The Game Awards 2019will be streamedlive on Thursday, December 12, and will feature some of the biggest games released all year alongside brand-new game announcements. We have very little idea of what Geoff Keighley and his staff have planned regarding new reveals, but thenominees are publicly availableand Digital Trends even got the chance to be on the official jury.

Just like you, we have no idea what will end up taking the top prize. Below, we’ve rounded up nominees across some of the night’s biggest categories and predicted winners. These aren’t necessarily gameswevoted for, but rather the titles we think have the best chance of winning in each category. Our predicted winners are inbold.

Game of the Year

Controlreleased during a relatively dry period over the summer, but it has remained in the Game of the Year conversation for months as we’ve seen other acclaimed games all but vanish. It’s flashy and ambitious, has tremendous visual design, and its weirdness is keptjustenough in check to avoid losing players during its opening hours. Its blend of Remedy Entertainment’s signature third-person shooting and creative narrative design certainly won over critics looking for more than just another sequel.

Best Action Game

This category is particularly brutal, with first-person and third-person shooters also included, but Capcom’sDevil May Cry 5was such a triumphant success that it’s difficult to see it losing to one of the other nominees. The game managed to deliver three drastically different combat styles, including the ridiculously deep move-set of Dante, and it only gets better when you start it up again for another playthrough.

Best Action-Adventure Game

From Software didn’t just copy the formula it had established with the Souls games forSekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and instead boiled it down to its most basic elements and layered an incredible new melee combat system on top. Parrying and damage “posture” makes every battle inSekirofeel like a legendary duel, and the game’s gorgeous take on feudal Japan is a blast to explore. It isn’t for newcomers, as it’s brutally difficult, butSekirois one of the most rewarding games ever made.

Best Fighting Game

Perhaps the easiest prediction of the entire show,Super Smash Bros. Ultimateis a lock for the Fighting Game category. Featuring every single character from past title,s as well as several new fighters,Super Smash Bros. Ultimatemore than lives up to its name, and it’s one of the first games anyone with a Nintendo Switch should buy. It doesn’t hurt its chances that aside fromMortal Kombat 11, it isn’t facing any huge competition this year.

Best Game Direction

Say what you want about Hideo Kojima, but he is nothing if not original.Death Strandingis the best example yet of his unique vision, as his first project post-Konami is bizarre and something that only Kojima himself could create. Though not always entirely effective, that commitment to his creation – and not falling victim to current industry trends – mean thatDeath Strandingwill almost certainly win this award.

Best Independent Game

Only being available on PC at the moment could hurt its chances, butDisco Elysiumis one of the best-received games of the year, independent or otherwise. Its deep storytelling and role-playing mechanics, as well as its knack for world-building, have helped it to compete with other games made on far larger budgets. DespiteUntitled Goose Gamebecoming a full-fledged meme, its very short length means more time has likely been spent making jokes about it than actually playing it.

Best Multiplayer Game

Blending nostalgic callbacks to the original games with brand-new gameplay mechanics,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’scompetitive multiplayer is absolutely excellent, and its free map and mode updates mean that players can keep enjoying the game as a community for years to come. It doesn’t take the risks of something likeApex Legends, but a competitive mode donerightis not as easy as it sounds.

Best Narrative

The Best Narrative category is tremendously competitive this year, but Obsidian Entertainment just might be the frontrunner with its role-playing gameThe Outer Worlds. Overtly political in a way that other games seem to be afraid of being,The Outer Worldsunderstands what makes classic science-fiction stories effective — and it isn’t just the cool gadgets and remote locations. Fantastic dialogue and characters worth caring about will only help the game’s chances.

Best Role-playing Game

Though it’s a bit unusual to give this award to an expansion rather than a full game,Monster Hunter World – Icebornepacks in so much content that it probably could have been released as a sequel. In its favor, it boasts the same tremendous mix of monster-battling combat, world exploration, and customization options as the original game. Its main competition will beThe Outer WorldsandDisco Elysium, butIcebornecould just surprise everyone.

Best Strategy Game

You could make the argument thatFire Emblem: Three Housesbelongs in the role-playing game category, but it has been assigned to Best Strategy, and with that in mind, we think it’s a lock for this award. Intelligent Systems took the tried-and-true turn-based gameplay the series is known for and streamlined it without simplifying it too much. It also introduced new mechanics like the Gambit system to completely transform how battles play out.

Best Score and Music

Hideo Kojima’s friendships with other famous artists certainly went a long way in the development ofDeath Stranding, and that extends to the game’s gorgeous soundtrack. Alongside original music recorded by artists such as Chvrches and Major Lazer, it also includes several atmospheric and emotional tunes from Low Road. These tend to occur when protagonist Sam Porter Bridges is wandering by himself, and complement the game’s desolate world perfectly.

Best Performance

It was a year full of astounding performances, including several that weren’t even nominated due to such a crowded field, but Mads Mikkelsen’s supporting role inDeath Strandingis absolutely phenomenal. Through a mix of flashbacks and present-day segments, we learn about a tortured soul who is just as menacing as he is sympathetic, and Mikkelsen is so enthralling that we patiently waited for his next scene whenever one ends.

The Game Awards 2019 begin at 5:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 12.