D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Story

The D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Story 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 individual or team whose work has furthered the interactive experience through the creation of a game world — whether an original creation, one adapted from existing material, or an extension of an existing property which best exemplifies the coalescence of setting, character, and plot". Creative/technical Academy members with expertise as a game designer or producer are qualified to vote for this award. It was first offered at the 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, with its first winner being Pokémon Red and Blue.

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

History
The award was originally presented as Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development, recognizing "the individual or team whose work has furthered the interactive experience through the creation of a memorable character or a memorable story within an interactive title." This would be renamed to Outstanding Achievement in Story and Character Development for the 2006 Awards, and then simplified to Outstanding Achievement in Story Development for the 2008 Awards. The award would be separated into Outstanding Achievement in Original Story and the Outstanding Achievement in Adapted Story for the 2009 Awards; Original Story for the "creation of an original game world", and Adapted Story for "a game based on previously existing material" which "can be an adaptation or an extension of existing licensed property or brand. The two categories were eventually merged back into one category at the 2011 Awards.
 * Outstanding Achievement in Character or Story Development (1999–2005)
 * Outstanding Achievement in Story and Character Development (2006–2007)
 * Outstanding Achievement in Story Development (2008)
 * Outstanding Achievement in Original Story (2009–2010)
 * Outstanding Achievement in Adapted Story (2009–2010)
 * Outstanding Achievement in Story (2011–present)

Developers and publishers
Sony has currently published the most nominees and the most winners, with its developer Naughty Dog having developed the most nominees and the most winners. Sony is also the only publisher to publish back-to-back winners. The only other developers to have developed more than one winner are BioWare, Bethesda Game Studios, and Sony's Santa Monica Studio. Ubisoft has published the most nominees without having published a single winner.

Franchises
Uncharted is the most nominated franchise, and is one of five franchises that have won more than once. The other four are Baldur's Gate, God of War, The Last of Us, and Star Wars. Grand Theft Auto is the most nominated franchise that has never won.