Look alive, PC gamers—it's almost game of the year time! This time next week, we'll begin posting our picks for the best PC games of the year. Today, you can get an early look at the contenders.

How'd we pick our game of the year nominees? Under extreme duress, each member of our staff sweated out a list of their six favorite games released in 2017. With nominations compiled, the team then got together to argue over the winners and put together a final list that represents the best of PC gaming.

As usual, our awards categories are tailored to the games we most want to celebrate. That means they're not exactly the same as you'll see in our 2016 awards or 2015 awards . This year, we're excited to highlight the mod of the year, best visual novel, and funniest game.

Look for our GOTY awards to start rolling out soon, along with heartfelt personal picks from the entire staff.

Best action game

Absolver

The Evil Within 2

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Nier: Automata

Quake Champions

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Best co-op game

Destiny 2

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Fortnite

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands

Best comedy game

Night in the Woods

Oikospiel

Thimbleweed Park

West of Loathing

Best expansion

Dishonored 2: Death of the Outsider

Final Fantasy 14: Stormblood

XCOM 2: War of the Chosen

Best mod

Sim Settlements for Fallout 4

The Long War 2 for XCOM 2

WolfenDoom: Blade of Agony

FAR: Fix Automata Resolution

Sanic, Big Smoke and Naruto skins for TLOZ: Breath of the Wild

OpenIV

Best ongoing game

Elite: Dangerous

Hearthstone

No Man's Sky

Rainbow Six Siege

Best open world game

Assassin's Creed: Origins

The Long Dark

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

West of Loathing

Best platformer

Hollow Knight

Rain World

Sonic Mania

Best setting

Assassin's Creed: Origins

Prey

Resident Evil 7

The Sexy Brutale

Tacoma

Best story

Nier: Automata

Stories Untold

What Remains of Edith Finch

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Best strategy game

Bomber Crew

Oxygen Not Included

Tooth and Tail

Total War: Warhammer 2

Unexplored

Best visual novel

Butterfly Soup

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

Dream Daddy

The Lion's Song

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

Breakout game of the year

Cuphead

Nier: Automata

PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds

Game of the year