Replaying the best of BAFTA-winning Game Design

With entries for the 2027 BAFTA Games Awards now open, excitement for which games will be recognised for their impact over the last year is already building. And one category that always draws attention is Game Design.

First introduced in 2012 the BAFTA for Game Design is a celebration of video game design that captivates and engages players. Taking into account innovation, game mechanics, use of controls, intelligent level/world structure, pacing and second-to-second game design it’s a celebration of team work at its very best. Here we take a look back at the category’s previous winners…

A puzzle adventure game set in the mysterious Mount Holly Manor – home to 45 shifting rooms and the rumoured Room 46. Blue Prince captured audiences imaginations by inviting them to embark on a genre-defying experience, filled with a unique mix of mystery, strategy, and puzzles that weave together to create an unpredictable journey. As Ros describes it, Blue Prince “was an adventure in and of itself.”

3D action platformer Astro Bot gives players the opportunity to embark on an epic galactic quest which sees them explore more than 50 different planets themed around beloved Playstation franchises. The PS5 mothership has been wrecked, leaving ASTRO and the bot crew scattered all over the galaxies and meaning that it’s time to ride your trusty Dual Speeder across planets full of fun, danger and surprises.

Described as a hybrid marine adventure the singleplayer RPG Dave the Diver is set in a mysterious Blue Hole where the ecology and terrain continue to change. A combination of adventure and tycoon gameplay it offers players a variety of fun experiences as they explore their marine environment gathering ingredients for the sushi restaurant they must also then manage.

A gothic horror survival style RPG Vampire Survivors invites players to take on the challenge of surviving until dawn as waves of hundreds of monsters descend. The longer you stay alive the more you unlock additional weapons, characters and relics.

A card-based adventure blending deck building with escape room style puzzles in a horror type setting. It is full of twists and turns that will keep players coming back for more.

Hack and slash your way out of the underworld in this dungeon crawler roguelike game that draws you into the underworld of Greek mythology. Players find themselves defying the god of the dead as they take on different challenges and unravel more and more of the story as they go.

Explore a planetary system that is stuck in a 22 minute time loop in this action-adventure game. Progress is made through the knowledge you gain during each loop that then helps you piece together clues to solve various mysteries.

An adventure and puzzle game that sucks players back in time to 1807 and asks them to solve the mystery of a merchant ship that has suddenly reappeared after having been missing for five years. With no crew on board to help you are tasked with trying to work out what happened on this haunting ghost ship.

Dive into another Mario adventure where you’ll join the famous plumber and his new companion – a sentient hat called Cappy – as they journey through 14 different kingdoms to save Princess Peach. Solving puzzles and collecting power moons to power the airship Odyssey along the way it’s a game that delighted beginners and Mario veterans alike.

Welcome to the puzzle-platform horror game that transports players into a dystopian world that combines intense action and challenging puzzles. A moody art style, ambient soundtrack and unsettling atmosphere combine to create a tense atmosphere as you play as a lone boy trying to avoid death.

An action role-play game set in the gothic, Victorian-era inspired Yharnam. Players take on the role of the Hunter fighting their way past beasts as they try to track-down the source of a blood-borne plague that has afflicted the city’s residents.

Enter the world of Lord of the Rings and fight your way through Mordor in search of revenge for your family who were killed by the forces of Sauron.

Take on shooting and driving gameplay missions as you attempt to commit heists in a world of corrupt government and powerful criminals in the fictional world of Los Santos.

An adventure game that takes players through a vast dreamlike desert. Explore a mysterious world where you encounter ruins and travel and travel, with the chance to sing and connect with companions along the way.

The first of these awards – back when it was called Design. Portal 2 is a first person puzzle-platform game offering players a chance to solve puzzles by setting up portals and teleporting between spaces as you explore the abandoned Aperture Science Laboratory. 

The BAFTA Games Awards celebrate the very best games of the past year and the talent who make them. Entries are currently open and you can find full details in our Rulebook, the winners will then be announced at the official Awards ceremony on 14 April 2027.