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Choose your group’s Game of the Year by agreeing on what counts, what makes a game worthy, and how votes will be counted before anyone casts a ballot. A ranked ballot with a clear tie and abstention policy is a practical way to recognize more than each person’s single favorite—but no voting formula makes the result an objective verdict on the best game.
Agree on what “Game of the Year” means
Start by defining the award’s purpose. Is it the game your group enjoyed most together, the strongest overall game, the most original, or a balance of those qualities? Also decide whether you are recognizing video games only, as this group’s award does, and set the eligible period.
Eligibility can mean games released during a calendar year, games your group first played that year, or any game the group chooses to consider. Decide explicitly whether remakes, expansions, and early-access releases qualify. Established awards use different boundaries: the Game Developers Choice Awards’ 2026 rules cover games released and publicly available to consumers during 2025 and exclude upgrades, expansions, and mission packs. Japan Game Awards 2024 used a Japanese-market release window of April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, with an exception for a title that became a hot topic during that period. These are examples, not rules your group needs to adopt. Game Developers Choice Awards rules; Japan Game Awards 2024 overview.
Choose criteria that fit your group
Use a short list of shared criteria so members compare finalists on the same basis. Possible axes include:
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- Enhanced Functionality: Packed with handy features, including a 5x9" precision tracking mouse pad and a built-in phone slot for seamless work or video calls. Plus, enjoy ergonomic support with the integrated cushioned wrist rest.
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- Group enjoyment: How much did people look forward to playing, and how good was the experience together?
- Design and originality: Did the mechanics, systems, or overall concept feel distinctive and well executed?
- Story and presentation: If they matter to your group, consider writing, visuals, sound, and performance.
- Accessibility and fit: Could the group get into the game, and did it suit the way you like to play?
These are discussion prompts, not a validated scoring scale. You can use them to guide a conversation or have everyone score finalists against the same rubric. Published awards illustrate how criteria vary: Japan Game Awards 2024 lists design, programming, graphics, sound, and scenario, and also references user evaluation. The Game Developers Choice Awards describes its Game of the Year nominees as selected with the games’ “overall quality, impressiveness, and enjoyability” in mind. Japan Game Awards 2024 overview; Game Developers Choice Awards rules.
Build a finalist list everyone can assess
- Ask each member to nominate eligible games independently, before group discussion.
- Combine duplicate nominations and check each title against the eligibility rules you set.
- Let members flag games they have not played or do not know well enough to judge. They can abstain from ranking those titles.
- Set a manageable number of finalists that members can compare thoughtfully, then share the list and criteria before voting.
Keep the decision grounded in the group’s experience. Marketing, sales, or another award can prompt a nomination, but none substitutes for your members’ own assessment. For context, Japan Game Awards says user voting and sales volumes may be used as evaluation references alongside game elements; awards can draw on different kinds of evidence.
Rank #2
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Pick the voting method before anyone votes
First decide what you want the result to represent: the most popular first choice or a winner with broader support. Then state the counting rule and apply it consistently.
| Method | What it captures | What members submit |
|---|---|---|
| Single-choice vote | Which finalist received the most first-choice votes. | One selection per person. |
| Ranked-choice, instant-runoff count | First choices plus fallback preferences as lower-ranked finalists are eliminated. | A ranking of finalists, or up to three if that is the rule your group adopts. |
| Points system | Preferences expressed through scores or points assigned to finalists. | Scores or a point allocation, with the scale and tally rule announced in advance. |
A single-choice vote is simple and answers “Which game is the most popular first choice?” A points system can collect more than one level of preference, but the group must define how points translate into a winner. The sources cited here describe professional awards, not comparative evidence about which method works best for informal groups.
Rank #3
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How to count a ranked ballot
- Have each voter rank the finalists in preference order. If you want to limit the effort, allow rankings of up to three games and say how unranked choices will be treated.
- Count every ballot’s highest-ranked remaining game as its current vote.
- If no game has a majority of the votes still in the count, eliminate the game with the fewest current votes.
- Transfer each ballot for the eliminated game to its next-ranked finalist still in the count.
- Repeat until a finalist receives a majority of the votes still in the count. If the remaining ballots cannot distinguish a winner, use the tie rule agreed in advance.
This is adapted from the D.I.C.E. Awards’ instant-runoff procedure, which eliminates the lowest first-choice option and transfers ballots to the next-ranked remaining option until a candidate receives a majority. The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences says the method is intended to help a winner reflect a stronger overall consensus among voting developers; that is the award’s rationale, not proof that ranked voting is best for every group. D.I.C.E. Awards voting rules.
Set abstention, conflict, and tie rules
Decide these details before ballots are cast, rather than improvising once a close result appears:
Rank #4
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- Abstentions: Allow members to leave a game unranked if they cannot fairly assess it. Make clear whether a ballot with no remaining ranked game drops out of later rounds.
- Personal involvement: Ask members to disclose a stake, such as having worked on a nominated game. Agree whether they may vote on that title or should recuse themselves. The 2026 Game Developers Choice Awards rules require ICAN members to recuse themselves from nominating or voting on games with which they are personally involved; a group can adapt that disclosure principle to its own circumstances. Game Developers Choice Awards rules.
- Ties: Choose a method in advance, such as a runoff between tied finalists or naming co-winners. The cited award rules do not prescribe a tie procedure for informal groups.
Announce what the result represents
When you share the winner, include the eligible pool and period, the criteria, the counting method, and any recusal or tie rule that affected the outcome. Describe it as your group’s winner under those rules. Other groups, critics, or individual members can reasonably choose differently because they may have considered different games or valued different things.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Spacious Design: Measuring 21.1" wide and 12" deep, our lap desk comfortably fits most laptops up to 15.6". Extra room for accessories ensures convenience.
- Enhanced Functionality: Packed with handy features, including a 5x9" precision tracking mouse pad and a built-in phone slot for seamless work or video calls. Plus, enjoy laptop support with the integrated device ledge.
- Cool Comfort: Enjoy a stable surface with our lap desk's dual bolster cushion, designed for comfort and airflow, keeping your lap cool during extended use.
- Durable Surface: Work with confidence on our lap desk's solid surface, featuring a blush pink color, ensuring optimal air circulation to prevent your laptop from overheating.
- On-the-Go Convenience: With an integrated handle and lightweight design (2.14 lbs), our lap desk is portable for travel or moving around the house, offering flexibility in any space.
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