For an insight into how game design is inspiring the creative talent of young people, check out the 51 finalists announced for this year’s BAFTA Young Game Designers competition. Chosen from hundreds of entrants aged between 10 and 18, the finalists showcase a wide range of creative ideas and execution.
This finalists cover two categories. The Game Concept Award rewards the most original and best thought-out game idea, while the Game Making Award recognises the use of coding skills in a freely available software to create a prototype game.
Each category is split into two age groups: 10-14 years and 15-18 years, and the finalists were were selected by judging panels that include representatives from developers like IO Interactive (007 First Light) and TT Games (LEGO Batman: Legacy of The Dark Knight).
Testimony to the power of collaboration in game design, over a third of this year’s finalists applied as part of a team, leading BAFTA to highlight video games as a space for connection among young people (If you're inspired, see our guides to the best game art tools and the best laptops for game development).
Game Making Award
18-year-old co-developers Rafe Lepherd from Essex, alongside Alex Huynh Anh Le-Hoang and Josh Robinson from Greater London, have been shortlisted as a trio in the Game Making 15-18 category for their game In Your Head (above).
They describe it as a “Bullet-Hell style boss-fighter where you figuratively and literally battle depression with coping mechanisms, and strengthen your mental health through bonds in the real world.”
D'Arcy Danda's Maya is the story of a sweatshop worker in India, following the life which lead to her current situation of poverty. Its mechanics imitate real life working conditions, giving the players a glimpse of Maya's reality.
In Thiago Van Vlerken Rene's Yggdrasil, shortlisted in the 10-14 years age group, you play as a banished Valkyrie exploring Midgard, battling trolls and ravens to recover a stolen amulet.
Marcella Godoy's Chroma’s Wish is a vibrant fantasy pixel-art side-scroller where players choose from three heroes, each with distinct abilities and playstyles.
You can see the full list of Game Making finalists on the BAFTA website, and find links to play the games.
Game Concept Award
14-year-old Nissi Mazvidza from Leeds explores the mind in Olividado Estrella (above), shortlisted in the Game Concept 10-14 category. She describes the concept as a “scenic adventure game” that “will remind you of the beauty of the past”. You wake up with no memories and "no grasp of your surroundings”, just a small name tag attached to your shawl.
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Dhyani Patel, a finalist from Hertfordshire in the older Game Concept 15-18 category, explores recursive memory in her game. titled The Last Thing the World Forgot (above).
Fans of Blade Runner 2049, Memento or Outer Wilds will enjoy her concept, which is set in a “futuristic, data-overloaded world where memories are ranked and erased”. You would play as Echo, “a being who hears forgotten things” and has to “choose what deserves to be remembered”.
In the 10-14 years age group, NobodyNose is a concept from Grace Mccullagh Stacey for a quirky 2D comedy adventure game full of surprises. Nobody knows you in your village, so you set out on a daring quest to acquire pieces of a broken 'broken nose' statue that's pieces have been scattered across Noseland.
Now in its 16th year, the competition is part of BAFTA's work to support the talent of young people passionate about games by providing game-making workshops, primary school roadshows and dedicated secondary school events during National Careers Week.
Winning entries will be judged on their design and suitability for their chosen platform. The winners' ceremony will be hosted by broadcaster Jules Hardy and streamed on BAFTA’s YouTube channel, on Thursday, 18 June at 5.00pm BST.
nd Game Concept finalists on the BAFTA website.
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