Best Game (sponsored by TransPerfect Gaming Solutions)
Age of Wonders 4 – Triumph Studios
Jury: “Age of Wonders 4 proves to be an excellent continuation of the series. The game is innovative within the strategy genre and combines old and new mechanics to create a masterpiece. The depth and complexity give the game a feeling of epic proportions.”
Best Art
Mail Time – appelmoes games
Jury: “The studio describes itself as “a very small studio” and so it is impressive that Mail Time’s art feels so ‘wholesome’ and ‘cosy’ even though it was created by only one person. The unique complementary mix of 2D and 3D art certainly contributes to this depth, which the jury says is very hard to achieve!“
Best Audio
Isonzo - BlackMill Games
Jury: “Isonzo excels with the integration of realistic audio from the historic World War I setting and excellently balances the chaos of sounds in the frantic multiplayer battles. This really adds to the immersion and depth of the game, and what’s more, the soundtrack is an orchestral masterpiece!“
Best Innovation
Secret Shuffle - Adriaan de Jongh & friends
Jury: “What a way to bring a smile to people’s faces! Feeling awkward never felt so great. Secret Shuffle brings a very accessible way to connect to people in a form of gameplay that has not been seen before.“
Best Technology (powered by i3D)
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered PC - Nixxes Software
Jury: “Where most PC ports don’t hold up to the original game, the PC port of Marvel’s Spider-Man surpasses it. The PC version adds subtle details like the enhanced reflections in the windows of the buildings, without sacrificing performance. With many custom solutions to the technological challenges Nixxes has raised the bar for porting technology.“
Best Game Design (sponsored by Total Mayhem Games)
Secret Shuffle - Adriaan de Jongh & Friends
Jury: “To make such a partygame feel good to a broad audience is no easy feat. To ensure replayability the game offers many variations upon the same idea, keeping it fresh for many dance parties. The UI is intuitive so really any type of person can pick it up & play.“
Best Applied Game (sponsored by City of Rotterdam)
Klankkr8 - Game Tailors
Jury: “Game Tailors uses solid scientific theories and evidence as the basis for Klankkr8 and has done some scientific research into the effectiveness of the game. The developers have translated these theories into a consistent, playful, and stimulating game design to introduce young children to letters, sounds, and the first steps to learning to read. Klankkr8 is a full-fledged, interactive game that inclusively serves various player types.“
Best Debut Game
Kayak VR: Mirage – Better Than Life
Jury: “The judges really felt like they were outside while playing this game. The kayak moves very lifelike and the attention to detail in the environment adds up to an experience that feels beyond realistic. Next to that the game shows an intuitive UI and fun competitive multiplayer races.
Best Student Game (sponsored by GameForce)
Iron Line - Team Trainwreck (BUas)
Jury: “The judges were frustrated that this is not a full game (yet). Iron Line offers a unique twist on the Tower Defense genre. It cleverly combines cargo management with the placement of turrets. Add well-designed elements like the game economics and it makes the whole game fit together like a glove.“
Best Studio Award
Triumph Studios
“Founded in 1997, this studio has quietly been going strong for over 25 years. Becoming a member of the Paradox family in 2017 did not affect their own culture, but made the studio stronger in their own way. Their employees stick around for a long time and praise the studio’s good leadership. Their rock steady course is also reflected in their games, as Triumph does not play to fickle trends but follow their own course successfully.”
Inclusion Award (sponsored by Unity)
Esmée van 't Hoff
“As the driving force behind Wholesome Games and Wholesome Direct, Esmeé has been working hard to create more space and recognition for “cozy games”. She’s an advocate for making these games more visible and accessible for a wider audience, which in turn gives developers of these games a more prominent place in the game industry.”
Career Achievement Award
Angie Smets
“In the past 20 years at Guerrilla, Angie has proven herself a true cornerstone of the successful AAA-studio. But perhaps more importantly she has played a significant role in normalising diversity in gender and culture, both in the workspace as well as in their games.
We wish her all the best in her new role at PlayStation Studios and we look forward to more trailblazing from Angie!”
Awesome Achievement Award
Deloryan Games
“Starting as a 1-person project, Deloryan Hommers has now grown her studio to 11 people fully bootstrapped. Deloryan Games’ unique game serves a niche audience of die-hard horse fans, and we’re not talking about little girls and glitter unicorns here. Horse Reality brings more depth to the market of horse management games by focussing on horse genetics, breeding programs, training and health statistics based on real-life data. They compete with studios 10 times their size and have managed to grow in a heavily contested market by taking their audience seriously.”