The result of a short list is that there are games not ending up on the list, which makes some happy, some displeased and some just don't mind.
So, using various inputs, I have come to the following alphabetically sorted short list:
Borderlands 3
Breach
Disco Elysium
Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest
Dungeon Of Dragon Knight
Element: Space
Fade to Silence
Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark
Forged of Blood
GOD WARS The Complete Legend
Greedfall
Grimshade
Malevolence: The Sword of Ahkranox
Nomads of the Fallen Star
Operencia: The Stolen Sun
Outward
Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory
Phoenix Point
Queen's Wish: The Conqueror
Rebel Galaxy Outlaw
Rogue Empire: Dungeon Crawler RPG
Shenmue 3
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
Sunless Skies
The Outer Worlds
The Sinking City
Thea 2: The Shattering
Theseus: Journey to Athens
Vestaria Saga I: War of the Scions
WARSAW
This is the list we will go into the GOTY with, next week. If your objections, pleads and whatnot have not been reflected in this list, they are not ignored, but for whatever reason a choice was made for it to be reflected in the list.
I am still open to suggestions for modifications though, until Sunday evening (my evening).