Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Announces 17th D.I.C.E. Awards Nominees

The Last of Us leads the charge with 13 nods, while Battlefield 4 gets nominated for “Best Online Game of the Year.”

In a press release, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has announced the list of nominees for the 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards. Leading the charge for nominees is Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us with 13 nods, which includes the coveted Game of the Year award. Trailing behind with multiple nominations are Grand Theft Auto V with seven nominations, BioShock Infinite with six, and Assassin’s Creed IV and Tearaway tying with five each.

The full list of nominees and categories can be seen below.

Game of the Year

Assassin’s Creed: IV Black Flag
BioShock Infinite
Grand Theft Auto V
The Last of Us
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons
Grand Theft Auto V
Papers, Please
Tearaway
The Last of Us

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming

Grand Theft Auto V
Papers, Please
Tearaway
The Last of Us
The Stanley Parable

Adventure Game of the Year

Assassin’s Creed: IV Black Flag
Tearaway
The Last of Us
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
Tomb Raider

Action Game of the Year

Battlefield 4
BioShock Infinite
Dead Rising 3
DmC: Devil May Cry
RESOGUN

Downloadable Game of the Year

Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Gone Home
Papers, Please
The Stanley Parable

Online Game of the Year

Battlefield 4
Borderlands 2
Diablo III
The Last of Us
World of Tanks

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
Beyond: Two Souls Sony
BioShock Infinite
Puppeteer
rain
Rayman Legends

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design
Battlefield 4
BioShock Infinite
God of War: Ascension Santa Monica
Grand Theft Auto V
The Last of Us

Outstanding Achievement in Story
Beyond: Two Souls
Bioshock Infinite
The Last of Us
The Novelist
Tomb Raider

Outstanding Character Performance
Grand Theft Auto V – Trevor
Ryse – Marius Titus
The Last of Us – Ellie
The last of Us – Joel
The Stanley Parable – Narrator

Casual Game of the Year
Candy Box
Peggle 2
Plants VS Zombies 2
Rayman Fiesta Run
Ridiculous Fishing – A Tale of Redemption

Role-Playing/Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year
Diablo III
Dota 2
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Pokémon X & Y

Sports Game of the Year
FIFA 14
Madden NFL 25
MLB 13 The Show
NBA 2K14
NHL 14

Racing Game of the Year
Forza Motorsport 5
Gran Turismo 6
Grid 2
Need for Speed Rivals
Real Racing 3

Fighting Game of the Year
Divekick
Injustice: Gods Among Us
Killer Instinct

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
Europa Universalis 4
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Brave New World
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
XCOM: Enemy Within

Family Game of the Year
Disney Infinity
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Entertainment TT Games
Rayman Legends
Skylanders Swap Force
Super Mario 3D World

Mobile Game of the Year
Fetch
Flick Kick Football Legends
Plants VS Zombies 2
Ridiculous Fishing – A Tale of Redemption
The Wolf Among Us

Handheld Game of the Year
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
Pokémon X & Y Nintendo
Tearaway
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

Outstanding Achievement in Animation
Assassin’s Creed: IV Black Flag
Beyond: Two Souls
Puppeteer
Rayman Legends
The Last of Us

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
BioShock Infinite
Puppeteer
Rayman Legends
Tearaway
The Last of Us

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering
Assassin’s Creed: IV Black Flag
Battlefield 4
Grand Theft Auto V
Ryse
The Last of Us

Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering
Assassin’s Creed: IV Black Flag
Forza Motorsport 5
Grand Theft Auto V
Super Mario 3D World
The Last of Us

The titles listed were played and evaluated by members of the Academy’s Peer Panels to determine the final nominees. According to the presser, “These panels, one for each award category, are comprised of the game industry’s most experienced and talented men and women who are experts in their chosen fields. The Academy’s 22,000+ members then vote to determine the winners as part of a secure voting process in which the winners are not revealed until the evening of the show.”

Set to take place on Thursday, February 6 at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, the peer-based awards show will be live-streamed in its entirety at 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET.

Any surprises from the nominees? I admit, seeing Battlefield 4 given a nomination for “Online Game of the Year” is a bit surprising given the multitude of online issues the game has faced since release.