Awarded gamesGames of the Year
Award results of The JAPAN GAME AWARDS 2026 have been announced as follows.
Grand Award
Pokémon Pokopia
| Company | The Pokémon Company, GAME FREAK inc. and KOEI TECMO GAMES Co., LTD. |
|---|---|
| Platform | Nintendo Switch 2 |
This is Pokémon’s first slow-life sandbox game.
This game shows a new way to enjoy the franchise through a slow-life and sandbox experience, moving away from core Pokémon game systems like trainer perspectives and battles. It is completely up to the player whether to use the moves of the Pokémon the player meets to develop the town, grow vegetables to cook, or simply play with his/her Pokémon.
Set in a world synchronized with the real-world time, this game offers a carefree, slow-life experience where players can enjoy interacting with various Pokémon. It received overwhelming support from both Pokémon fans and the wider gaming community — with many calling it “soothing” and “addictive”— leading to its well-deserved Grand Prize win. By the way, in general votes, it won votes from 5 to 79 years old.
Game Designers Award
Word Game
| Company | Team9 |
|---|---|
| Platform | Steam / Nintendo Switch / PlayStation®5 |
“Word Game” consists of only words including characters and backgrounds and reminds players of old PC games playing with classic normal characters. Instead of just being a simple block of text to read, the layout itself represents the scenery or the field, and the text moves like a character. In the circumstance, “I,” a hero/heroine, moves and modify the meaning, context, and development of the text.
This work won by an overwhelming majority of votes even in the second round of judging, where the selection was narrowed down to specific titles.
Even more astonishingly, while the game seems like it could only work in Japanese, it is actually a localized version of a Traditional Chinese title. I am sure it took advanced skills and clever solutions to complete the transmission.
I believe this unique and inimitable game is a fitting choice for the final Game Designers Award.
Award for excellence
| Awards | Title | Platform | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Award | Pokémon Pokopia | Nintendo Switch 2 | The Pokémon Company, GAME FREAK inc. and KOEI TECMO GAMES Co., LTD. |
| Game Designers Award |
Word Game | Steam / Nintendo Switch / PlayStation®5 | Team9 |
| Award for excellence |
INAZUMA ELEVEN: Victory Road | Nintendo Switch 2 / Nintendo Switch / PlayStation®5 / PlayStation®4 / XBOX Series X｜S / Steam | LEVEL5 Inc. |
| Kirby Air Riders | Nintendo Switch 2 | Nintendo Co., Ltd. | |
| Ghost of Yōtei | PlayStation®5 | Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. | |
| SILENT HILL f | PlayStation®5 / XBOX Series X|S / Steam / Epic Games / Microsoft Store（Windows) / GOG.com | Konami Digital Entertainment | |
| Digimon Story Time Stranger | Nintendo Switch 2 / Nintendo Switch / PlayStation®5 / XBOX Series X|S / Steam | Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. | |
| DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH | PlayStation®5 / PC | Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. | |
| Donkey Kong Bananza | Nintendo Switch 2 | Nintendo Co., Ltd. | |
| BIOHAZARD requiem | PlayStation®5 / XBOX Series X|S / Nintendo Switch 2 / PC | CAPCOM CO., LTD. | |
| PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse | Nintendo Switch / Steam / iOS / Android | SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. | |
| PRAGMATA | PlayStation®5 / XBOX Series X|S / Steam / Nintendo Switch 2 | CAPCOM CO., LTD. | |
| Pokémon Pokopia | Nintendo Switch 2 | The Pokémon Company | |
| Magical Girl Witch Trials | Steam / Windows / macOS / Nintendo Switch / Nintendo Switch 2 | Re,AER LLC. | |
| Breakthrough Award | PRAGMATA | PlayStation®5 / XBOX Series X|S / Steam / Nintendo Switch 2 | CAPCOM CO., LTD. |
| Movement Award | Meccha Chameleon | Steam | LEMORION CO,. LTD. |
| Special Award | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | - | Illumination / Nintendo Co., Ltd. |