It seems another year has come and gone. Time to tell us which games YOU thought were the cream of the crop.

Welcome Kotaku and TAY readers to the annual Speakys. The one and only (and totally best) readers' choice awards on Kotaku. These are awards created and voted on by the fans. I've been putting them together for four years now, so I'm hoping for our biggest turnout yet in terms of voting.

The Speakys are a bit different than your normal "Game of the Year" poll as we have two rounds. This is round one, where everyone votes for their favorite titles from each console, as well as multiplatform titles, and few other categories. The top two winners of round one in each category will be your selection for our official GOTY vote, which is what you vote on in round two.

That's all there is to it! So vote away, and if you have any questions check the FAQ or let me know in the comments below.

Note: It seems people are having a hard time scrolling the list on mobile devices. Try this direct link.



Why are the awards called "The Speakys"?

When these awards first began in 2011 I introduced them in the Kotaku forum known as "Speak Up". Unfortunately the Speak Up forum was merged with TAY in the spring of 2013 and no longer exists. But since the gamers who read Kotaku still have a tendency to "speak up" about their opinions when it comes to games they love I've kept the name.


What games have won in the past?

2011 - GOTY: Skyrim, Runner-Up: Portal 2

2012 - GOTY: Borderlands 2, Runner-Up: The Walking Dead

2013 - GOTY: The Last of Us, Runner-Up: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds


When will you post "Round One" results for this year?

Round One results will be posted this Friday, January 2nd. That's right, next year! Round Two voting will also start this day.

Hold on a minute... Why are games like GTAV and The Last of Us on the list again this year?


I contemplated leaving out all remastered and updated games, but in the end (despite being reworked or improved games of the past) they came out this year and I feel they deserve a spot. Also, Rayman Legends needs to win something. Come on, guys.

You forgot to put my favorite game on the list. Why do you hate me?

I didn't mean to forget your favorite game. I scoured the internet for exclusives and multiplatform titles, but I may have missed a few. Also, you can just write in any game. So quit whining and do that.


Why isn't there a list to choose from for PC, Most Underrated and Best Original Soundtrack?

The world of PC gaming scares and confuses me. In the past when I added a list of games for it many people yelled at me for not doing it right. So this year it's simply a write in. The other two categories are so subjective that a list would have been a mile long and I would have gotten many complaints for leaving off titles people felt should be recommended.

Can I just write in a bunch of joke answers or games that didn't come out in 2014?


Please don't do that. You can, but you shouldn't. Though I'm sure some people will...