2025 Young Game Designers: the winners

A psychological RPG horror storygame where the player wanders a melancholic, post-apocalyptic, futuristic world, in hopes of a purpose; a solivagant in a lonely world filled with zombies, in search of their missing family. To reunite with their family, they have to progress in the main story line, and uncover the truth behind the outbreak. They encounter NPCs which enable alternate routes and side quests. Every map provides a contrast, with the colour palette reflecting the character's emotions and responses to their surroundings; the art style is eerie and poignant, with an emphasis on the blues and reds for juxtaposition. The Undead tackles the concept of personal identity and inadequacy, the comfort of loneliness and individuality.

A burnt-out game designer who has lost her passion for art must journey through three of her unfinished games, writing endings for them to rediscover her lost creativity. The game is set in four areas, the real world; Castlepunk, a medieval metroidvania; The Adventures of 4, an RPG with a Japanese inspired environment; and Untitled which is a white space filled with assets and notes from her younger self. The goal of each level is to fix bugs and finish sections of the games, in turn, Mikka gains closure and understands something new about her passion for game design. Part of the gameplay is breaking the game down into its most fundamental components and manipulating them in unexpected ways.

Taking place in a procedurally generated castle filled with eerie ambient sound you play as a noble knight with a magnificent Floof, a lethal plume. Using a hair slam and explosive floof throws, your knight battles skeletons and bats in pursuit of the legendary Golden Floof—the fluffiest treasure of all. The adventure begins with a tutorial where the player practices rolling, attacking, and collecting floof throw ammunition against a dummy. As Sir Floofington ventures through the different levels, he faces tougher enemies. He finds conditioner bottles that grant temporary immunity and heart pickups to restore his health. After clearing four dangerous levels, Sir Floofington reaches the castle’s highest chamber. There, he faces the mighty boss and guardian of the Golden Floof.

A combination of demon fighting and furniture arranging, two very different gameplays that come together in a strangely compelling juxtaposition. You are a pro ninja and first-time homeowner, just unpacking your things, when the underworld comes through the floorboards to stop you. Fortunately, your furniture powers you up and gives you new abilities to face the ghouls. Placement of furniture is very important, and you need to match furniture with similar furniture. Happy furniture is powerful furniture, so you need to treat your furniture right. The combat rewards timing and reflex skills, whereas the decoration rewards strategy and puzzle solving. You need to master all these skills to do well. Beat demons, master tasteful home design, and repeat.