Editing Game Developers Choice Awards (section)

==Retired awards==
The following award categories have been retired or replaced with a different focus.

===Best Downloadable Game===
Best Downloadable Game Award recognizes the overall best game released on console or PC platforms specifically and solely for digital download - with an emphasis on smaller, more 'casual'-friendly titles.

* 2007: ''[[Flow (video game)|flOw]]''
* 2008: ''[[World of Goo]]''
* 2009: ''[[Flower (video game)|Flower]]''
* 2011: ''[[Minecraft]]''
* 2012: ''[[Bastion (video game)|Bastion]]''
* 2013: ''[[Journey (2012 video game)|Journey]]''
* 2014: ''[[Papers, Please]]''

===Character Design===
The Character Design award recognizes the overall excellence of non-licensed character design in a game, including originality, character arc and emotional depth.

* 2004: ''[[Half-Life 2]]''
* 2005: ''[[Shadow of the Colossus]]''
* 2006: ''[[Ōkami]]''

===Excellence in Level Design===
* 2000: ''[[American McGee's Alice]]''
* 2001: ''[[ICO (video game)|ICO]]''
* 2002: ''[[Metroid Prime]]''

===Excellence in Programming===
* 2000: ''[[The Sims]]''
* 2001: ''[[Black and White (computer game)|Black and White]]''
* 2002: ''[[Neverwinter Nights (2002 video game)|Neverwinter Nights]]''
* 2003: ''[[Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time]]''

===IGDA Award for Community Contribution===
The IGDA Award for Community Contribution recognized developers for significant efforts "building community, sharing knowledge, speaking on behalf of developers and/or contributing to the art form of game development".<ref name=ACC/> The [[#Ambassador Award|Ambassador Award]] replaced it after 2007.<ref name=Ambassador/>

* 2000: [[John D. Carmack|John Carmack]]
* 2001: [[Jeff Lander]]
* 2002: [[Doug Church]] ([[Eidos Interactive]])
* 2003: [[Ray Muzyka]] and [[Greg Zeschuk]]
* 2004: [[Sheri Graner Ray]]
* 2005: [[Chris Hecker]]
* 2006: [[George Sanger (musician)|George Sanger]]

===Original Game Character of the Year===
* 2000: Seaman from ''[[Seaman (video game)|Seaman]]''
* 2001: [[Daxter]] from ''[[Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy]]''
* 2002: [[Sly Cooper]] from ''[[Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus]]''
* 2003: [[HK-47]] from ''[[Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (video game)|Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic]]''

===Maverick Award===
The Maverick Award recognizes the current achievements of a developer who exhibits independence in thought and action while experimenting with alternate/emerging forms of digital games.

* 2003: Brian Fiete, [[Jason Kapalka]], and John Vechey ([[PopCap Games]])
* 2004: [[Matt Adams]], Ju Row Farr, and Nick Tandavanitj ([[Blast Theory]])
* 2005: Mike Dornbrook, [[Eran Egozy]], Greg LoPiccolo, and [[Alex Rigopulos]] ([[Harmonix Music Systems]])
* 2006: [[Greg Costikyan]]

===Best New Social/Online Game===
* 2009: ''[[FarmVille]]''