BAFTA Young Game Designers winners announced at first-ever digital ceremony

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has announced the four winners of the tenth annual BAFTA Young Game Designers (YGD) competition. The four winners, picked by a jury of industry experts, were revealed at the first-ever digital ceremony, hosted by Aoife Wilson.

The 53 finalists were spread across four categories: two for YGD Game Concept, celebrating the best original game idea from the 10-14 and 15-18 age groups, and two for YGD Game Making, rewarding the coding skills used to create a prototype game in the same two age groups. The entries were judged on gameplay design, creativity and suitability for the chosen games platform.

The list of winners, which includes our aspiring game creators aged between 10 and 18, is as follows:

• Cameron Crosland, Strung Up – Game Concept Award (10-14 year old category)

• Evie Sanger-Davies, Fruit Frenzy – Game Concept Award (15-18 year old category)

• Alex Robinson, Complicated Co-operation – Game Making Award (10-14 year old category)

• Michael Ballantyne, Contramotion – Game Making Award (15-18 year old category)

Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said: “We are proud to be celebrating the tenth anniversary of BAFTA YGD, an initiative focused on recognising and championing young talent in games. We are so impressed with the amount of skill and creativity showcased by our 53 finalists, from all over the UK, and wish to extend a huge congratulations to our four brilliant winners! I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all of the educators across the country who continue to support this important initiative and inspire their students through the power of games.”

In light of the ongoing social distancing measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year BAFTA chose to host the event live on their YouTube channel. The ceremony was hosted by Eurogamer’s Aoife Wilson, with notable industry figures congratulating the winners including Abubakar Salim, Alysia Judge, Julia Hardy, Elle-Osili Wood, Austin Wintory, Troy Baker and Siobhan Reddy.

The ceremony also included a look back over the 10 years of BAFTA YGD, featuring appearances from previous winners Dan Pearce and Rhianna Hawkins.

As well as receiving the YGD award, winners will be given the chance to develop their games ideas through a mentorship scheme with leading industry figures, on top of receiving an insight into a career in games, and the industry as a whole. Winners also receive a host of prizes, including workshops, games, software subscriptions, merchandise, and more.