Rank #1
- Available points earned
- 75.9% 24,910 pts
- Times picked #1
- 246
- Sources awarding points
- 250
2022 Game of the Year (GOTY) Rankings
Top game that year
Elden Ring Original
- Available points earned
- 75.9%
- Score
- 24,910 pts
- Sources used
- 328
- All sources checked
- Apr 23, 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
- 328
- All sources checked
- Apr 23, 2026
Sources by type
- Editorial
- 299
- Reader vote
- 17
- Industry award
- 11
- Judges and voters
- 1
Sources by scoring method
- Published vote count
- 0
- Published vote percentage
- 0
- Top 10 list
- 11
- Winner and nominees
- 0
- Winner only
- 317
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 328
Ranking
| Rank | Game | Available points earned | Times picked #1 | Sources awarding points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 75.9% 24,910 pts | 246 | 250 | |
| #2 | 16.6% 5,450 pts | 48 | 57 | |
| #3 | 2.8% 920 pts | 5 | 11 | |
| #4 | 1.8% 590 pts | 2 | 9 | |
| #4 | 1.8% 580 pts | 3 | 8 | |
| #6 | 1.6% 530 pts | 4 | 7 | |
| #6 | 1.6% 510 pts | 3 | 7 | |
| #8 | 1.3% 420 pts | 2 | 6 | |
| #9 | 1.1% 350 pts | 1 | 5 | |
| #10 | 1% 330 pts | 1 | 7 | |
| #11 | 0.9% 310 pts | 1 | 4 | |
| #12 | 0.8% 270 pts | 2 | 4 | |
| #12 | 0.8% 270 pts | 1 | 5 | |
| #14 | 0.6% 210 pts | 1 | 3 | |
| #15 | 0.5% 150 pts | 1 | 2 | |
| #16 | 0.4% 130 pts | 1 | 2 | |
| #17 | 0.3% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #17 | 0.3% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #17 | 0.3% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #17 | 0.3% 100 pts | 1 | 1 |
Rank #2
- Available points earned
- 16.6% 5,450 pts
- Times picked #1
- 48
- Sources awarding points
- 57
Rank #3
- Available points earned
- 2.8% 920 pts
- Times picked #1
- 5
- Sources awarding points
- 11
Rank #4
- Available points earned
- 1.8% 590 pts
- Times picked #1
- 2
- Sources awarding points
- 9
Rank #4
- Available points earned
- 1.8% 580 pts
- Times picked #1
- 3
- Sources awarding points
- 8
Rank #6
- Available points earned
- 1.6% 530 pts
- Times picked #1
- 4
- Sources awarding points
- 7
Rank #6
- Available points earned
- 1.6% 510 pts
- Times picked #1
- 3
- Sources awarding points
- 7
Rank #8
- Available points earned
- 1.3% 420 pts
- Times picked #1
- 2
- Sources awarding points
- 6
Rank #9
- Available points earned
- 1.1% 350 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 5
Rank #10
- Available points earned
- 1% 330 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 7
Rank #11
- Available points earned
- 0.9% 310 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 4
Rank #12
- Available points earned
- 0.8% 270 pts
- Times picked #1
- 2
- Sources awarding points
- 4
Rank #12
- Available points earned
- 0.8% 270 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 5
Rank #14
- Available points earned
- 0.6% 210 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 3
Rank #15
- Available points earned
- 0.5% 150 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 2
Rank #16
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 130 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 2
Rank #17
- Available points earned
- 0.3% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #17
- Available points earned
- 0.3% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #17
- Available points earned
- 0.3% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #17
- Available points earned
- 0.3% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
2022 Criticism and Records
Elden Ring Let Players Walk Away and Find Another Path
Elden Ring did not spell out every task or the proper order. A distant castle and a shining tree made players want to explore. Its 75.9% share says more about the appeal of finding your own path than about difficult combat becoming easy.
It Won by an Enormous Margin
Elden Ring accounted for 250, or 75.9%, of the 2022 records. Second place God of War Ragnarök had 57, or 16.6%. This is one of the years in which it ranked first by the largest margin since 2013. This is a result that is difficult to believe was created by a group of specific fans.
The 250 records include 230 from the editorial department, 13 from readers, 6 from industry, and 1 from a mix. There were not only a lot of votes from fans who liked difficult action RPGs. The year-end selections of professional media overwhelmingly focused on the same game.
This agreement did not come from the game suddenly becoming easy. Bosses remained punishing and quest directions stayed obscure. What changed was the number of options after getting stuck. Players could ride elsewhere, find equipment and experience, then return with a new strategy.
The Open Fields Were Part of the Adventure
Many open worlds begin with a map marker and ask players to follow it. Elden Ring instead points toward giant trees, castle walls, and distant ruins. Grace suggests a main route without making it compulsory. The map became a place to investigate, not a sheet that supplied the right answer.
Hidetaka Miyazaki said the team did not copy one existing open-world formula. It reshaped wide fields and free exploration around FromSoftware's combat and dungeons. The larger world was meant to deepen discovery and choice, not simply increase the number of tasks. [1] [2]
Wide fields did not replace dense dungeons. Wandering outside often led to an unexpected cave or ruin; entering a castle or underground city brought back tight shortcuts and vertical paths. Open roaming and focused exploration strengthened each other.
Players Adjusted Difficulty Through Their Choices
In Elden Ring, there is no menu to choose between easy and difficult. Instead, there is a lot of help such as summoning spirit bodies, cooperative play, long-range magic, bleeding attacks, and equipment strengthening. Depending on what you use, the same boss feels completely different. It is up to the player to decide how much help to use.
The Guardian praised the design and creativity, arguing that exploration and failure slowly made an intimidating world understandable. Endurance was not the only skill that mattered. Knowing when to leave an unwinnable fight and find another route mattered too. [3]
Being free did not solve all problems. In the second half, the enemy's health and attack power increased too much. The same bosses were repeated, and it was difficult to find the next location for the character quest. A high award record does not eliminate these shortcomings. Still, the force that made me feel that failure was not a dead end but a signal to go somewhere else was greater.
Most Major Awards Agreed, but BAFTA Did Not
The Game Awards, D.I.C.E. Awards and Game Developers Choice Awards all gave Elden Ring the top award. D.I.C.E. won five awards, including Game of the Year. It was a rare year when the general year-end list and reviews from fellow developers were gathered around the same game. [4] [5] [6]
BAFTA's Best Game was Vampire Survivors. It is a small game that is the complete opposite of a huge 3D world. Movement and auto-attack alone constantly forced you to make important choices. BAFTA gave Elden Ring two awards, but the top award went to a game that made great fun with simple rules. [7]
Elden Ring clearly defined 2022. It did more than place familiar combat on a larger map. It created a rhythm in which getting stuck became a reason to explore somewhere else. The world grew while detailed guidance receded, and that uncertainty drew players forward.
External references
- Xbox Wire FromSoftware's Hidetaka Miyazaki on the Secrets of Elden Ring's Development View source
- Xbox Wire Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin Present: Elden Ring View source
- The Guardian Elden Ring review: an unrivalled masterpiece of design and inventiveness View source
- The Game Awards 2022 winners View source
- Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Winners View source
- Game Developers Choice Awards 23rd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards View source
- BAFTA BAFTA announces the winners of the 2023 BAFTA Games Awards View source
How this year's score was calculated