I still vividly remember the buzz around the 2015 Game Awards nominations. As a gamer glued to every announcement, CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt completely stole the show with seven nominations – including Game of the Year. That beast of an RPG didn’t just enter the arena; it strode in like a grizzled veteran claiming its throne. Honestly, Geralt’s gritty charm and that sprawling world felt more alive than some real places I’ve visited!

The competition was no joke though. Bethesda’s Fallout 4 and Kojima’s final Metal Gear Solid V phantom danced right behind with five nods each. And oh man, Bloodborne – that gothic nightmare from FromSoftware – snarled its way into four categories, practically daring The Witcher 3 to a duel for the crown. These titans clashed like ancient gods:

Game	Nominations	Vibe
The Witcher 3	7	🗡️ Gritty fantasy realism
Fallout 4	5	☢️ Post-apocalyptic Lego-land
MGSV	5	🕵️‍♂️ Tactical espionage chaos
Bloodborne	4	🩸 Lovecraftian panic attack

But here’s what really warmed my heart: the underdogs. Toby Fox’s Undertale – that quirky little indie packed with soul – snagged three nominations. Its bullet-dodging battles and pacifist runs felt like a handwritten love letter to RPG fans. Same for Ori and the Blind Forest, Moon Studios’ masterpiece that made us ugly-cry with its shimmering visuals and haunting soundtrack. Both proved you didn’t need AAA budgets to punch straight into our collective gut.

Watching the awards that December, I kept thinking: these games weren’t just entries on a ballot. Bloodborne’s Yharnam breathed down your neck like a fever dream. Fallout 4’s settlement building turned us all into apocalyptic interior designers. And Undertale? That cheeky game straight-up winked at you when you tried meta tricks.

Now, ten years later, it’s wild seeing how these nominees aged. Some became franchises; others stayed timeless cult classics. But if I’m being real? Awards shows capture moments, not legacies. Which of these gems still rattles around your headspace? And what if we held a 2025 rematch – would the indie darlings finally topple the giants? Food for thought while replaying that killer 2015 playlist...