The TIGA Games Industry Awards are divided into two groups: the ‘Games Awards’ (1 – 15) which are open to the entire industry, and the ‘Business Of Games Awards’ (16 – 36) which are reserved for TIGA members.
There are also two special Awards: ‘Outstanding Employer 2024’, which are chosen by TIGA; and ‘Game Of The Year’, which will be chosen by attendees at the awards ceremony.
Games Categories >>
Our games categories are open to all relevant games businesses.
Social Game
The judges will be looking for:
- creative, innovative and engaging social games;
- strong visual design;
- great sound design;
- excellent game design.
Shortlist:
- Prideful Sloth: Go-Go Town!
- Dragon Scale Studios: Set Sail! Arena
- Ice BEAM/Secret Mode: Make Way
- Megaverse: Game Changers
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: Helldivers 2
- Staffordshire University: Disc-Go!
- Sumo Nottingham: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
- Toikido: Piñata Smash Simulator
Casual Game
The judges will be looking for:
- creative, innovative and engaging casual games;
- strong visual design;
- great sound design;
- excellent game design.
Shortlist:
- Dragon Scale Studios: Set Sail! Arena
- Imperia Online: Painzeiro: Monster Run
- IronStrike Games: Wild in the West
- Newfangled Games: Paper Trail
- Scopely: MONOPOLY GO!
- Max Inferno/Secret Mode: A Little to the Left: Seeing Stars
- Moon Lagoon/Secret Mode: Loddlenaut
- Spilt Milk Studios: Trash Goblin
- Trailmix Games: Love & Pies – Merge Mystery
Educational, Serious or Simulation Game
The judges will be looking for:
- games that are enjoyable and educational – these can be advergames, charity or educational games, simulation games, games with serious content, games with an educational or training purpose or games that are designed to raise awareness about a particular subject;
- creative, innovative and engaging educational games;
- strong visual design;
- great sound design;
- excellent game design.
Shortlist:
- Abylight Studios: Exographer
- Avid Games: Cards, the Universe and Everything (CUE)
- BBC/Mobile Pie: BBC Bitesize: History Explorer – Secrets Through Time
- Charles Games: Playing Kafka
- Dovetail Games: Train Sim World 4
- Expansive Worlds (Avalanche Studios Group): Call of the Wild: The Angler
- Noun Town: Noun Town Language Learning
- Slitherine: Command: Modern Operations
- Wowbagger Productions: She Could Fly: Documentary Escape Game
Strategy Game
The judges will be looking for:
- creative, innovative and exciting strategy games;
- strong visual design;
- great sound design;
- excellent game design.
Shortlist:
- Absolutely Games: Classified: France ‘44
- Abylight: Citadelum
- Blackbird Interactive/Gearbox Publishing: Homeworld 3
- Brightrock Games: Galacticare
- Slitherine: Terminator: Dark Fate – Defiance
Puzzle Game
The judges will be looking for:
- creative, innovative and engaging puzzle games;
- strong visual design;
- great sound design;
- excellent game design.
Shortlist:
- Chaos Cookie: Squarelets
- Kenness: Word Search Scrambled
- Marvelous Europe: Leximan
- Maze Theory: Infinite Inside
- Newfangled Games: Paper Trail
- Out of the Blue Games: American Arcadia
- Outplay Entertainment: Subway Surfers Blast
- Sad Owl Studios: Viewfinder
- Max Inferno/Secret Mode: A Little to the Left: Seeing Stars
- Tensori: POOLS
Arcade Game
The judges will be looking for:
- creative, innovative and engaging arcade games;
- strong visual design;
- great sound design;
- excellent game design.
Shortlist:
- Friday Sundae/BBC: Deadly Mission Unleashed
- Ice BEAM/Secret Mode: Make Way
- Ping Creates: Nugget Tumble
- Playerthree/BBC: Shaun The Sheep – Pizza the Action
- Playtonic Games: Elsie
- Sumo Digital Academy/Secret Mode: Oil Strike ‘75
- WorldByDesign.com: Cogalot
Creativity In Games Awards
The judges will be looking for:
- creativity and originality in a game;
- a game that reflects British creativity.
