Welcome to my personal Game-of-the-Year list 2021. I list my Top-3 games in the categories Best Game of the Year, Best Immersion, Best Story, Best Graphics, Best Artdesign, Best Sound and Best Music. In addition the Top-3 games per Genre are listed further below. I took into account all games I played in 2021, so you will also see games released in previous years. For those I added the release-year in brackets .
Best Game of the Year
The best games overall in 2021 from my perspective

Ghost of Tsushima
1. Ghost of Tsushima (2020)

Metroid Dread
2. Metroid Dread

The Forgotten City
3. The Forgotten City
Best Immersion
Here are the top 3 games that were drawing me in most into their world in 2021.

Nier Replicant
1. Nier Replicant

Disco Elysium
2. Disco Elysium

Metroid Dread
3. Metroid Dread
Best Story
The games that impressed me most in 2021 in terms of their narrative, emotional story and credible characters.

The Forgotten City
1. The Forgotten City

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War
2. Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War (2020)

Nier Replicant
3. Nier Replicant
Best Graphics
The three games with the most stunning visuals pushing forward for next generation graphics.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
1. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

Resident Evil: Village
2. Resident Evil: Village

Guardians of the Galaxy
3. Guardians of the Galaxy
Best Artdesign
My top 3 games of 2021 having the most unique, special and visually atracting artstyle .

Mundaun
1. Mundaun

Metroid Dread
2. Metroid Dread

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
3. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Best Sound
The best games of 2021 in terms of audio quality, sound effects and voice activing.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
1. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War
2. Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War (2020)

Astros Playroom
3. Astros Playroom (2020)
Best Music
Here are the top 3 games that were drawing me in most into their world in 2021.

Nier Replicant
1. Nier Replicant

Guardians of the Galaxy
2. Guardians of the Galaxy

Death`s Door
3. Death`s Door
Best Action Adventure Game

Ghost of Tsushima
1. Ghost of Tsushima (2020)
2. It takes Two
3. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Best Adventure Game

The Forgotten City
1. The Forgotten City
2. Mundaun
3. Chicken Police (2020)
Best Plattformer

Metroid Dread
1. Metroid Dead
2. Astros Playroom (2020)
3. Horace (2020)
Best Roleplay Game

Nier Replicant
1. Nier Replicant
2. Disco Elysium
3. –
Best Strategy Game

Pikmin 3 Deluxe
1. Pikmin 3 Deluxe (2020)
Best Music/Rhythm/Party Game

Fall Guys
1. Fall Guys (2020)
Best Fighting / Beat em Up Game

Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown
1. Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown
Best Racing Game

F1 2021
1. F1 2021
Best Shooter Game

Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War
1. Cold of Duty Black Ops: Cold War (2020)
2. Doom Eternal: Ancient Goods, Part 2
3. –
Best Puzzle Game

The Room
1. The Room (2018)
2. Luna: Shadow Dust (2020)
References:
Image material linked from giant bomb (www.giantbomb.com)