE)
- Eurogamer Italy
- Eurogamer Poland
- Eurogamer Portugal (PT)
- Everyeye (IT)
- Explosion Network
- Famitsu
- Female First
- Fossbytes
- Fun & Serious Game Festival
- FZ
- FZ (SE)
- Gaak (FR)
- GamAlive
- Game Channel
- Game Chronicles
- Game Developers Choice Awards
- Game Informer
- Game Rant
- Game*Spark (JP)
- GameGrin
- GameHall
- GameInfinite
- GameInfinite (US)
- Gamekapocs (HU)
- Gamekult (FR)
- GameLuster
- GameMAG
- GameOver.gr (GR)
- Gameplay Cafe
- GamePro (DE)
- Gamepur
- Gamer Matters
- Gamer-info (RU)
- Gamer365 (HU)
- Gamereactor Norway
- Gamereactor Portugal
- Gamereactor Spain
- Gamereactor Sweden
- GameRevolution
- GamerFocus
- GamerGen
- Gamerweb
- Gamerwk
- GameShot
- GameSpace
- GameSpew
- GameSpot
- GamesRadar+
- GameStar Hungary (HU)
- Gameswelt (DE)
- GameTyrant
- GameVicio
- Gaming Age
- Gaming Boulevard
- Gaming Route
- GAMINGbible
- Geeks and Com'
- GeekVilág
- Geeky
- Giant Bomb
- Go2Games
- God is a Geek
- Golden Joystick Awards
- Golden Joystick Awards (UK)
- Goomba Stomp
- GRYOnline (PL)
- HB
- HCL (HR)
- HernáZóna
- HLN
- Hobby Consolas
- Hot Press
- Houston Press
- Hrej (CZ)
- Hynerd
- IAmGames
- IGN
- IGN (US, Reader's Choice)
- IGN Hungary
- IGN Italy
- IGN Middle East
- Igromania
- Inside Digital
- INVEN
- Inverse
- ITHardware.pl
- Jagat Play
- JeuxOnline (FR)
- Just Gamer (GR)
- JVFrance
- Kanobu (RU)
- KeenGamer
- Kerrang! Magazine (UK)
- KG-Portal (RU)
- Komputer Świat – Tech Awards (PL)
- Konbini
- Konzolista
- Kukátko
- La Creme du Gaming
- LA Times
- Laptop Mag
- Legião dos Heróis
- Level1 (EE)
- Lifehacker.ru
- Link Cable Gaming (CA)
- Loading.se (SE)
- Lords of Gaming
- Malditos Nerds
- Markazkharid
- Mashable
- Maxim Magazine
- Melty
- MeriStation
- Merlin'in Kazani (TR)
- Metro GameCentral
- Metro GameCentral (UK)
- MeUGamer (BR)
- MHD / Magazine.hd
- Minimap (KR)
- Mir Fantastiki / MIRF
- MKuubis (EE)
- MonsterVine
- Moshbit Gaming (PT)
- MovieZine
- MovieZine (SE)
- MP1st
- Multiplayer.it
- Multiplayer.it (IT)
- Muropaketti
- mxdwn
- NAVGTR Awards
- Nerdando (IT)
- Nerdlicious
- New Game Network
- New Game Plus.fr
- New York Daily News
- NME
- No Soy Gamer
- Noisy Pixel (US)
- NoobFeed
- NPR
- NRK
- Overclockers.ua
- Par30Game
- Paste
- PC Guru (HU)
- PCGalaxy
- PlayDome (HU)
- Playground
- Polityka
- Polygon
- Popular Science
- Post Arcade
- PowerWave83
- Premios Xataka Orange
- Press Start
- Presse-Citron
- Quarter to Three
- Radiónica
- Red Bull Sweden
- Reflex
- Reno Gazette Journal
- Ruliweb
- Screen Rant
- SDP Noticias
- Sector.sk
- Sector.sk (SK)
- Shacknews
- Sidequesting
- Siliconera
- Slant Magazine
- SmartWorld
- SmashPad
- Soundvenue
- SpazioGames (IT)
- Stevivor
- TechRadar
- TechRaptor (US)
- TechTudo
- Tecnoblog
- TesterGier
- That Nerdy Site
- The A.V. Club
- The Breeze (US)
- The Game Awards
- The Game Awards Players' Voice (US)
- The Games Machine
- The Guardian
- The Irish News
- The Mercury News
- The Scottish Sun
- The Spokesman-Review
- The Steam Awards
- The Telegraph
- The Young Folks
- The-Avocado (US)
- TheGamer
- TheGeek
- TheSixthAxis
- TicinOnline
- TIME
- Tom's Hardware Italy – Game Division
- Topito
- Trusted Reviews
- TuttoteK
- Unboxholics
- Unboxholics (GR)
- Unian
- Unian (UA)
- Vandal
- VG24
- VGChartz
- VGTime / UCG (CN)
- Vida Extra
- Vida Extra (ES)
- VidaoPantalla
- Vigamus Magazine
- Way Too Many Games
- Wccftech (AE)
- Weekly Recon (CA)
- WellPlayed
- WhatCulture
- WorthPlaying
- Xataka México
- XGN
- YOLO.mn
- Zing (CZ)
- Zone of Games (RU)
- Zoomg
Ranking
| Rank | Game | Score share | Winner selections | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 22% 6,420 pts | 62 | 67 | |
| #2 | 14.3% 4,170 pts | 39 | 43 | |
| #3 | 12.6% 3,690 pts | 35 | 39 | |
| #4 | 10.3% 3,020 pts | 27 | 32 | |
| #5 | 8.2% 2,380 pts | 21 | 27 | |
| #6 | 7.2% 2,100 pts | 15 | 24 | |
| #7 | 7% 2,040 pts | 17 | 23 | |
| #8 | 6.9% 2,010 pts | 18 | 22 | |
| #9 | 5.3% 1,550 pts | 12 | 18 | |
| #10 | 3.3% 960 pts | 9 | 12 | |
| #11 | 2.7% 780 pts | 6 | 10 | |
| #12 | 1.5% 440 pts | 1 | 7 | |
| #13 | 1.4% 400 pts | 2 | 6 | |
| #14 | 1.3% 380 pts | 3 | 4 | |
| #15 | 1% 300 pts | 3 | 3 | |
| #15 | 1% 300 pts | 3 | 3 | |
| #17 | 0.8% 230 pts | 1 | 4 | |
| #18 | 0.7% 200 pts | 1 | 4 | |
| #19 | 0.6% 170 pts | 1 | 3 | |
| #20 | 0.5% 150 pts | 1 | 2 |
Rank #2
- Score share
- 14.3% 4,170 pts
- Winner selections
- 39
- Sources
- 43
Rank #3
- Score share
- 12.6% 3,690 pts
- Winner selections
- 35
- Sources
- 39
Rank #4
- Score share
- 10.3% 3,020 pts
- Winner selections
- 27
- Sources
- 32
Rank #5
- Score share
- 8.2% 2,380 pts
- Winner selections
- 21
- Sources
- 27
Rank #6
- Score share
- 7.2% 2,100 pts
- Winner selections
- 15
- Sources
- 24
Rank #7
- Score share
- 7% 2,040 pts
- Winner selections
- 17
- Sources
- 23
Rank #8
- Score share
- 6.9% 2,010 pts
- Winner selections
- 18
- Sources
- 22
Rank #9
- Score share
- 5.3% 1,550 pts
- Winner selections
- 12
- Sources
- 18
Rank #10
- Score share
- 3.3% 960 pts
- Winner selections
- 9
- Sources
- 12
Rank #11
- Score share
- 2.7% 780 pts
- Winner selections
- 6
- Sources
- 10
Rank #12
- Score share
- 1.5% 440 pts
- Winner selections
- 1
- Sources
- 7
Rank #13
- Score share
- 1.4% 400 pts
- Winner selections
- 2
- Sources
- 6
Rank #14
- Score share
- 1.3% 380 pts
- Winner selections
- 3
- Sources
- 4
Rank #15
- Score share
- 1% 300 pts
- Winner selections
- 3
- Sources
- 3
Rank #15
- Score share
- 1% 300 pts
- Winner selections
- 3
- Sources
- 3
Rank #17
- Score share
- 0.8% 230 pts
- Winner selections
- 1
- Sources
- 4
Rank #18
- Score share
- 0.7% 200 pts
- Winner selections
- 1
- Sources
- 4
Rank #19
- Score share
- 0.6% 170 pts
- Winner selections
- 1
- Sources
- 3
Rank #20
- Score share
- 0.5% 150 pts
- Winner selections
- 1
- Sources
- 2
How this year was counted