Shortlist:
- ColePowered Games: Shadows of Doubt
- DON’T NOD: Jusant
- Ironwood Studios: Pacific Drive
- Maze Theory: Infinite Inside
- Newfangled Games: Paper Trail
- Sad Owl Studios: Viewfinder
- The Chinese Room/Secret Mode: Still Wakes The Deep
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: Helldivers 2
- Tomas Sala/Wired Productions: Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles
Heritage in Games Award
The judges will be looking for:
- creativity and innovation;
- a game that reflects a British or EEA subject matter and heritage.
Shortlist:
- Absolutely Games: Classified: France ‘44
- Charles Games: Playing Kafka
- Friday Sundae/BBC: Deadly Mission Unleashed
- Newfangled Games: Paper Trail
- Ninja Theory: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Sumo Digital Academy/Secret Mode: Oil Strike ‘75
- The Chinese Room/Secret Mode: Still Wakes The Deep
- Wales Interactive: Sker Ritual
VR/AR/XR/MR Game
The judges are looking:
- an outstanding game within this genre of games development.
- excellence in creativity, innovation and user experience within a VR, AR, XR or MR game.
Shortlist:
- DeepMirror: RealityGuard
- Future Tech Games: The Flip
- FuturLab: PowerWash Simulator VR
- Maze Theory: Infinite Inside
- nDreams: Little Cities: Bigger!
- Niantic Labs: Peridot
- Rogue Sun: Tin Hearts
- Soul Assembly: Drop Dead: The Cabin – Home Invasion
- Ubisoft Reflections & Ubisoft Leamington: Assassin’s Creed: Nexus VR
Action and Adventure Game
The judges will be looking for:
- creative, innovative and exciting action and adventure games;
- strong visual design;
- great sound design;
- great game design.
Shortlist:
- Auroch Digital: Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
- Curve Games: Dungeons of Hinterberg
- Fellow Traveller: 1000xResist
- Kwalee: ROBOBEAT
- Ninja Theory: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- PlayFusion: ASCENDANT.COM
- The Chinese Room/Secret Mode: Still Wakes The Deep
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: Helldivers 2
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: Rise of the Rōnin
Diversity Award
The judges will be looking for:
- diversity within the characters of the game, i.e. gender, age, socio-economic background, ethnicity, disability, religion;
- diversity within the development team backed up by company goals to be more inclusive;
- organisations that promote diversity within the games industry;
- initiatives or projects that promote diversity within the games industry, or allow a more diverse range of players to be able to take part.
Shortlist:
- Absolutely Games: Classified: France ‘44
- Blizzard Entertainment: Overwatch 2
- Fellow Traveller: 1000xResist
- IHDC: GAconf Europe 24
- INTERIOR/NIGHT: As Dusk Falls
- Ninja Theory: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Trailmix Games: Love & Pies
- Wowbagger Productions: She Could Fly: Documentary Escape Game
Audio Design
The judges will be looking for:
- creative, high quality audio design in music and in sound effects which enhance the player’s game experience.
Shortlist:
- Critical Hit Games: Nobody Wants To Die
- Dovetail Games: Train Sim World 4
- Ninja Theory: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- The Chinese Room/Secret Mode: Still Wakes The Deep
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: Rise of the Rōnin
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: The Last of Us Part II Remastered
- TiMi Studio Group: Honor of Kings
- Wales Interactive: Sker Ritual
Visual Design
The judges will be looking for:
- creative, imaginative and high quality visual design that provides players with an exciting game experience.
Shortlist:
- Critical Hit Games: Nobody Wants To Die
- DON’T NOD: Jusant
- Expansive Worlds (Avalanche Studios Group): Call of the Wild: The Angler
- nDreams: Little Cities: Bigger!
- Out of the Blue Games: American Arcadia
- Sad Owl Studios: Viewfinder
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: Helldivers 2
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: Stellar Blade
- Sumo Nottingham: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Narrative/Story-Telling
The judges will be looking for:
- creative, imaginative narrative and story-telling that provides players with an immersive, exciting game experience.
- great game design
Shortlist:
- INTERIOR/NIGHT: As Dusk Falls
- Ironwood Studios: Pacific Drive
- Mango Protocol: CLeM
- Maximum Entertainment: Until Then
- Ninja Theory: Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Party for Introverts: Cabernet
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: Rise of the Rōnin
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: The Last of Us Part II Remastered
- Wales Interactive: Sker Ritual
Best Use of a Licence
The judges will be looking for:
- creativity and innovation;
- extension of an existing IP to reach new audience
Shortlist:
- BBC/Peg Digital: BBC Bitesize: Creative Lab
- Behaviour Interactive: Dead By Daylight
- Dlala Studios: Disney Illusion Island
- FuturLab: Powerwash Simulator
- Outplay Entertainment: Subway Surfers Blast
- Sony Interactive Entertainment: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- SpecNext: ZX Spectrum Next
- Sumo Nottingham: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
- Wowbagger Productions: She Could Fly: Documentary Escape Game
Small Studio
The judges will be looking for evidence of a small studio (49 or fewer staff) that:
- develops great games;
- has a track record of commercial and critical success.
