Developed by Valve in 2003, Steam has been a mainstay for many PC gamers around the world, and it’s a bit of a wonder why their newest project has taken as long as it has.

In November of this year, Valve asked Steam users to nominate their favorite games for the very first ‘Steam Awards’. When the nomination process began, users could nominate for everything from the “Game Within a Game” category for best mini game, to the “Just 5 More Minutes” category for the game with the most addictive qualities. Those who participated in nominating games for the awards also received Steam experience points & badges, so they weren’t just expected to do it for a hearty handshake & a “thank you for your time”. The process was so successful, that Valve even ended up with four additional write-in categories!

Well, the nominations went up, and now it’s time to choose the winners. What does Valve do? They turn to the gamers, of course! There are 12 categories in which gamers can vote, but these aren’t your typical “Best <X>” categories. Take a look at the list below:

“Villain Most In Need Of a Hug” – We all know a megalomaniac who could probably use a good hugging.
– Borderlands 2
– Dead By Daylight
– Far Cry 3
– Far Cry 4
– Portal 2

“I Thought This Game Was Cool Before It Won An Award” – These are games that weren’t heavily marketed, but gamers loved them & spread the word on their own.
– Euro Truck Simulator 2
– Paladins
– Starbound
– Stardew Valley
– Unturned

“Test of Time” – Some games are just as good years after their initial release, and these are the ones that deserve that recognition.
– Age of Empires II HD
– The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
– Sid Meier’s Civilization V
– Team Fortress 2
– Terraria

“Just 5 More Minutes” – How many of us have played these games into the wee hours of the morning, just because we want to get to the end of this one mission, or finish one more side quest?
– Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
– Fallout 4
– Rocket League
– Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
– Terraria

“Whoooaaaaaaa, dude!” – There’s always that one game that just blows your mind when you play it, and turns you into Ted Theodore Logan.
– Bioshock Infinite
– DOOM
– Grand Theft Auto V
– Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
– The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

“Game Within a Game Award” – Who doesn’t like stuff stuffed with other stuff? This category is devoted to those games that had the best mini games jammed into them.
– Garry’s Mod
– Grand Theft Auto V
– The Stanley Parable
– Tabletop Simulator
– The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

“I’m Not Crying, There’s Something In My Eye” – There are a lot of us who get very emotionally invested in our games, and these are the ones that tugged at our heartstrings the most.
– Life Is Strange
– To the Moon
– This War of Mine
– Undertale
– The Walking Dead

“Best Use of a Farm Animal” – Because why not get a laugh out of farm animal shenanigans?
– ARK: Survival Evolved
– Blood and Bacon
– Farming Simulator 17
– Goat Simulator
– Stardew Valley

“Boom Boom” – Raise your hand if you’re a fan of stuff blowing up. I know I am!
– BroForce
– DOOM
– Just Cause 3
– Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes
– Kerbal Space Program

“Love/Hate Relationship” – These are the games that made us question, “What the hell am I doing with my life? Do I really suck this badly?” Feel free to curse a blue streak as you play (and fail at) these.
– Dark Souls III
– Darkest Dungeon
– Dota 2
– Geometry Dash
– Super Meat Boy

“Sit Back and Relax” – This is the exact opposite of the “Love/Hate Relationship” award. Games that allowed us to simply zone out & still succeed.
– ABZÛ
– Cities: Skylines
– Euro Truck Simulator 2
– Mini Metro
– Viridi

“Better With Friends” – Who says gamers are loners? We loved playing these games with our totally real friends!
– Don’t Starve Together
– Gang Beasts
– Golf With Your Friends
– Left 4 Dead 2
– Magicka

Starting at 1:00 pm EST on Thursday, December 22^nd, Steam will be accepting votes for the winner of one category per day. Each vote will only be open for 24 hours before moving on to the next one, until every category has been voted on. Then, on December 30^th, all four write-in categories will open back up for another 24-hour vote. Make sure you get your votes in, dear readers! The winners will be announced by Valve on New Year’s Eve!