awards
people's choice
The People’s Choice award is determined every year by audience votes. So, come out, play a ton of games, and vote for your favourite!
All other awards are adjudicated by industry professionals, from dozens of game studios. For every category, the judges consider quality, skill demonstrated, complexity/difficulty, and creativity/innovation. The judges are looking for what impresses them most, and which games/components are closest to industry ready.
Best Overall Game
Is the game/game loop fun, engaging, immersive, intuitive? Judges consider mechanics, level design, interface, controls, user experience, emotional impact, etc.
Artistic Achievement
Is the art aesthetic cohesive? Does it contribute meaningfully to the mood and feel of the game? Judges consider style, character design, animation–including motion capture, and all original art assets: the aesthetics of particle effects, for example.
Innovating Technology
Judges consider a wide range of technical labour, including engine and tool design. Judges are looking for innovation, bugs (or lack thereof), and emerging and meaningful technical systems, including bespoke controllers, control systems, and tools built for particle effects, for example.
Achievement in Audio
Is the audio cohesive? Does it contribute to the mood and feel of the game? Judges consider voice acting, sound effects–including foley, music–including composition, recording, (instrument) performance, etc.
Achievement in Accessibility
How accessible is the game? Who can and can’t play it? How inclusive, encompassing, and innovative are these features? Judges will consider a wide range of usability and flexibility/adaptability features that reduce barriers to play. Check out https://ablegamers.org/ for suggestions.
Best game trailer
Presented by:
Does the trailer successfully communicate the game’s core vision, hook, and feel? Judges consider clarity of gameplay mechanics, viral potential and overall market appeal.
Questions?
If you are part of the media, wishing to sponsor, or have general questions about the showcase, please contact us!