Shortlist:
- CULT Games
- Dlala Studios
- Maze Theory
- Playtonic
- Sad Owl Studios
- Spilt Milk Studios
- Wales Interactive
Business Categories
Business Categories >>
Our business categories are exclusive to TIGA members, if you’re not a member why not join today?
Large Studio
The Judges will be looking for evidence of a large studio (50 or more staff) which:
- develops great games;
- has a track record of commercial and critical success.
Shortlist:
- Arrowhead Studios – Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Dovetail Games
- Flix Interactive
- Kwalee
- Naughty Dog – Sony Interactive Entertainment
- nDreams
- Ninja Theory
- Outplay Entertainment
- Rebellion
- Red Kite Games
- Stainless Games
- Sumo Digital
Publisher
The judges will be looking for evidence of an organisation that:
- publishes great games/content that is either their own or is owned by another party;
- has a track record of commercial success;
- works positively and constructively with independent developers (if a third party publisher).
Shortlist:
- Curve Games
- Kwalee
- nDreams
- Rebellion
- Secret Mode
- Slitherine
Co-Development Partner
The judges will be looking for evidence of an organisation that:
- provides excellent co-development and external development services and solutions.
Shortlist:
- Flix Interactive
- Rebellion North
- Red Kite Games
- Room 8 Group
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Sumo Digital
Educational Institution
The judges will be looking for evidence of an educational institution that:
- delivers a high proportion of its students into graduate level jobs, particularly into the games sector;
- has strong links with industry; and
- has a track record in research and innovation.
Shortlist:
- Birmingham City University
- Bournemouth University
- Escape Studios
- London College of Communication, University of the Arts London
- London South Bank University
- Norwich University of the Arts
- Staffordshire University
- University of Greenwich
- University of Hertfordshire
- University of Portsmouth
- University of the West of England
Technical Innovation
The judges will be looking for:
- evidence of technical innovation in the development of a video game carried out by a UK team (if the game is developed by several studios around the world then it will be necessary to show that the innovation was due to the UK team);
- technical innovation in engines, middleware, tools and technology by a technology business relating to the video games industry.
Shortlist:
- Insomniac Games/Sony Interactive Entertainment
- MetaGravity
- PlanetPlay
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Speech Graphics
- Straight4Studios
- Tazman-Audio
Legal Services Supplier
The judges will be looking for the company to provide evidence of:
- excellent legal work;
- excellent customer service;
- excellent commercial results for clients.
Shortlist:
- Eaton Smith LLP
- Fragomen LLP
- Lee & Thompson LLP
- Lewis Silkin LLP
- Stevens & Bolton LLP
QA and/or Localisation Provider
The judges will be looking for the company to provide evidence of:
- excellent QA and/or localisation work;
- excellent customer service;
- excellent commercial results for clients;
- a track record of business success.
Shortlist:
- PTW
- Testronic
- Universally Speaking
Recruitment Agency
The judges will be looking for the company to provide evidence of:
- excellent recruitment work;
- excellent customer service;
- excellent commercial results for clients;
- a track record of business success.
Shortlist:
- Amiqus
- Avatar
- Big Planet
Tax and Accountancy Firm
The judges will be looking for the company to provide evidence of:
- excellent tax and accountancy work;
- excellent customer service;
- excellent commercial results for clients;
- a track record of business success.
Shortlist:
- BDO
- Johnston Carmichael
- Plus Accounting
Services Provider
The judges will be looking for the service company to provide evidence for:
- excellent customer service;
- excellent commercial results for clients;
- a track record of business success.
All service companies that are TIGA members may enter this category.
