The 2024 Steam Winter Sale starts in just a couple days, meaning it will soon be time to brace your bank accounts against the onslaught of big seasonal deals. The start of the Winter Sale also signals the opening of voting for the Steam Awards, the annual celebration of the most popular games on Steam, and while you can't actually cast your ballots yet, you can at least start thinking about where you want to aim them.

are led by [[link]] Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Stalker 2, and Helldivers 2, each of which are in the running in three categories each. Satisfactory and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 are up [[link]] for a couple categories each, and yes, Baldur's Gate 3 is in the mix too. We all might as well just get used to that.

PC Gamer senior editor Robin Valentine said last year that the nominations for the 2023 Steam Awards were "," and there's a little bit of that this time around too. in the Labor of Love category—"The team is well past the debut of their creative baby, but being the good parents they are, these devs continue to nurture and support their creation. This game, to this day, is still getting new content after all these years"—seems way off the mark to me, especially when compared to its competition: No [[link]] Man's Sky, Baldur's Gate 3, Dota 2, and Stardew Valley. Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake is excellent, but Outstanding Visual Style seems a bit of a reach. (PC Gamer's weekend editor Jody Macgregor says it does look great, though.) So does crediting Helldivers 2 with Most Innovative Gameplay: It's brilliant, but friendly fire's been around for a while now, you know.

But those bits of oddness reflect what I like about the Steam Awards: Nominations are made and voted on entirely by players, which makes them a more hands-on experience than we usually get. Most awards shows are just a matter of showing up to see who wins, but when it comes to the Steam Awards, debates, arguments, PR campaigns, and fistfights in the Burger King parking lot can all have a real, tangible impact on the outcome. I don't think that necessarily makes the Steam Awards any more (or less) meaningful than the other events, but it's definitely more fun.

Voting in the 2024 Steam Awards will go live on December 19 with the start of the Winter Sale, and will be open until December 31. Casting a vote will get you a free Steam sticker in each category, and if you're not especially committed to your choice you're free to change it right up to the close of voting.

The full list of 2024 Steam Awards nominees is below:

Game of the Year

• Helldivers 2
• Balatro
• Black Myth: Wukong
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
• Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl

VR Game of the Year

• Maestro
• Davigo
• Blade and Sorcery
• Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2
• Metro Awakening

Labor of Love

• No Man's Sky
• Baldur's Gate 3
• Dota 2
• Stardew Valley
• Elden Ring

Best Game on Steam Deck

• Hades 2
• Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
• God of War Ragnarok
• Balatro
• Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor

Better With Friends

• Helldivers 2
• Satisfactory
• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
• Sons of the Forest
• Palworld

Outstanding Visual Style

• Hades 2
• Nine Sols
• Silent Hill 2
• Metaphor: Refantazio
• Neva

Most Innovative Gameplay

• Helldivers 2
• Balatro
• Satisfactory
• Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl
• Liar's Bar

Best Game You Suck At

• Tekken 8
• Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut
• Black Myth: Wukong
• Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero
• The Finals

Best Soundtrack

• Red Dead Redemption
• Fate/stay night Remastered
• Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition
• Silent Hill 2
• Frostpunk 2

Outstanding Story-Rich Game

• Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut
• Black Myth: Wukong
• Final Fantasy 14
• Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl
• Mouthwashing

Sit Back and Relax

• Webfishing
• Farming Simulator 25
• House Flipper 2
• TCG Card Shop Simulator
• Tiny Glade