Kinda Funny Gamescast: “Games That Deserved GOTY and LOST” (Jan 8, 2026)
Episode Overview
In this episode, hosts Blessing Adeoye Jr. and Tim Gettys dig into controversial Game of the Year (GOTY) picks from the past decade and discuss which games deserved the top spot but didn’t win. The conversation is lively, passionate, and dives deep into the meaning of GOTY, what makes a game memorable, and the difference between personal favorites and industry acclaim. The latter half shifts focus as they tackle a “shit list”—ranking the best licensed games based on movies, stirring nostalgia and debate.
Main Theme: Games That Deserved GOTY But Lost
Opening Banter & Table Setting (00:20–03:07)
- Blessing and Tim share post-holiday recovery stories and D&D adventures.
- The day’s first “shit list”: A discussion on games that “should have” been Game of the Year but lost out.
- Quote: “It is 10 games from the last decade that deserved Game of the Year but never got it.” (Blessing, 03:14)
I. Revisiting GOTY Snubs and Contenders (03:10–22:31)
Defining the Debate: What Counts as ‘Deserved’ GOTY? (03:35–04:35)
- Blessing: Goes for biggest controversies, where a pick could have gone “either way.”
- Tim: “I don’t know that Game of the Year has ever really missed in terms of the winner.” (04:12)
Year-by-Year Breakdown of Game Awards GOTY & Notable Near-Misses (04:44–11:10)
- 2016: Overwatch beats Uncharted 4. Tim acknowledges Overwatch’s impact but sees debate.
- 2017: Breath of the Wild wins in a stacked year (Mario Odyssey, Persona 5, Nier: Automata, Divinity OS2).
- Tim: “Odyssey is overrated... I’m not saying by much, but…it’s gotten into this conversation of it is the greatest Mario thing ever.” (14:07)
- 2018: God of War over Red Dead Redemption 2—hosts agree it was close.
- 2019: Sekiro wins—Control, Resident Evil 2, Smash Ultimate all cited as heavyweights.
- 2020: Last of Us Part II beats Hades and FF7 Remake; both hosts dig into merits.
- Blessing: “Retroactively, I probably give it to Hades.” (05:53)
- Tim stands by Last of Us 2.
- 2021: It Takes Two wins, but Tim dubs it the “weirdest” pick.
- Blessing: “It Takes Two has stayed in the conversation way more than Deathloop.” (07:11)
- 2023/24: Astrobot and discussion of future contenders (Metaphor, Rebirth, Balatro).
What Makes A GOTY Winner? (12:52–18:52)
- Blessing & Tim parse the debate between “high highs and noticeable mids,” using FF7 Rebirth and Mario Odyssey as examples.
- Quote: “When Remake hits, we’re cooking; nothing like it.” (Blessing, 13:11)
The Magic vs. Critique of Greatest Games (14:05–18:52)
- Tim breaks down review philosophy: weighting “Disney magic” moments more than small flaws.
- Delivers a low-key hot take: Mario Odyssey is “a 9, not a 10” when scored critically, despite personal love.
- Blessing strongly disagrees, describing Odyssey as “one of my favorite playgrounds.”
- Entertaining comparison of Donkey Kong Bonanza and Galaxy 2, with Tim admitting “Galaxy 2 has way higher highs.”
Chat Controversies & Zelda’s Place in GOTY History (20:59–22:31)
- Worthy superchats on Bayonetta 2 (2014), Celeste (2018), and a hot take: “If Breath of the Wild wasn’t a Zelda title, would not be considered as good as it is. Solid 8/10.” (20:59)
- Tim: “That’s a fact… but it is a Zelda game, so that means it comes with Zelda characters and has Zelda music.” (21:00)
- Blessing argues: “The core gameplay loop is so phenomenal; you miss the magic, sure, but [the gameplay] is still fucking awesome.” (21:28)
II. Unveiling GameRant’s List: Top 10 Games That Deserved GOTY But Didn’t (22:31–29:38)
The List (with hosts’ reactions and context)
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (lost to God of War)
- “One of the toughest years it could come out.” (Blessing, 23:12)
- Bloodborne (lost to Witcher 3 Wild Hunt)
- “Makes sense. I could see going either way.” (Blessing, 24:19)
- Super Mario Odyssey (lost to Breath of the Wild)
- Notably debated moments earlier in episode.
- Alan Wake 2 (lost to Baldur’s Gate 3)
- Blessing: “Didn’t enjoy as much as the world enjoyed it.”
