The Free Cheese Game of the Year 2019 | Day 3

Welcome to or third day of awards for 2019. Today we debut some categories and celebrate the best games that don't stop. Listen in for our deliberations and read below for the winners.

Don't forget to vote for Reader's Choice Game of the Year 2019!

Best Gameplay

We're debuting this category despite the obvious need for it in previous years. What we do in a game is ultimately what hooks us in the first place. We can watch or read or do most things from a game in any other media but we can't play our media like we can in a game. This celebrates the game that ultimately did something innovative and provided us with a new way to play.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Runners Up: Session, Devil May Cry V

Best DLC/Expansion

Thankfully, video games are no longer confined to their original releases. Developers can expand upon them with new content and fix what might have needed a change. This category awards the game that added the most significant change to its core title and made it relevant beyond the original release date.

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep

Runners Up: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Favorite In-Game Moment

This award celebrates the one time in a game that made you want to tell everyone to play it. Every game has a moment where something clicks or comes out of nowhere and that surprise of it all makes it incredibly memorable.

Ashtray Maze (Control)

Runners Up: Nero vs Vergil (Devil May Cry V), Time jump (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Best Ongoing Game

Games as a service are so prevalent that we felt there should be an award for the one that does it the best. Separate from a single piece of content added or an expansion, this award goes to the games that make us want to come back regularly and not just for a single piece of content. Their continual changes and deployment make the content within significant and rewarding for us to keep playing all year long.

Destiny 2

Runners Up: Magic: The Gathering Arena, Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Best Nintendo Game

2019 was a powerful year for Nintendo. While its American arm and the industry lost the force of Reggie Fils-Aime, the company continued to grow and expand its business. We saw the launch of a new model of the Switch and the premiere of massive franchises like Pokémon and Fire Emblem on the hardware. Beyond just first-party output, Nintendo partnered with third-party developers for exclusives like Astral Chain and Daemon X Machina that flesh out the library of the hybrid console and add even more reason to own one. While the other console manufacturers put out fewer games with new hardware on the horizon, Nintendo filled the calendar with games to play.

Super Mario Maker 2

Runners Up: Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Ring Fit Adventure