The USA’s intellectual and cultural hub, New York, now has its very own games critics awards event. This year marks the first annual New York Videogame Critics Circle Awards ceremony, which took place last night at the Cantor Film Centre in New York City.
Bastion developers Darren Korb and Ashley Barrett supplied the music for the event, and the game’s narrator Logan Cunningham hosted it.
Oscar Nominee Bill Plympton also made an appearance, and The Daily Show’s Daniel Radosh delivered a “hilarious” presentation.
The night also included two panel discussions; one which focused on the concept behind the Critic Circle, and another about last year’s best games.
Frank Lantz, the director of NYU’s Game Center, also spoke about the Game Center’s new MFA in Game Design.
A total of 11 awards were presented on the night:
Manhattan Award for Most NY Centric Game
- Crysis 2
Battery Park Award for Best Handheld Game
- Super Mario Land 3D
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game
- Bastion
A Train Award for Best Mobile Game
- Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP
Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game
- Portal 2
Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game
- Bastion
Statue of Liberty Award for Best Open World Game
- Saints Row: The Third
Great White Way Award for Best Overall Acting in a Game
- Portal 2
Algonquin Roundtable Award for Best Book
- All Your Base Are Belong to Us, How 50 Years of Videogames Conquered Pop Culture by Harold Goldberg
Mad Men Award for Best Videogame Commercial
- Long Live Play – Michael
Big Apple Award for Best Game
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim


Great White Way Award for Best Overall Acting in a Game
– Portal 2
I couldn’t agree more!