Dispatch is Game of the Year in my heart despite its Game Awards snub

The last episode of Dispatch was dispatched just a touch too late to get much recognition from Geoff Keighley’s The Game Awards, despite being nominated for Best Debut Indie Game and Player’s Voice. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t go to bat for it as my Game of the Year 2025.

Dispatch knocks it out of the park with not just an excellent down-to-earth story at the heart of its bombastic concept, but some of the sharpest and funniest writing you’ll find in video games. From the small asides between hard-bitten Invisigal and the sardonic Malevola, to a charmingly awkward karaoke routine courtesy of the flamboyant Flambae, Dispatch is bursting with memorable, generous writing.  

✓ VideoGamer Summary

• Dispatch is an excellent showing from AdHoc Studio, and its superheroic storytelling has made it my Game of the Year.
• The story may not have the most dramatic stakes, but the writing is excellent and engaging.
• Dispatch’s characters are expertly acted and animated, selling the world and the story.
• The episodic format of Dispatch was a big risk, but it paid off with the kind of water-cooler discussion that you don’t always get in video games.
• Dispatch has confidence in its romantic escapades, showcasing some of the most captivating character chemistry in games.

Writing up a storm

Dispatch offers a selection of meaningful choices for the player by having fewer decisions, allowing for more meaningful contrasts between branching narratives. Tough choices like who to cut or add to the team change the core cast just enough to make it feel like you’re steering the ship.

These small moments also come through in presentational tweaks. In Episode 2, Blonde Blazer introduces her at-the-time boyfriend, Phenomaman, who descends from the heavens like a knock-off Superman. If you kissed her in Episode 1, the regular soft music in the background is replaced by a far more threatening soundtrack. These sorts of small tweaks are commonplace in Dispatch and add a sense of impact and weight to your choices. 

A whole lot of character

The characters in Dispatch are brought to life through a mixture of stellar animation and incredible voice acting. There’s not a single wasted character among them. They all have moments that stick with you; little actions and quirks that sell them as members of the cast, like Punch Up’s signature foul-play fighting style.

The lack of nominations for Best Performance at The Game Awards might be the biggest snub, because there’s no way that Laura Bailey’s Invisigal or Aaron Paul’s Robert Robertson didn’t deserve one. Their delivery is impeccable, hitting both emotional and comedic beats with an endearing, cavalier flavor. 

Even smaller characters strike a chord; it is funny to be so into Critical Role that when I heard Matt Mercer’s voice, I immediately knew the scene’s twist, but it didn’t make his presence any less imposing.

Despite the characters being so obviously exaggerated, they feel real. Considering so much of the game relies on you liking the ensemble, this is crucial. If you didn’t love the characters in Dispatch, Aaron Paul would be wasting his time as a protagonist surrounded by unlikable nobodies who needle you throughout. It’s only because the banter and interactions between characters are so fantastic yet understated that it all works.

Episodic content is more than just TV

The decision to double down on Dispatch’s episodic structure was a risk. Michael Choung, the CEO and executive producer at AdHoc Studio, even says that “from a production perspective, no one should do this.” However, it clearly worked where it hadn’t for previous Telltale Games episodic games.

Much of this was due to the pace at which episodes were released. Every week, you had another couple of hours of Dispatch to look forward to, which allowed word of mouth to spread while players progressed together. Usually, people play through games at different speeds; you might as well not be online to discuss them until you’re finished, for fear of inadvertent spoilers.

In the same way hype can build around a television series, the fast-paced episodic structure lent itself to sustained excitement for the game. In less than a month, a new fandom sprang up, evolving and drawing in new players just in time for the finale. Most of the theories, like Blonde Blazer being evil or your dog, Beef being a robot, didn’t really go anywhere, but it was enjoyable to see people speculate in a way you only normally get in the years between releases.

Finally, some real romance

Rarely is romance handled well in mainstream games. Even if it is brought up, it’s rarely a focus and more of a side objective, or a reward for hitting the right buttons enough times. Romance in Dispatch is central; the game itself is essentially a love story set against a backdrop of superheroes. 

There’s flirting, courting, the delightful tension of “will they, won’t they,” and actual infatuation. As the game is built on romance, it doesn’t feel like the protagonist’s job to chase or pursue; it’s a mutual attraction, from awkward beginnings to more serious evolutions.

This is rare outside of specific visual novels or dating games, and AdHoc Studio has done it well. Their romance options are split between Blonde Blazer and Invisigirl, but that doesn’t mean things can’t get messy, or you can’t screw it all up. Your choices in smaller conversations can still lead things astray and ruin your romantic options.

Dispatch’s love stories are touching and funny, sweet and sexy, and they showcase something wholly unique about the game. If there were a Best Romance category or Best Character Chemistry, Dispatch would win hands down. AdHoc Studio didn’t get much recognition at The Game Awards, but in my heart, Dispatch is my Game of the Year.

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