- Winners were announced by actor and comedian Inel Tomlinson at a digital ceremony
- The ceremony is available to watch in full on BAFTA’s Kids & Teens YouTube channel
- Winning games will be displayed as part of the Science Museum’s Power Up experience in London and Manchester
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London (22 June 2023) – BAFTA has today announced the four talented winners of this year’s Young Game Designers (YGD) competition, via a special digital ceremony hosted by actor, comedian and presenter Inel Tomlinson for the second year running.
The 45 finalists were competing for one of two awards – the Game Concept Award which rewards the most unique and creative game ideas, and the Game Making Award for the most technically impressive coding skills. Each of these awards is split into two age categories (10-14 and 15-18).
The Game Concept Award (10-14) was won by Max Whistlecraft (14) from Todmorden, for his game concept ‘POLARITY’. ‘POLARITY’ is a science-themed game, in which players fight the ‘Bosses’, with the ability to switch between polarities like those of a magnet. Max decided to enter this year’s competition after hearing a talk about YGD at the Science and Media Museum, and wants to go into a career in game design in the future.
The Game Concept Award (15-18) was won by Ava Rogerson (17) from Amersham, for whom 2023 was her second consecutive year as a YGD finalist. Her winning game concept, ‘Bounce Bat’, is a 2D platformer game in which players play as a flightless bat fighting to make its way home. Ava’s game is suitable for those who enjoy a more casual game as well as those who want to challenge their reflexes and abilities.
The Game Making Award (10-14) was won by Alex Phillips (13) from Bristol, for his game ‘serialbus’ – a puzzle-solving game that follows a character trapped inside a computer who must explore the circuitry of the machine to find their way out. Alex was a YGD finalist two years ago, but this year learnt to fix a number of bugs that he had not previously encountered.
The Game Making Award (15-18) was won by Arlo Freer (15) from Herriard. Arlo’s winning game, ‘Bird in the Woods’ is an archery-themed game in which players must manoeuvre their way through a range of puzzles, using as few shots as possible from their magic bow. Arlo used YouTube to teach himself coding, and drew inspiration from his home in the Hampshire countryside for the woodland setting of his game.
The BAFTA YGD ceremony was streamed on BAFTA’s Kids and Teens YouTube channel, with highlights and clips available to watch on Twitter (@BAFTAGames) and LinkedIn. Official Partners of BAFTA YGD include: Creative Assembly, Criterion Games, Epic Games, PlayStation, Warner Bros Games, Wizards of the Coast.
YGD ceremony host Inel Tomlinson said: “A massive congratulations to the winners of BAFTA’s 2023 Young Game Designers competition! The quality of entries this year has been so strong, with 45 brilliant finalists from across the UK exploring the craft of game design across four unique categories. Two of this year’s winners are prior finalists who have continued to hone their gaming skills in their spare time, and we hope that will give confidence to anyone thinking of applying in the future!”
The four winners were selected from a pool of 45 exceptionally skilled finalists, by a jury of industry experts from some of the most well-known gaming companies in the UK. The juries were chaired by Nick Button-Brown (Founder, The Games Angels), Tara Saunders (Studio Head, PlayStation London Studio), Des Gayle (Founder, Altered Gene) and Catherine Woolley (Senior Designer, Media Molecule).
Game Making Award juror and Creative Director at Tencent Games, David Valjalo said: “Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed first-hand the power of combining creative thinking with emerging technologies, and greatly admire those who think strategically about which mechanic will work the best for their concept. My job involves helping some of the biggest games in the world reach new heights and audiences, but none of it is possible without the sort of talent that BAFTA works so hard to foster as the future of our industry. Finalists selected for BAFTA YGD have built some impressively intuitive games, and I look forward to supporting them in their journey here.”
BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip said: “I am so impressed by the sheer talent of emerging game-creators, some of whom have never displayed their work in public. Our four winning games draw inspiration from the world around us; from the beauty of the British countryside and wildlife to computer circuitry and science. BAFTA Young Game Designers is committed to supporting the next generation of gaming talent, and it is a real privilege to offer them the chance to learn from leading industry experts. I look forward to seeing what’s to come from this year’s brilliant finalists and BAFTA recipients.”
2023 winners will be featured in the prestigious Power Up experience, alongside some of the very best video games and consoles from the past five decades, including an array of previous YGD winners. Power Up opens at the Science Museum in London on 27 July 2023, and is currently open at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester.
Further details on all the winners and their games will be made available here. Interviews available on request. Further information about BAFTA YGD can be found here.
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