D.I.C.E. Award for Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year


The D.I.C.E. Award for Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This award recognizes games "in which user directs or manipulates resources to create a set of conditions that result in success as determined within the confines of the game. These games can offer the user the chance to simulate or to virtually reproduce an experience, real or imaginary, which would require some form of equipment. Strategy games emphasize the planning of tactics rather than the execution". All active creative/technical, business, and affiliate members of the Academy are qualified to vote for this category. Originally, there were separate awards for strategy games and simulation games, which simulate aspects of the real world.
The award's most recent winner is Balatro, developed by LocalThunk and published by PlayStack.

History

Initially the Interactive Achievement Awards had separate awards for Computer Strategy Game of the Year and Computer Simulation Game of the Year. The categories would then be merged into Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year in 2008.
  • Computer Strategy Game of the Year
  • Computer Simulation Game of the Year
  • Strategy Game of the Year
  • Simulation Game of the Year
  • Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
There was a tie between Age of Empires and StarCraft for Computer Strategy Game of the Year at the 1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.

Multiple nominations and wins

Developers and publishers

Firaxis Games, as a developer, has received the most nominations and has won the most awards; Microsoft and Xbox Game Studios, as a publisher, has received the most nominations and has won the most awards.
There are numerous developers with consecutive wins in this category:
When there were separate awards for strategy games and simulation games, both Microsoft and Electronic Arts has published winners for both categories in the same year:
Microsoft is the only publisher to have back-to-back wins for both strategy and simulation categories in consecutive years.
Since the merger of strategy and simulation genres into one category in 2008, four different publishers has garnered consecutive wins:
Sega has published the most nominees without a win.
DeveloperNominationsWins
Firaxis Games156
Microsoft Simulation Group/Aces Game Studio64
Blizzard Entertainment64
Ensemble Studios63
Maxis53
Relic Entertainment92
EA Los Angeles42
Creative Assembly81
Intelligent Systems51
Westwood Studios/Westwood Pacific/EA Pacific41
Shiro Games31
Double Fine Productions21
Lionhead Studios21
Robot Entertainment21
Subset Games21
11 Bit Studios30
Amplitude Studios30
FASA Studio30
Digital Image Design20
EA Baltimore20
Gas Powered Games20
Impressions Games20
Klei Entertainment20
Paradox Development Studio20
Petroglyph Games20
Signal Studios20

PublisherNominationsWins
Microsoft/Xbox Game Studios4311
Electronic Arts229
2K Games124
Blizzard Entertainment64
Activision42
THQ/THQ Nordic81
Ubisoft81
Nintendo61
Infogrames51
Shiro Games31
Kitfox Games21
Subset Games21
Sega60
Interplay Productions/Entertainment40
Paradox Interactive40
Sierra On-Line/Entertainment40
11 Bit Studios30
Devolver Digital20
Empire Interactive20
Hasbro Interactive20
Klei Entertainment20
LucasArts20
Raw Fury20
tinyBuild20
Vivendi (Universal) Games20

Franchises

All of the Sid Meier games, including the Civilization franchise, have received the most nominations for strategy/simulation games, while the Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise has received the most awards for strategy/simulation games.
There have been numerous games with multiple nominations, mostly for expansion packs:Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings won Computer Strategy Game of the Year in 2000, and the expansion pack The Conquerors won in 2001.MechWarrior 4: Vengeance won Computer Simulation Game of the Year in 2001, and the expansion Mercenaries was nominated in 2003.The Sims expansion packs Unleashed and Superstar won Computer Simulation Game of the Year in 2003 and 2004, respectively.Rise of Nations was nominated for Computer Strategy Game of the Year in 2004, and the expansion pack Rise of Legends was nominated in 2007.Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II was nominated in 2010, and the expansion packs Chaos Rising and Retribution were nominated in 2011 and 2012, respectively.StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty won in 2011, and the expansion pack Heart of the Swarm was nominated in 2014.Civilization V was nominated in 2011, and the expansion pack Brave New World was nominated in 2014.Total War: Shogun 2 was nominated in 2012, and the expansion pack Fall of the Samurai was nominated in 2013.XCOM: Enemy Unknown won in 2013, and the expansion pack Enemy Within won in 2014.XCOM 2 was nominated in 2017, and the expansion pack War of the Chosen was nominated in 2018.
Age of Empires II, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and The Sims are the only games with back-to-back wins albeit with expansion packs, whereas the Command & Conquer franchise has back-to-back wins with Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars in 2008, and Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 in 2009. The Sims franchise has won a third consecutive year for Simulation Game of the Year with The Sims 2 in 2005. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is the only game that has been nominated three times.
FranchiseNominationsWins
Microsoft Flight Simulator65
Sid Meier/Civilization104
Age of Empires64
Command & Conquer63
The Sims43
XCOM42
StarCraft32
Warcraft22
Total War71
Fire Emblem41
Company of Heroes21
MechWarrior21
Need for Speed21
Orcs Must Die!21
Warhammer 40,00050
Jane's Combat Simulations40
RollerCoaster Tycoon30
Empire Earth20
F-2220
Europa Universalis20
FreeSpace20
Frostpunk20
Halo20
Homeworld20
Middle-earth20
Rise of Nations20
Star Wars20
Supreme Commander20
Toy Soldiers20