Indie games dominated the annual BAFTA Game Awards last night – which for the first time ever, was live streamed through BAFTA’s social platforms including YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Twitch, rather than at a plush London ceremony.
Host Dara Ó Briain, still dressed up for the occasion in a tuxedo, hosted from his home, with winners accepting their awards via video link – and presumably following with their own virtual Zoom afterparties. You can’t leave a BAFTA do UN-toasted.
The annual BAFTA Game Awards are usually a lavish, red carpet affair. CREDIT: BAFTA
Outer Wilds, the indie action-adventure mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop, took home the night’s biggest award, Best Game, as well as Game Design and Original Property.
“We chose to make Outer Wilds not because it was easy, but because it was hard,” said the LA-based Mobius Games development team behind the game in (one of) their acceptance speeches.
Outer Wilds, from Mobius Games, won the BAFTA for Best Game. CREDIT: MOBIUS GAMES
Another indie game, critically-acclaimed RPG Disco Elysium, also took home three BAFTAs, for Debut Game, Narrative, and Music.
The awards recognised acting in video games too, with Finnish actor Martti Suosalo from acclaimed action-adventure Control winning the gong for Performer in a Supporting Role, and Gonzalo Martin, from Life is Strange 2, winning Performer in a Leading Role.
Host Dara Ó Briain pre-recorded his links from home, and then watched the ceremony live with more than 720,000 other viewers. CREDIT: BAFTA
With winners from mobile to console, from indie to AAA blockbuster, and from online multiplayer to solo adventure, if you’re looking for a BAFTA-approved way to enjoy whiling away the hours at home, here are the games you should be adding to your collection right now (if not sooner).
See the full list of winners (in bold) and nominees, below.
Fellowship
HIDEO KOJIMA
Animation
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE Development Team – Infinity Ward/Activision
CONTROL Development Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DEATH STRANDING Development Team – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
LUIGI’S MANSION 3 Development Team – Next Level Games/Nintendo
SAYONARA WILD HEARTS Development Team – Simogo/Annapurna Interactive
SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE Development Team – FromSoftware/Activision
Artistic achievement
CONCRETE GENIE Development Team – Pixelopus/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
CONTROL Development Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DEATH STRANDING Development Team – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
DISCO ELYSIUM Development Team – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
KNIGHTS AND BIKES Rex Crowle, Moo Yu,Kenneth C M Young – Foam Sword/Double Fine Presents
SAYONARA WILD HEARTS Development Team – Simogo/Annapurna Interactive
Audio achievement
APE OUT Matt Boch – Gabe Cuzzillo, Matt Boch, Bennett Foddy/Devolver Digital
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE Development Team – Infinity Ward/Activision
CONTROL Development Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DEATH STRANDING Ludvig Forssell, Mike Niederquell, Jodie Kupsco – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER Development Team – Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts
UNTITLED GOOSE GAME Development Team – House House/Panic
Best game
CONTROL Development Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DISCO ELYSIUM Development Team – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
LUIGI’S MANSION 3 Development Team – Next Level Games/Nintendo
OUTER WILDS Development Team – Mobius Digital/Annapurna Interactive
SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE Development Team – FromSoftware/Activision
UNTITLED GOOSE GAME Development Team – House House/Panic
British game
DiRT RALLY 2.0 Development Team – Codemasters/Codemasters