- Hollow Knight Silksong (lost to Clear Obscure)
- Tim: “I had a very long personal sit-down with myself…Silksong is that damn good.” (26:01)
- Persona 5 (lost to Breath of the Wild)
- “That’s the toughest year in my opinion.” (Blessing, 27:22)
- Control (lost to Sekiro)
- Tim: “Should have mentioned Control… That year was a weird year, too.” (27:52)
- Ghost of Tsushima (lost to Last of Us Part II)
- For Blessing, it’s “a strong number four” in its year.
- Hades (lost to Last of Us Part II)
- Balatro (lost to Astrobot)
- “We did pretty good [guessing]!” (Blessing, 29:35)
III. Shit List #2: Best Licensed Games Based on Movies (31:03–56:13)
Setup: Defining the Rules (35:34–36:34)
- Must be a direct adaptation, official movie sequel/prequel, or canonical story extension of a movie.
Iconic Picks and Honorable Mentions (36:36–43:36)
- Star Wars: Splitting hairs on which games qualify; confusion clarified by Simon Carty’s list rules.
- The hosts brainstorm a list: GoldenEye, Spider-Man 2, The Warriors, Chronicles of Riddick, Indiana Jones, Lego Star Wars, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Mad Max, Aladdin, Lord of the Rings, Episode 1: Racer, Alien Isolation, Scarface, et al.
The IGN (Simon Carty) List & Host Reactions
- Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (#10)
- “That was one of those big 360 games.” (A, 37:49)
- Scarface: The World is Yours (#9)
- Blessing: “It was such a Vice City ripoff even as a kid.”
- The Warriors (#8)
- Blessing: “The video game is what put a generation onto the movie.” (45:55)
- Mad Max (#7)
- Tim: “What a mistake on our part not bringing that up.” (46:13)
- Spider-Man 2 (PS2 era) (#6)
- “I might make the argument top three right here.” (Blessing, 47:17)
- Star Wars Jedi Survivor (#5)
- Both cast doubt it fits the rules: “This definitely shouldn’t count.” (48:29)
- GoldenEye 007 (#4)
- “If you just don’t think about it as a first person shooter and you just think about it as GoldenEye, there’s still fun there.” (Tim, 49:16)
- Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (#3)
- Alien: Isolation (#2)
- Not books, direct sequel premise holds.
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (#1)
- Both hosts respect the pick, even if it’s not personally their thing.
Notable Honorable Mention
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine (segment: “Games Better Than the Film”)
- Tim: “It’s a 7/10…but the movie was so bad.”
IV. Memorable Quotes & Moments
- “None of the little problems matter if the magic’s there.” (Tim, 15:07)
- On Mario Odyssey: “For me, it is: how much of a good playground is Mario Odyssey? …it’s one of my favorite playgrounds in a video game.” (Blessing, 18:52)
- On Star Wars: “The Star Wars of it all is the big [challenge]. There will be a Star Wars game on the list—I have no idea which one!” (Tim, 44:39)
- On nostalgia vs. quality: “This is a well-designed list for what he was trying to do. I just think what that headline is isn’t necessarily what we went in thinking it was.” (Tim, 57:03)
- “If you took everything that’s Mario out of Mario Kart... It’s just a cart!” (Blessing, 21:24)
V. Key Timestamps
- 03:07: Topic of the show intro
- 04:44–11:10: GOTY year-by-year discussion
- 14:05–18:52: Reviewer philosophy, Mario Odyssey discourse
- 20:59–22:31: Chat controversies; Zelda debate
- 22:31–29:38: GameRant’s GOTY-lost list
- 31:03: Best licensed games list explained
- 43:51–56:13: IGN’s Best Movie-Based Games (Simon Carty list) review
Episode Takeaways
- The conversation is a blend of personal and critical perspectives—Tim and Blessing champion both emotional impact (“Disney magic”) and craftsmanship.
- Revisiting GOTY “injustices” shows how strong competition makes for great years, while the personal lens always colors the debate.
- When it comes to licensed games, the episode is both a nostalgic trip and a reminder that fun, quality adaptations do exist (and aren’t all “polygonal nightmares”).
- Both hosts highlight the context: cultural impact, design, and how our memories weigh the “greatest game” question.
Final Judgments
- On the GOTY snubs list: “We did pretty good guessing!” (Blessing, 29:35)
- On Simon Carty’s licensed games list: Both give a thumbs up for the “deep cuts” and for trying to balance nostalgia with actual game quality, though docking points for “bending the rules” with picks like Jedi Survivor.
Recommended for:
Anyone passionate about video game history, award debates, or simply wants an entertaining, insightful look back at games culture—with plenty of banter, expert perspectives, and memorable quotes.