In brief: Critics and consumers don't always agree when it comes to the year's best games, but as the platform's users choose the Steam Awards, they're a good indication of which titles are loved by the public. In Valve's latest event, Red Dead Redemption 2 won both the Game of The Year and Outstanding Story-Rich Game categories.
Although released in December 2019, Red Dead Redemption 2 made the cut as the 2020 Steam Awards nominations begin in November. It was up against some tough competition: Fall Guys, one of Steam's most popular games of the year; Hades, which many expected to win; Death Stranding, PC Gamer's Best Game of 2020; and Doom Eternal.
Red Dead Redemption 2 also beat the likes of Detroit: Become Human and Horizon Zero Dawn to take the Outstanding Story-Rich Game award.
Elsewhere, the Labor of Love category, highlighting long-running games that continue to receive support from devs, was won by Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Death Stranding won Most Innovative Gameplay, and Doom Eternal took the Best Soundtrack award.
Probably the least-surprising result came in the VR Game of the Year category, won by Half-Life: Alyx. Despite requiring a virtual reality headset, Alyx was one of Steam's best-selling new games as measured by gross revenue this year.
Steam Awards winners and nominees:
Game of the Year:
Winner: Red Dead Redemption 2
Nominees: Hades, DOOM Eternal, Fall Guys, Death Stranding
VR Game of the Year
Winner: Half-Life: Alyx
Nominees: Phasmophobia, The Room VR: A Dark Matter, Thief Simulator VR, Star Wars Squadrons
Labor of Love
Winner: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Nominees: Among Us, Terraria, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, No Man's Sky
Better With Friends
Winner: Fall Guys
Nominees: Sea of Thieves, Borderlands 3, Deep Rock Galactic, Risk of Rain 2
Most Innovative Gameplay
Winner: Death Stranding
Nominees: Control, Superliminal, Noita, Teardown
Outstanding Story-Rich Game
Winner: Red Dead Redemption 2
Nominees: Detroit: Become Human, Mafia Definitive Edition, Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn
Best Game You Suck At
Winner: Apex Legends
Nominees: Crusader Kings 3, Ghostrunner, FIFA 21, GTFO
Outstanding Visual Style
Winner: Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Nominees: Battlefield 5, There is No Game, Marvel's Avengers, Black Mesa
Best Soundtrack
Winner: DOOM Eternal
Nominees: Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Helltaker, Need for Speed Heat, Persona 4 Golden
Sit Back and Relax
Winner: The Sims 4
Nominees: Microsoft Flight Simulator, Satisfactory, Untitled Goose Game, Factorio