The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) held the Japan Game Awards 2026 ceremony on September 15, 2026, with Pokémon: Pokopia receiving the Grand Award. This year's winners span various genres, including action, horror, text-based puzzle, and multiplayer party games.
Pokémon: Pokopia has launched on Nintendo Switch 2 as the first slow-life sandbox game in the Pokémon series. Players take on the role of a Ditto awakening from a long slumber, collaborating with other Pokémon to rebuild an abandoned town. Ditto can fulfill requests made by other Pokémon and learn their moves after becoming friends, thereby expanding the areas available for exploration. Collected materials can be used to craft and arrange furniture and blocks.
The Excellence Award winner, Donkey Kong: Banana Mania, has launched on Nintendo Switch 2. Set on an island and its underground world where "Golden Bananas" are discovered, the game sees Donkey Kong chasing after the Void Corporation, which has stolen the Golden Bananas. Players can use Donkey Kong's strength to destroy walls and floors in the environment, while his character design has been updated to more closely resemble his arcade and NES-era appearances, as well as his look in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Another Excellence Award winner, Resident Evil: Requiem, has launched on Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. The game features two protagonists, Grace Ashcroft and Leon S. Kennedy, who separately investigate a series of bizarre consecutive deaths. Grace's segments focus on evasion, hiding, and cautious exploration, while Leon's sections emphasize combat using weapons and martial arts against enemies, offering distinct survival horror experiences.
The Game Design Award went to Word Game, available on Nintendo Switch, PS5, and Steam. In this title, roads, vegetation, characters, and even the screen itself are composed entirely of text. Players can use three magical items to rearrange words, altering their actual meaning within the world to solve puzzles and advance the adventure.
Super Chameleon, available on Nintendo Switch 2 and Steam, received the Trend Award. The game divides players into seekers and hiders: seekers must find all opponents within a time limit, while hiders can color their bodies to camouflage themselves as room objects, wall patterns, or carpet designs. The game gained attention among streamers, with the Nintendo Switch 2 version selling over 100,000 copies on its first day of release.