It Takes Two wins game of the year at the DICE Awards

It Takes Two won another Game of the Year Award at the prestigious DICE Awards tonight at an in-person soiree in Las Vegas.

At one of the first post-pandemic (or mid-pandemic) game industry events, the game developed by Josef “F*** the Oscars” Fares’ Hazelight and published by Electronic Arts won the top honors from game industry peers at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

It Takes Two, a charming co-op narrative game about a couple going through a divorce and being forced to work together, had previously won the top award at The Game Awards in December.

Insomniac’s Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart also won four awards. The awards were given out at the 25th DICE (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Awards. The DICE Awards are held annually by the AIAS, the game industry’s 30,000-member non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of the interactive arts.

The night honored multiple industry leaders, including Ed Boon (NetherRealm Studios), who was the 2022 Hall of Fame inductee, and Phil Spencer (Microsoft Gaming), who received the Lifetime Achievement Award.

“We are all players and creators now,” Spencer said in his acceptance speech. “The people in this room have a responsibility to billions of people: to treat every single person with dignity and respect.”

There were also a variety of stellar games honored across 23 award categories, with a few notable multi-award winners, including:

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart won for Outstanding Achievement in Animation, Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Outstanding Technical Achievement, and Family Game of the Year.

It Takes Two had two awards, winning for Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Game Design.

Other top honorees were:

• Deathloop for Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction.
• Halo Infinite for Action Game of the Year and Online Game of the Year.
• Lone Echo II for Immersive Reality Game of the Year and Immersive Reality Technical Achievement.
• Marvel’s Guardian of the Galaxy for Adventure Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Story.
• Returnal for Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design and Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition.
• Unpacking for Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game.

The Awards were emceed by six-time co-hosts Greg Miller, co-founder of the internet video show and podcast Kinda Funny, and Jessica Chobot, co-host of Expedition X on the Discovery Channel.

The complete list of winners is below, and is also on the AIAS website:

Game of the Year It Takes Two

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction Deathloop

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design It Takes Two

Outstanding Achievement in Animation Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Outstanding Achievement in Character Resident Evil Village – Lady Dimitrescu

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition Returnal

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design Returnal

Outstanding Achievement in Story Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Outstanding Technical Achievement Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Action Game of the Year Halo Infinite

Adventure Game of the Year Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Family Game of the Year Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Fighting Game of the Year Guilty Gear: Strive

Racing Game of the Year Forza Horizon 5

Role-Playing Game of the Year Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker

Sports Game of the Year Mario Golf: Super Rush

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year Age of Empires IV

Online Game of the Year Halo Infinite

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement Lone Echo II

Immersive Reality Game of the Year Lone Echo II

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game Unpacking