…and THEE winners are:
THEE 4th annual Yaldy’s have come to an end. Thank you all for those who voted and contributed all year, THEE upNup cannot be what it is without all of you. The votes have been tallied and here are the results for one of the best years in gaming. Like always there was a few surprises and some clear winners, and even a tie where we needed divine intervention from Yaldabouth.
Thee Start-Up Award
Early Access games have become an industry staple: The audience is now the playtester. Sometimes it’s the clipping through walls or crazy bugs that brings the charm, other times it’s an incredible and innovative product we get to see and experience through the growth process. The games in this category best represent the charm of early access. Thee Start-Up Nominees are:
Lethal Company
Battle Bit Remastered
Sons of the Forest
Demonologist
The Last Starship
Inside the Backrooms
And the winner of Thee Start-Up Award is
LETHAL COMPANY
Thee Bloomin Onion Award
PhoenixAboveAshes is is ever present in Thee upNup, whether it’s the meme that has become the bloomin onion, playing in whatever community game we’re streaming that night, or buying shots in the chat, he is an ever present force. The chaos he brings to our streams is like no other and we wouldn’t trade it for a thing, every game in this category is where he can get us fired up the most. The nominees for Thee Bloomin Onion Award are
Mariokart 8
Jackbox
Among Us
Pico Park
Pummel Party
Lethal Company
And the winner of Thee Bloomin Onion Award is
Mariokart 8. Nobody is surprised. Fuck Moo Moo Meadows
THEE BEST INDIE GAME
“Indie Games” having kind of lost their meaning with time. It is more about the look and style of game than it is the actual production - lookin at you, Dave the Diver - but here on THEE upNup, we honor what it actually means to be independent: Small, actually independent studios. The Nominees for Thee Best Indie Game are:
Viewfinder
Cocoon
Pizza Tower
Dredge
Planet of Lana
Sea of Stars
And the winner of Thee Best Indie Game is
DREDGE
THEE Mommy/Daddy
Games can make us thirsty, there’s no arguing there. But no game has left audiences parched quite like Baldur’s Gate 3. Thee Mommy/Daddy award goes to the character we looked to quench our insatiable thirst with. Honorable mention to our write ins of Skimdaddy, Rando, and a couple characters from other video games. Your Nominees for Thee Mommy/Daddy are
Karlach
Jaheim’s
Gale
Well
Halsin
Lae’zel
Astarion
Shadow heart
And your winner of Thee Mommy/Daddy is
Mommy!… I mean Karlach!
THEE Up Date Award
Whether its a new cosmetic, a new map, or practically a whole new game, updates can keep things exciting and spice up games we’ve committed to, much like a finger in the tush or inviting a third into the bedroom. The games in this category are wide open and willing to mix things up. Your nominees for Thee Up Date are
Phasmophobia and its Ascension Update
Vampire Survivors and its Adventures Update
Cyberpunk 2077 and it’s Patch 2.0 Update
Among Us and The Fungle Update
Cult of the Lamb and the Relics of the Old Faith Update
No Man’s Sky and Echoes Update
And the winner is
Cyberpunk Patch 2.0
Thee Uppers Choice
Thee upNup is heavily focused on the community aspect of gaming. The three days a week that they stream always get input from anyone interested in playing with them. These games have all been in our frequent cycle to bring us together, and sometimes escalate us to shouting at each other, but it all comes from a place of love. Your nominees for Thee Uppers Choice are
Among Us
Ultimate chicken Horse
Gang Beasts
Duck Game
Pummel Party
Pico Park
Jackbox
Lethal Company
And the winner of Thee Uppers Choice is
LETHAL COMPANY
Thee Party Up Award
“Multiplayer” is such a diverse category of gaming. You could be referring to your favorite online looter shooter or a game where you play as a a tiny husband and wife who fall back in love as a result of neglecting their daughter. 2023 has brought us some absolute staples of multiplayer games that will be with us well beyond this year. Your Nominees for Thee Party Up Award are
Baldur’s Gate 3
Sons of the Forest
Lethal Company
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
We Were Here Expeditions: The Friendship
And the winner of Thee Pary Up is
LETHAL COMPANY
Thee Aphantasia Award
Half of the upNup has an incredible imagination while the other half has no imagination at all. These video games are so visually stunning and creative that no matter how weak your imagination may be, these games will stick with you. Your nominees for Thee Aphantasia Award are
Street Fighter 6
Alan Wake II
Diablo 4
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Viewfinder
Sea of Stars
And the winner of Thee Aphantasia Award is
ALAN WAKE II
Thee Down N Down
This year is one of the most memorable years of gaming, and the heavy hitters go in both directions. Some of the best and worst games came out in 2023 and this category focuses on the some of the worst to release this year. The nominees for Thee Down N Down
Diablo 4
Atomic Heart
Payday 3
Gollum
Redfall
And the winner of all of these losers is
DIABLO 4… AND PAYDAY 3. BOTH WERE SO BAD WE COULDN’T BREAK THE TIE.
Thee upNcomer Award
Amongst the amazing and terrible releases in 2023 have been some of the most unique games there have been in years. Whether it was in concept, mechanics, or art, the games in this category all bring something we would loved to see continue as a trend in gaming. The nominees for Thee upNcomer are
Head Bangers with its rhythm based battle royale games
Hi-Fi Rush with incorporating music and rhythm into the environment and actions
Armore Core 6 with Custom Built Mechs as your character
Lethal Company with a fully Cooperative Rogue Like
Baldur’s Gate 3 with its lengthy, strategic, and complex in-depth narrative
And the winner of Thee upNcomer Award is
Lethal Company!
Thee Best Clip
Our community lends itself to so many memorable clips and big laugh moments. The hardest category to put together, these are your nominees for Thee Best Clip
*play clips”
And the winner of Thee Best Clip is
*play And the Jester Is…”
Congrats SHMOZY!
Thee upNup’s Game of THEE Year
The final category here tonight is for Thee game of the Year. Thee upNup discussed this in the last podcast of the year, but this year has been one of the best ever. Metacritic agrees. There were many potential nominees for thee game of the year but we had to narrow it down to just a few options. Your nominees for Thee upNup’s Game of the year are
Sea of Stars
Baldur’s Gate 3
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Resident Evil 4
Alan Wake II
And the winner of Thee upNup’s Game of THEE year is
BALDUR’S GATE 3