HEAVEN’S VAULT Joseph Humfrey, Jon Ingold, Laura Dilloway – inkle/inkle
KNIGHTS AND BIKES Rex Crowle, Moo Yu,Kenneth C M Young – Foam Sword/Double Fine Presents
OBSERVATION Development Team – No Code/Devolver Digital
PLANET ZOO Development Team – Frontier Developments/Frontier Developments
TOTAL WAR: THREE KINGDOMS Development Team – The Creative Assembly/SEGA
Debut game
APE OUT Gabe Cuzzillo, Matt Boch, Bennett Foddy – Gabe Cuzzillo, Matt Boch, Bennett Foddy/Devolver Digital
DEATH STRANDING Development Team – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
DISCO ELYSIUM Development Team – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
KATANA ZERO Justin Stander – Askiisoft/Devolver Digital
KNIGHTS AND BIKES Rex Crowle, Moo Yu,Kenneth C M Young – Foam Sword/Double Fine Presents
MANIFOLD GARDEN Development Team – William Chyr Studio/William Chyr Studio
Evolving game
APEX LEGENDS Chad Grenier, Drew McCoy – Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts
DESTINY 2 Development Team – Bungie/Bungie
FINAL FANTASY XIV: SHADOWBRINGERS Development Team – Square Enix/Square Enix
FORTNITE Development Team – Epic Games/Epic Games
NO MAN’S SKY: BEYOND Development Team – Hello Games/Hello Games
PATH OF EXILE Development Team – Grinding Gear Games/Grinding Gear Games
Family
CONCRETE GENIE Development Team – Pixelopus/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
KNIGHTS AND BIKES Rex Crowle, Moo Yu,Kenneth C M Young – Foam Sword/Double Fine Presents
LUIGI’S MANSION 3 Development Team – Next Level Games/Nintendo
UNTITLED GOOSE GAME Development Team – House House/Panic
VACATION SIMULATOR Development Team – Owlchemy Labs/Owlchemy Labs
WATTAM Development Team – Funomena/Annapurna Interactive
Game beyond entertainment
CIVILIZATION VI: GATHERING STORM Development Team – Firaxis/2K
DEATH STRANDING Development Team – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
KIND WORDS (LO FI CHILL BEATS TO WRITE TO) Ziba Scott, Luigi Guatieri, Clark Aboud – Popcannibal/Popcannibal
LIFE IS STRANGE 2 (EPISODES 2-5) Development Team – DONTNOD Entertainment/Square Enix
NEO CAB Development Team – Chance Agency/Fellow Traveller Games
RING FIT ADVENTURE Development Team – Nintendo/Nintendo
Game design
BABA IS YOU Arvi Teikari – Hempuli Oy/Hempuli Oy
CONTROL Development Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DISCO ELYSIUM Development Team – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
OUTER WILDS Development Team – Mobius Digital/Annapurna Interactive
SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE Development Team – FromSoftware/Activision
WATTAM Development Team –Funomena/Annapurna Interactive
Multiplayer
APEX LEGENDS Chad Grenier, Brent McLeod, Carlos Pineda – Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts
BORDERLANDS 3 Development Team – Gearbox Software/2K
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE Development Team – Infinity Ward/Activision
LUIGI’S MANSION 3 Development Team – Next Level Games/Nintendo
TICK TOCK: A TALE FOR TWO Development Team – Other Tales Interactive/Other Tales Interactive
TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION 2 Development Team – Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft
Music
CONTROL Petri Alanko, Martin Stig Andersen – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DEATH STRANDING Ludvig Forssell, Peter Scaturro, Keith Leary – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
DISCO ELYSIUMBritish Sea Power – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
OUTER WILDS Development Team – Mobius Digital/Annapurna Interactive
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK’S AWAKENING Development Team – Grezzo/Nintendo
WATTAM Asuka Takahashi, Brad Fotsch, Sam Bird – Funomena/Annapurna Interactive
Narrative
CONTROL Writing Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DISCO ELYSIUM Writing Team – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
LIFE IS STRANGE 2 (EPISODES 2-5) Writing Team – DONTNOD Entertainment/Square Enix
