The Last of Us, Gone Home lead GDC Awards nominations

Organizers today announced the nominations for the 14th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, with The Last of Us and Gone Home leading the way with five nominations each. Yesterday, organizers announced finalists for the 16th annual Independent Games Festival Awards.

Nominees for the marquee Game of the Year category include The Last of Us, Gone Home, Grand Theft Auto V, Super Mario 3D World, and Tomb Raider. Honorable mentions went to The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds, Papers, Please, The Stanley Parable, and Tearaway.

Last year's Game of the Year winner was thatgamecompany's downloadable game Journey.

Industry professionals participated in the nomination process for this year's group of finalists and the winners will be chosen by an invitation-only organization composed of "leading game creators" from all sectors of the industry.

Winners will be announced during the Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony on Wednesday, March 19 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco as part of the Game Developers Conference. GameSpot will host a live-stream of the ceremony.

The full list of nominees, as well as honorable mentions, for the 14th annual Game Developers Choice Awards is listed below. Special selections for Pioneer, Ambassador, and Lifetime Achievement awards will be announced at a later date.

Game of the Year:

• Gone Home (The Fullbright Company)
• Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)
• The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony)
• Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo EAD Tokyo/Nintendo)
• Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix)

• Honorable Mentions: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo), Papers, Please (Lucas Pope), The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe), Tearaway (Media Molecule/Sony).

Innovation Award:

• DEVICE 6 (Simogo)
• Gone Home (The Fullbright Company)
• Papers, Please (Lucas Pope)
• Tearaway (Media Molecule/Sony)
• The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe)

• Honorable Mentions: Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons (Starbreeze/505 Games), Candy Box (Aniwey), Kerbal Space Program (Squad), The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony), Proteus (Ed Key/David Kanaga).

Best Debut:

• Blue Manchu (Card Hunter)
• The Fullbright Company (Gone Home)
• Galactic Cafe (The Stanley Parable)
• Squad (Kerbal Space Program)
• Undead Labs (State Of Decay)

• Honorable Mentions: Facepalm Games (The Swapper), Frogmind Games (Badland), Grinding Gear Games (Path Of Exile), Suspicious Developments (Gunpoint), Warner Bros. Games Montreal (Batman: Arkham Origins).

Best Design:

• Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)
• The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony)
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo)
• Super Mario 3D World (Nintendo EAD Tokyo/Nintendo)
• Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix)

• Honorable Mentions: DOTA 2 (Valve) Pokemon X & Y (Game Freak/Nintendo), Rogue Legacy (Cellar Door Games), The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe), SteamWorld Dig (Image & Form), TowerFall (Matt Thorson/Miniboss/Alec Holowka).

Best Handheld/Mobile Game:

• DEVICE 6 (Simogo)
• Fire Emblem: Awakening (Intelligent Systems/Nintendo)
• The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo)
• Ridiculous Fishing (Vlambeer)
• Tearaway (Media Molecule/Sony)

Honorable Mentions: Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo), 868-HACK (Michael Brough), Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (Next Level Games/Nintendo), Plants Vs. Zombies 2 (PopCap/Electronic Arts), The Room Two (Fireproof Games), SteamWorld Dig (Image & Form).

Best Visual Art:

• BioShock Infinite (Irrational Games/2K Games)
• DmC (Ninja Theory/Capcom)
• The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony)
• Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch (Level 5/Namco Bandai)
• Tearaway (Media Molecule/Sony)

• Honorable Mentions: Don't Starve (Klei Entertaintment), Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games), Papers, Please (Lucas Pope), Puppeteer (SCE Japan/Sony), Ryse: Son Of Rome (Crytek/Microsoft), Wonderful 101 (Platinum Games/Nintendo).

Best Narrative:

• Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons (Starbreeze/505 Games)
• Gone Home (The Fullbright Company)
• The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony)
• Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix)
• The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe)

• Honorable Mentions: Attack Of The Friday Monsters (Millennium Kitchen/Level 5), BioShock Infinite (Irrational Games/2K Games), The Cave (DoubleFine Games), Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch (Level 5/Namco Bandai), Shadowrun Returns (Harebrained Schemes).

Best Audio:

• BioShock Infinite (Irrational Games/2K Games),
• Forza Motorsport 5 (Turn 10 Studios/Microsoft Games)
• Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)
• Saints Row IV (Volition/Deep Silver)
• Tearaway (Media Molecule/Sony)

• Honorable Mentions: Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo EAD/Nintendo), Battlefield 4 (DICE/Electronic Arts), Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft), Gone Home (The Fullbright Company), Metro: Last Light (4A Games/Deep Silver).

Best Downloadable Game:

• Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons (Starbreeze/505 Games)
• Gone Home (The Fullbright Company)
• Papers, Please (Lucas Pope)
• Resogun (Housemarque/Sony)
• The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe)

• Honorable Mentions: Guacamelee (DrinkBox Studios), Gunpoint (Suspicious Developments), State Of Decay (Undead Labs), SteamWorld Dig (Image & Form), TowerFall (Matt Thorson/Miniboss/Alec Holowka), The Wolf Among Us (Telltale Games).

Best Technology:

• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft)
• Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar North/Rockstar Games)
• The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog/Sony)
• Killzone: Shadow Fall (Guerrilla Games/Sony)
• Tearaway (Media Molecule/Sony)

• Honorable Mentions: Battlefield 4 (DICE/Electronic Arts), DOTA 2 (Valve), Forza Motorsport 5 (Turn 10 Studios/Microsoft Games), Metro: Last Light (4A Games/Deep Silver), Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix).