IGEA announces the 2023 Australian Game Development Awards Finalists

01
Sep

Friday, 1 September 2023 – The Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) celebrates the finalists for the 2023 Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs). The AGDAs are set to be held on October 4, 6.30pm AEDT at the Forum Melbourne, as a part of Melbourne International Games Week celebrations. For those unable to attend in person, the event will be live streamed on the IGEA Twitch channel. The awards span 13 game categories and four Career and Culture awards, with the goal of highlighting the contributions of our local talent.

“The AGDAs are Australian video game excellence on display, a chance to celebrate successes as an industry and reflect on the year that has been,” said Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA. “Every year we come together to celebrate local talent and lift them onto the pedestal that they deserve. IGEA is proud of the Australian video games industry and its contribution to the local economy. The AGDAs are our chance to celebrate the creativity and technical capabilities of the teams and individuals making world class games right here in Australia and enjoyed all over the world. This is my favourite event of the year.”

While there are many categories to celebrate at the AGDAs, the coveted Australian Game of the Year award includes four nominees: Gubbins by Studio Folly, Moving Out 2 by SMG studio, Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical by Summerfall Studios, and Vactics by Lemur Conspiracy. All four finalists have received high praise from the AGDAs judging panel along with nominations in multiple other categories.

As we celebrate the pinnacle of excellence in the industry, IGEA also highlights upcoming local talent with the Excellence in Emerging Games award. This year there are three nominees, Final Profit: A Shop RPG by Brent Arnold, Partum Artifex by DalaKoala Games, and Rooftop Renegade by Melonhead Games. Each game is a prime example of the future of the Australian video game industry.

IGEA is delighted to welcome Gemma Driscoll from Good Game Spawn Point, and Harry Jun, the host of ABC Gamer’s Loot Drop, as the 2023 AGDAs presenters. Gemma, with five year’s experience working within the industry, has a deep passion for education and entertaining Australia’s young gamers. Comedian Harry Jun comes off of sold out runs at the Sydney Comedy festival in both 2022 and 2023 and has performed in venues all across Australia.

This year the panel of judges includes over 80 industry professionals, with varied specialisations in games development and journalism. IGEA believes in a transparent and fair judging system, click here to learn more about how we strive to achieve this.

IGEA presents the 2023 AGDAs finalists, please see the full list below.

 

2023 AGDAs Finalists

Excellence in ART

 

Excellence in GAMEPLAY

 

Excellence in NARRATIVE

 

Excellence in SOUND DESIGN

 

Excellence in MUSIC

 

Excellence in TECHNICAL DESIGN

 

Excellence in ACCESSIBILITY

 

Excellence in EMERGING GAMES

 

Excellence in IMPACTFUL GAMES

 

Excellence in MOBILE GAMES

 

Excellence in AR/VR Games

 

Excellence in ONGOING Games

 

GAME OF THE YEAR

 

Media spokespeople available:

  • Ron Curry, CEO of IGEA
  • Game Developers of finalist games and studios on request

 

MEDIA CONTACTS

Felicia McEntire
felicia@doublejump.com.au
0455 143 650

Paul Jones
paul@doublejump.com.au
0411 348 155

 

About IGEA

IGEA (Interactive Games & Entertainment Association) is the peak industry association representing the voice of Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and video games industry.  IGEA supports the games industry’s business and public policy interests through advocacy, research and education programs. For more information, please visit www.igea.net

 

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