OUTER WILDS Writing Team – Mobius Digital/Annapurna Interactive
THE OUTER WORLDS Writing Team – Obsidian Entertainment/Private Division
STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER Aaron Contreras,Matt Michnovetz, Stig Asmussen – Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts
Original property
BABA IS YOU Arvi Teikari – Hempuli Oy/Hempuli Oy
CONTROL Development Team –Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DEATH STRANDING Development Team – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
DISCO ELYSIUM Development Team – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
OUTER WILDS Development Team – Mobius Digital/Annapurna Interactive
UNTITLED GOOSE GAME Development Team – House House/Panic
Performer in a leading role
LAURA BAILEY as Kait Diaz in Gears 5
COURTNEY HOPE as Jesse Faden in Control
LOGAN MARSHALL-GREEN as David in Telling Lies
GONZALO MARTIN as Sean Diaz in Life is Strange 2 (Episodes 2-5)
BARRY SLOANE as Captain Price in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
NORMAN REEDUS as Sam in Death Stranding
Performer in a supporting role
JOLENE ANDERSEN as Karen Reynolds in Life is Strange 2 (Episodes 2-5)
TROY BAKER as Higgs in Death Stranding
SARAH BARTHOLOMEW as Cassidy (Lucy Rose Jones) in Life is Strange 2 (Episodes 2-5)
AYISHA ISSA as Fliss in The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
LÉA SEYDOUX as Fragile in Death Stranding
MARTTI SUOSALO as Ahti the Janitor in Control
Technical achievement
A PLAGUE TALE: INNOCENCE Development Team – Asobo Studio/Focus Home Interactive
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE Development Team – Infinity Ward/Activision
CONTROL Development Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DEATH STRANDING Development Team – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
METRO EXODUS Development Team – 4A Games/Deep Silver
SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE Development Team – FromSoftware/Activision
EE mobile game of the year (voted for by the public)
ASSEMBLE WITH CARE ustwo games/ustwo games
CALL OF DUTY: MOBILE Timi Studios/Activision
DEAD MAN’S PHONE Electric Noir Studios/Electric Noir Studios
POKEMON GO The Pokémon Company, Niantic/Niantic
TANGLE TOWER SFB Games/SFB Games
WHAT THE GOLF Triband/Triband
To access the best creative minds in film, games and TV production, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.
The Luxe Review 
Indie games dominated the annual BAFTA Game Awards last night – which for the first time ever, was live streamed through BAFTA’s social platforms including YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Twitch, rather than at a plush London ceremony.
Host Dara Ó Briain, still dressed up for the occasion in a tuxedo, hosted from his home, with winners accepting their awards via video link – and presumably following with their own virtual Zoom afterparties. You can’t leave a BAFTA do UN-toasted.
Outer Wilds, the indie action-adventure mystery about a solar system trapped in an endless time loop, took home the night’s biggest award, Best Game, as well as Game Design and Original Property.
“We chose to make Outer Wilds not because it was easy, but because it was hard,” said the LA-based Mobius Games development team behind the game in (one of) their acceptance speeches.
Another indie game, critically-acclaimed RPG Disco Elysium, also took home three BAFTAs, for Debut Game, Narrative, and Music.
The awards recognised acting in video games too, with Finnish actor Martti Suosalo from acclaimed action-adventure Control winning the gong for Performer in a Supporting Role, and Gonzalo Martin, from Life is Strange 2, winning Performer in a Leading Role.
With winners from mobile to console, from indie to AAA blockbuster, and from online multiplayer to solo adventure, if you’re looking for a BAFTA-approved way to enjoy whiling away the hours at home, here are the games you should be adding to your collection right now (if not sooner).
See the full list of winners (in bold) and nominees, below.
