The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has the strongest cross-source case for one of 2017’s best games: it topped Metacritic’s ranking of games released that year and won The Game Awards’ Game of the Year. But “best” depends on what you want to play. Review aggregates, award categories, and editorial shortlists reward different things, so this guide pairs those signals with each game’s style and platform context.
How to read the 2017 best-games lists
There is no single universal measure of “best.” Metacritic’s release-year list ranks games by its critic-review aggregate, The Game Awards recognizes winners in specific categories, and TIME published an editorial shortlist. These are complementary lenses, not interchangeable rankings.
- Metascore: Metacritic’s figure is a critic-review aggregate, not sales, a user score, or a complete measure of quality. Its 2017 list excludes games with fewer than seven critic reviews.
- Awards: A win identifies a category standout; it does not mean every nominee or winner suits every player.
- Editorial picks: A shortlist can surface a wider range of genres and play styles than an overall ranking.
One date distinction matters: a list of games released in calendar year 2017 is not necessarily the same as an award category labeled “2017.” BAFTA’s database entry for its 2017 Best Game category names Uncharted 4 as winner, alongside nominees including games released earlier. That entry should not be read as a calendar-2017 release ranking.
Strongest picks across reviews and awards
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild ranked first on Metacritic’s 2017 release-year list with a Metascore of 97 and won The Game Awards’ Game of the Year and Best Game Direction. Those results make it the clearest overlap between the critic aggregate and that awards program, though each source uses a different method. The Game Awards’ archive records Eiji Aonuma and Hidemaro Fujibayashi accepting the Game of the Year honor.
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For players choosing a single starting point from the year’s acclaimed releases, this is the most defensible overall pick in these sources. The evidence supports its critical and award recognition; it does not establish that it is the right fit for every genre preference or platform.
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey also earned a Metascore of 97, placing it alongside Breath of the Wild at the top of Metacritic’s release-year list. It won The Game Awards’ Best Family Game. That combination makes it a leading choice for players seeking a highly rated game recognized in a family-oriented award category.
Divinity: Original Sin II and Persona 5
Both games received a Metascore of 93 on Metacritic’s 2017 list. They are role-playing games, but offer distinct settings and approaches; their shared score should not imply that they play alike. Persona 5 also appeared on TIME’s top-ten shortlist, illustrating how a critic aggregate and an editorial selection can point to the same game for different reasons.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had a Metascore of 92 on Metacritic’s 2017 list. It is the racing pick among the top five there, making it a different kind of recommendation from the role-playing and adventure games above.
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Standouts by category and play style
The Game Awards’ category winners offer useful alternatives when the overall award is not the deciding factor:
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- Art direction and independent game: Cuphead won both Best Art Direction and Best Independent Game.
- Audio and impact: Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice won Best Audio Design and Games for Impact.
- Music: NieR: Automata won Best Score and Music.
- Narrative: What Remains of Edith Finch won Best Narrative.
TIME’s November 20, 2017 editorial top ten broadened the field further. Its selections included Destiny 2, Horizon Zero Dawn, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Cuphead, Persona 5, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, and What Remains of Edith Finch. The list spans action, role-playing, multiplayer, strategy, and narrative experiences; it is an editorial selection rather than a ranked critic aggregate.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose by the experience you want
Use these lists as a way to narrow the field, then decide based on the kind of play you want. The source records identify different genres and award categories, but they do not provide a complete, comparable platform-and-multiplayer matrix for every title.
- For an overall adventure pick: start with Breath of the Wild, the shared critic-and-award standout.
- For a family-game category winner: consider Super Mario Odyssey.
- For role-playing: compare Divinity: Original Sin II and Persona 5, both among Metacritic’s top five; use platform availability and preferred setting or play style to choose between them.
- For racing: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the top-five Metacritic entry in that genre.
- For a focused narrative or artistic distinction: look to What Remains of Edith Finch, Cuphead, or Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice for the specific award categories they won.
- For broader editorial variety: TIME’s shortlist includes multiplayer, action, strategy, and narrative selections beyond the highest Metascores.
What the awards do—and do not—tell you
The Game Awards’ 2017 archive says the broadcast drew 11.5 million viewers and aired December 7 from the Microsoft Theater. That figure describes event reach, not game quality or audience preference for any particular winner.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsOther award-year labels require care. BAFTA’s database entry marked 2017 lists Uncharted 4 as Best Game winner and names Firewatch, Inside, Overwatch, Stardew Valley, and Titanfall 2 as nominees. Because an award-year category can include games released before that calendar year, keep it separate from a list of 2017 releases.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Metacritic: Best Games of 2017 — critic aggregate, release-year ranking, platforms, and release dates.
- The Game Awards: 2017 archive — category winners and broadcast details.
- TIME: The 10 Best Video Games of 2017 — editorial shortlist published November 20, 2017.
- BAFTA: Best Game award records — award-category record, including the entry labeled 2017.
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