D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

The D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Game Design is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This award is "presented to the title that most effectively combines interactive and non-interactive elements to create a cohesive gameplay experience. Outstanding design is exemplified by balanced system design, cohesive mechanics that relate to overall aesthetic direction, level layout, challenge flow, progression elements, interface design, and social game mechanics. This award recognizes the Lead Designer or Design Director in architecting all elements into a unified design". Creative/technical Academy members with expertise as a game designer or producer are qualified to vote for this award.

The award's most recent winner is Baldur's Gate 3, developed and published by Larian Studios.

History
It was originally presented as Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design; it was later renamed Outstanding Achievement in Game Design at the 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. A separate award category was offered at the 2010 awards ceremony for Outstanding Achievement in Portable Game Design, presented to the title that makes "the most compelling contribution to the unique opportunities and challenges of portable, mobile and networked game play". This award would not be presented at the ceremonies between 2011 and 2014; however, the category would be offered again in 2015, and has been offered every year since.
 * Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Design (1998-1999)
 * Outstanding Achievement in Game Design (2000-2010, 2015-present)
 * Outstanding Achievement in Portable Game Design (2010)

Game Design and Game of the Year
More than half of the finalists for the Game Design category were also finalists for Game of the Year. However, only nine winners for Game Design ended up winning Game of the Year:
 * The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
 * The Sims
 * Overwatch
 * The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
 * God of War (2018)
 * Hades
 * It Takes Two
 * Elden Ring
 * Baldur's Gate 3

The winners for Game Design that were not finalists for Game of the Year were:
 * Grand Theft Auto III
 * World of Goo
 * Baba Is You

The Game of the Year winners that were not finalists for Game Design (excluding winners during years when the Game Design category was not offered) were:
 * Diablo II
 * Call of Duty
 * Gears of War
 * LittleBigPlanet
 * Dragon Age: Inquisition
 * Untitled Goose Game

2001 and 2008 were the only years that all finalists for Game Design were finalists for Game of the Year.

In 2009, the PlayStation Portable release of LittleBigPlanet and Scribblenauts were finalists for "Portable Game of the Year" in addition to Outstanding Achievement in Portable Game Design; Scribblenauts would be the winner for both awards. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story received a nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Game Design while also nominated for "Portable Game of the Year".

2010s
The Outstanding Achievement in Game Design category was not offered at the awards ceremonies from 2011 to 2014.

Developers and publishers
Nintendo is the most nominated developer in this category, and the only developer to have won more than once; Nintendo has also published the most winners, with Sony publishing the most nominees. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has published both winners in 2010 for Game Design and Portable Game Design. In addition, Warner Bros. technically has published back-to-back winners, but the 4-year gap has existed in which the award has not been offered between wins.

Franchises
The Legend of Zelda franchise is the most nominated franchise in this category, and is the only franchise to have won more than once.