Fellowship
HIDEO KOJIMA
Animation
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE Development Team – Infinity Ward/Activision
CONTROL Development Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DEATH STRANDING Development Team – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
LUIGI’S MANSION 3 Development Team – Next Level Games/Nintendo
SAYONARA WILD HEARTS Development Team – Simogo/Annapurna Interactive
SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE Development Team – FromSoftware/Activision
Artistic achievement
CONCRETE GENIE Development Team – Pixelopus/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
CONTROL Development Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DEATH STRANDING Development Team – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
DISCO ELYSIUM Development Team – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
KNIGHTS AND BIKES Rex Crowle, Moo Yu, Kenneth C M Young – Foam Sword/Double Fine Presents
SAYONARA WILD HEARTS Development Team – Simogo/Annapurna Interactive
Audio achievement
APE OUT Matt Boch – Gabe Cuzzillo, Matt Boch, Bennett Foddy/Devolver Digital
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE Development Team – Infinity Ward/Activision
CONTROL Development Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DEATH STRANDING Ludvig Forssell, Mike Niederquell, Jodie Kupsco – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER Development Team – Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts
UNTITLED GOOSE GAME Development Team – House House/Panic
Best game
CONTROL Development Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DISCO ELYSIUM Development Team – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
LUIGI’S MANSION 3 Development Team – Next Level Games/Nintendo
OUTER WILDS Development Team – Mobius Digital/Annapurna Interactive
SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE Development Team – FromSoftware/Activision
UNTITLED GOOSE GAME Development Team – House House/Panic
British game
DiRT RALLY 2.0 Development Team – Codemasters/Codemasters
HEAVEN’S VAULT Joseph Humfrey, Jon Ingold, Laura Dilloway – inkle/inkle
KNIGHTS AND BIKES Rex Crowle, Moo Yu, Kenneth C M Young – Foam Sword/Double Fine Presents
OBSERVATION Development Team – No Code/Devolver Digital
PLANET ZOO Development Team – Frontier Developments/Frontier Developments
TOTAL WAR: THREE KINGDOMS Development Team – The Creative Assembly/SEGA
Debut game
APE OUT Gabe Cuzzillo, Matt Boch, Bennett Foddy – Gabe Cuzzillo, Matt Boch, Bennett Foddy/Devolver Digital
DEATH STRANDING Development Team – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
DISCO ELYSIUM Development Team – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
KATANA ZERO Justin Stander – Askiisoft/Devolver Digital
KNIGHTS AND BIKES Rex Crowle, Moo Yu, Kenneth C M Young – Foam Sword/Double Fine Presents
MANIFOLD GARDEN Development Team – William Chyr Studio/William Chyr Studio
Evolving game
APEX LEGENDS Chad Grenier, Drew McCoy – Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts
DESTINY 2 Development Team – Bungie/Bungie
FINAL FANTASY XIV: SHADOWBRINGERS Development Team – Square Enix/Square Enix
FORTNITE Development Team – Epic Games/Epic Games
NO MAN’S SKY: BEYOND Development Team – Hello Games/Hello Games
PATH OF EXILE Development Team – Grinding Gear Games/Grinding Gear Games
Family
CONCRETE GENIE Development Team – Pixelopus/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
KNIGHTS AND BIKES Rex Crowle, Moo Yu, Kenneth C M Young – Foam Sword/Double Fine Presents
LUIGI’S MANSION 3 Development Team – Next Level Games/Nintendo
UNTITLED GOOSE GAME Development Team – House House/Panic
VACATION SIMULATOR Development Team – Owlchemy Labs/ Owlchemy Labs
WATTAM Development Team – Funomena/Annapurna Interactive
Game beyond entertainment
CIVILIZATION VI: GATHERING STORM Development Team – Firaxis/2K
DEATH STRANDING Development Team – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
KIND WORDS (LO FI CHILL BEATS TO WRITE TO) Ziba Scott, Luigi Guatieri, Clark Aboud – Popcannibal/Popcannibal
LIFE IS STRANGE 2 (EPISODES 2-5) Development Team – DONTNOD Entertainment/Square Enix
