Astro Bot took home the coveted Game of the Year award at the 2024 Game Awards, as well as Best Family Game.

PlayStation’s mascot beat out heavy hitters such as Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Black Myth: Wukong, Balatro and Elden Ring: Shadow of Erdtree.

Astro Bot released in early September to critical acclaim, with fans and critics alike praising the game’s unique platforming levels and references to PlayStation’s history. Securing a 94 on Metacritic, the game quickly found its way into Game of the Year conversations.

Astro Bot is developer Team ASOBI’s first ever Game of the Year winner, having only incorporated as a Sony-owned studio in 2021. The Tokyo-based studio has been working on tech demos as a part of PlayStation Studios since 2012, although Astro Bot was their first ever major game release.

In his acceptance speech, director Nicolas Doucet gave a nod to Nintendo and Super Mario for the inspiration for the game.

“I want to pay tribute to the company who really put like platformers and showed us innovation and quality consistently, and inspired us to actually make the game that we made,” Doucet said. “And I’ve managed not mention them, have you noticed? But you all know who they are.”

Astro Bot also received accolades for Best Family Game, beating out Princess Peach: Showtime, Super Mario Party Jamboree, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and The Plucky Squire.