It’s that time of year again – The Game Awards 2023 has come and gone. Luckily for all of you Switch and mobile gamers, there were some solid nominations, though make no mistake, they faced some tough competition across all categories. When it comes to the big accolade, Game of the Year, there were two Switch games in the running.
To the surprise of no one (just look at our Tears of the Kingdom review and Super Mario: Wonder review), The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario: Wonder were the ones in contention. The highly anticipated sequel to Breath of the Wild and the first new traditional side-scrolling Super Mario since New Super Mario Bros. U in 2012 were always going to be popular, and the number of nominations for the pair has shown just how good they are.
Of course, the awards themselves aren’t the only exciting part of The Game Awards. The annual showcase is also known for screening dozens of exclusive trailers, and this year is no different. There are plenty of awesome games to look forward to in 2024 and beyond on the Nintendo Switch and mobile.
Here’s every announcement from The Game Awards 2023 for Switch and mobile.
Honkai Star Rail comes out on top
This comes as no surprise to us Hoyofans here at PT, but Honkai Star Rail came out on top to win the Best Mobile Game award for 2023. If you’ve somehow never heard of this space-faring RPG, check out our Honkai Star Rail review, Honkai Star Rail tier list, and Honkai Star Rail update guides.
We also got a teeny glimpse of the Astral Express’ next destination – Penacony, featuring Acheron the Galaxy Ranger. She’s giving us big Genshin Impact Raiden vibes and we love it.
New Arknights Endfield trailer
We got a sneak peek at the story and gameplay for Arknights: Endfield, only adding to our existing hype. Check out our Arknights: Endfield release date to find out more and sign up for the closed beta on the official website.
Netflix games announcements
We got trailers for a bunch of awesome titles coming to the Netflix games platform, including The Rise of the Golden Idol, a sequel to a well-loved mystery game.
Harmonium is an accessible musical journey created in deep collaboration with the Deaf community that celebrates the proud use of sign language and the presence of Deaf people in music.
The Rise of the Golden Idol is a sequel to 2022’s Case of the Golden Idol, in which you uncover the truth behind 15 strange cases of crime and depravity in the 1970s. This one’s coming to the Switch as well!
Usual June is a beautiful-looking inter-dimensional and ghostly mystery that we can’t wait to learn more about. According to the Steam page, “Usual June is a third-person action-adventure game with frantic, flexible combat, a witty cast, and an original conspiracy story that is equal parts terrifying, funny, and sweet.”
Dave The Diver collabs with Dredge
2023 truly is the year of water-themed games, with two TGA nominees and PT faves Dave The Diver and Dredge teaming up to scour the waves for some eldrich beings on the Switch. Check out our Dredge review to learn more about why we love it so much. The collab launches on December 15, 2o23.
Cocoon takes Best Debut Indie
Geometric Interactive and Annapurna’s Cocoon snagged the award for Best Debut Indie Game in its little beetle arms, showing the world that bugs deserve love too. This puzzler sees you hopping between worlds contained in orbs to unravel the universe’s mysteries.
Find it in Fortnite
In case you missed it, Fortnite’s new live-service games are the talk of the town, including Fortnite Lego, Fortnite Festival (which doesn’t have sex in it), and Rocket Racing. We got a new trailer for the latter and it looks awesome.
Warframe: Whispers in the Walls
Warframe fans! A new update is here for all platforms, featuring newly recognized Best Performance winner Neil Newbon playing Fibonacci, the leader of the Cavia Syndicate. Whispers in the Walls releases on December 13, 2o23.
Tales of Kenzera: ZAU
Abubakar Salim took to the stage of The Game Awards to announce his first game project Tales of Kenzera: ZAU. This side-scrolling, emotional adventure is dedicated to his late father who got him into videogames and connects with his cultural roots. As the game says, “Every story begins at the end of another.” Look out for the release in April 2024.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth x Apex Legends
While the winner of Most Anticipated Game Final Fantasy VII Rebirth isn’t coming to Switch or mobile any time soon, we can get in on the action via Apex Legends in January 2024 with a special crossover event.
Sea of Stars wins Best Indie Game
We love to see a beautiful RPG for the Switch winning Best Indie Game at The Game Awards (especially after some of the nominees caused some controversy). Sea of Stars received stellar reviews across the board and features a stunning soundtrack, beautiful pixel graphics, and a wonderful story to tie it all together.
Palia comes to Switch
The Palia release date is finally here for the Nintendo Switch, bringing the whimsical free-to-play MMO to portable gamers everywhere. The game launches on December 14, 2023 so prepare to live your best cozy life.
Best Simulation/Strategy Game goes to Pikmin 4
A victory for the little guys – Pikmin 4 takes home the award for Best Simulation/Strategy Game, beating out new city builder game Cities: Skylines II and remade classic Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp. Check out Holly’s Pikmin 4 review to see just how big an impact these tiny plants can make.
Slim pickings for Nintendo
Despite their multitude of nominations, Super Mario: Wonder and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom only picked up a couple of awards for Nintendo. Mario was an easy pick for Best Family Game, especially with its multitude of Super Mario Bros Wonder characters offering in-build difficulty settings for kids and newer gamers.
Tears of the Kingdom beat out big winner Alan Wake 2, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, and Resident Evil 4 to take home the award for Best Action/Adventure game.
Where can I watch The Game Awards 2023?
The Game Awards aired on December 7, 2023 at 16:30 PT, which is 12:30 am for those of you in the UK. You can relive the night by watching the stream below.
There you have it – all the Nintendo Switch and mobile winners from The Game Awards 2o23. Next, check out our lists of the best horror games, FPS games, best Switch RPGs, best Switch games, and best mobile games to see what other great titles are out there.