NEO CAB Development Team – Chance Agency/Fellow Traveller Games
RING FIT ADVENTURE Development Team – Nintendo/Nintendo
Game design
BABA IS YOU Arvi Teikari – Hempuli Oy/Hempuli Oy
CONTROL Development Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DISCO ELYSIUM Development Team – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
OUTER WILDS Development Team – Mobius Digital/Annapurna Interactive
SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE Development Team – FromSoftware/Activision
WATTAM Development Team – Funomena/Annapurna Interactive
Multiplayer
APEX LEGENDS Chad Grenier, Brent McLeod, Carlos Pineda – Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts
BORDERLANDS 3 Development Team – Gearbox Software/2K
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE Development Team – Infinity Ward/Activision
LUIGI’S MANSION 3 Development Team – Next Level Games/Nintendo
TICK TOCK: A TALE FOR TWO Development Team – Other Tales Interactive/Other Tales Interactive
TOM CLANCY’S THE DIVISION 2 Development Team – Massive Entertainment/Ubisoft
Music
CONTROL Petri Alanko, Martin Stig Andersen – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DEATH STRANDING Ludvig Forssell, Peter Scaturro, Keith Leary – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
DISCO ELYSIUM British Sea Power – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
OUTER WILDS Development Team – Mobius Digital/Annapurna Interactive
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK’S AWAKENING Development Team – Grezzo/Nintendo
WATTAM Asuka Takahashi, Brad Fotsch, Sam Bird – Funomena/Annapurna Interactive
Narrative
CONTROL Writing Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DISCO ELYSIUM Writing Team – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
LIFE IS STRANGE 2 (EPISODES 2-5) Writing Team – DONTNOD Entertainment/Square Enix
OUTER WILDS Writing Team – Mobius Digital/Annapurna Interactive
THE OUTER WORLDS Writing Team – Obsidian Entertainment/Private Division
STAR WARS JEDI: FALLEN ORDER Aaron Contreras, Matt Michnovetz, Stig Asmussen – Respawn Entertainment/Electronic Arts
Original property
BABA IS YOU Arvi Teikari – Hempuli Oy/Hempuli Oy
CONTROL Development Team –Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DEATH STRANDING Development Team – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
DISCO ELYSIUM Development Team – ZA/UM/ZA/UM
OUTER WILDS Development Team – Mobius Digital/Annapurna Interactive
UNTITLED GOOSE GAME Development Team – House House/Panic
Performer in a leading role
LAURA BAILEY as Kait Diaz in Gears 5
COURTNEY HOPE as Jesse Faden in Control
LOGAN MARSHALL-GREEN as David in Telling Lies
GONZALO MARTIN as Sean Diaz in Life is Strange 2 (Episodes 2-5)
BARRY SLOANE as Captain Price in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
NORMAN REEDUS as Sam in Death Stranding
Performer in a supporting role
JOLENE ANDERSEN as Karen Reynolds in Life is Strange 2 (Episodes 2-5)
TROY BAKER as Higgs in Death Stranding
SARAH BARTHOLOMEW as Cassidy (Lucy Rose Jones) in Life is Strange 2 (Episodes 2-5)
AYISHA ISSA as Fliss in The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan
LÉA SEYDOUX as Fragile in Death Stranding
MARTTI SUOSALO as Ahti the Janitor in Control
Technical achievement
A PLAGUE TALE: INNOCENCE Development Team – Asobo Studio/Focus Home Interactive
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE Development Team – Infinity Ward/Activision
CONTROL Development Team – Remedy Entertainment/505 Games
DEATH STRANDING Development Team – Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe
METRO EXODUS Development Team – 4A Games/Deep Silver
SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE Development Team – FromSoftware/Activision
EE mobile game of the year (voted for by the public)
ASSEMBLE WITH CARE ustwo games/ustwo games
CALL OF DUTY: MOBILE Timi Studios/Activision
DEAD MAN’S PHONE Electric Noir Studios/Electric Noir Studios
POKEMON GO The Pokémon Company, Niantic/Niantic
TANGLE TOWER SFB Games/SFB Games
WHAT THE GOLF Triband/Triband
To access the best creative minds in film, games and TV production, visit www.bafta.org/guru. For more, visit www.bafta.org.
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