Shortlist:
- Avatar
- Big Farmer
- Big Planet
- Liquid Crimson
- Maverick Media
- PitStop Productions
- PlanetPlay
- PTW Family of Brands
- Room 8 Group
- Tazman-Audio
- TrailerFarm
- Universally Speaking
Commitment to ESG Award
The judges will be looking for the best studio or company that has shown a commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance initiatives in order to improve society and promote the common good via any of the following:
- Reducing its carbon footprint; or
- Showing a commitment to sustainability; or
- Charitable efforts; or
- Working with its local community; or
- Enhancing accessibility for players; or
- Working with education providers.
Shortlist:
- Dovetail Games
- nDreams
- Ninja Theory
- PlanetPlay
- Playground Games
- Rocksteady Studios
- Room 8 Group
- Secret Mode
- Staffordshire University
- Testronic
- University of Portsmouth
- University of the Arts London
Commitment to Workplace Wellbeing
The judges will be looking for the studio or company that has shown a commitment to excellence in workplace wellbeing initiatives/programmes, including:
- Evidence of HR policies that specifically promote employee wellbeing, work-life balance, diversity and inclusion, and mental health support (i.e. employee assistance programmes, flexible working, diversity and inclusion training, or mental health awareness campaigns); and/or
- Demonstrate a high level of employee engagement and satisfaction, as measured through surveys, testimonials, or other relevant metrics; and/or
- Showcase the positive impact of their HR and wellbeing initiatives on the broader games industry, including contributions to industry standards, collaborations with other organisations, or the development of best practices.
Shortlist:
- Airship Interactive
- Dlala Studios
- Dovetail Games
- Ninja Theory
- Playtonic
- Rocksteady Studios
- Steel City Interactive
- Trailmix Games
- University of the Arts London
Education Initiative
The judges will be looking for evidence of an educational initiative that:
- delivers high proportions of students into graduate level jobs; or
- delivers outstanding initiatives to prepare students for work (e.g. student internships, strong links with industry, work on industry projects, etc);
- advances innovation, knowledge and research; or
- promotes student studio start-ups.
Shortlist:
- Birmingham City University
- Norwich University of the Arts
- Staffordshire University
- Sumo Group
- UniJam (LCC, LSBU, SAE, Goldsmiths, ACM Games, SULI, GDL)
- University of Portsmouth
- University of the West of England
Talent Development
The judges will be looking for evidence of a games company that contributes to the future supply of good quality personnel available to work in the games industry via initiatives such as:
- working closely with educational institutions;
- providing learning & development initiatives; or
- supporting community-driven talent development organisations.
Shortlist:
- Dlala Studios
- Flix Interactive
- nDreams
- Rebellion
- Rocksteady Studios
Audio Services Supplier
The judges will be looking for the company to provide evidence of:
-
excellent audio work;
-
sound business processes; and
-
excellent commercial results.
Shortlist:
- PitStop Productions
- SIDE
- Soundcuts
- Tazman-Audio
Art/Animation/Trailer Supplier
The judges will be looking for:
- excellent work;
- excellent customer service;
- excellent commercial results for clients;
- a track record of business success.
Shortlist:
- 1518 Studios
- Big Farmer
- Liquid Crimson
- Room 8 Group
- TrailerFarm
Outstanding Leadership Award
The judges will be looking for evidence of a CEO/MD who
- displays vision and commercial acumen;
- delivers tangible results;
- demonstrates business, commercial and creative success;
- develops the effectiveness of his/her team.
Leaders from developers, publishers, service providers and education providers are eligible to enter this Award.
Shortlist:
- AJ Grand-Scrutton, CEO, Dlala Studios
- Carolin Krenzer, CEO & Co-Founder, Trailmix Games
- Johan Pilestedt, Creative Director, Arrowhead Studios
- John Wright, VP of Mobile Publishing, Kwalee
- Lisa Opie, MD, Ubisoft Reflections & Ubisoft Leamington
- Nathan Burlow, Studio Director & Darius Sadeghian, Studio Director, Rocksteady Studios
- Patrick Buckland, CEO & Co-Founder, Stainless Games
- Rhea Loucas, CEO & Founder, PlanetPlay
- Simon Iwaniszak, Founder & Studio Director, Red Kite Games
- Viki Freeman, COO, Airship Interactive
Special Awards
Special Awards >>
Game of the Year
- The winner will be chosen by attendees of the awards ceremony.
- Further details to follow!
Outstanding Individual Award
This Award will be presented at the awards ceremony.
- This is non-enterable and will be awarded to a TIGA member who has made an important contribution to the work of TIGA and to the industry.