With less than two weeks until SXSW Sydney 2024 descends on Darling Harbour, its Games Festival has released its highly anticipated 2024 Games & Screen Awards shortlist. As one of the festival’s marquee events, the awards recognise standout indie games from the festival’s showcase, celebrating the best in mechanical design, gameplay, narrative, and creative direction.
Here’s a breakdown of all the shortlisted categories:
Best International Game
This award honours an outstanding game developed outside Australia and New Zealand, celebrating the innovative work of global developers.
Nominees:
- Until Then – Polychroma Games
- Airborne Empire – The Wandering Band
- 1000 x RESIST – Sunset Visitor 斜陽過客
- Botany Manor – Balloon Studios
- Boxes: Lost Fragments – Big Loop Studios
Discovery Award
Spotlighting emerging developers and new studios, the Discovery Award recognizes a remarkably fresh title showcased at the SXSW Sydney Games Showcase.
Nominees:
- Death of the Reprobate – Joe Richardson Games
- No Case Should Remain Unsolved – Somi
- Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure – Furniture & Mattress
- Dungeon Clawler – Stray Fawn Studios
- Wax Heads – Patattie Games
Game of the Year
The SXSW Sydney Game of the Year is all about celebrating the pinnacle of artistry and design! This award shines a light on a title that showcases incredible technical skill and boundless creativity, offering a truly exceptional gaming experience.
Nominees:
- INDIKA – Odd Meter Games
- Demonschool – Necrosoft Games
- Arco – Franek, Max Cahill, Bibiki, Fáyer
- Crab God – Chaos Theory Games
- The Many Pieces of Mr Coo – Nacho Rodríguez
Awards Night
The winners will be announced at Fortress Sydney on Saturday, 19 October, at 7 pm. In addition to the main categories, the evening will feature three additional awards:
• People’s Choice Award – Public voting opens on 14 October 2024 and closes 19 October 2024. Fans can vote for their favourite game from the showcase.
• Tabletop Award – This award celebrates a predominantly non-digital game, such as card games, board games, and roleplaying games, that excels in thoughtful design and offers a compelling solo or social experience
• Best Student Game – This award shines a spotlight on a standout student game from the Student Showcase, applauding the bold creativity, fresh innovation, and unstoppable passion of rising developers.
Join us for an unforgettable night celebrating the creativity and talent of the indie gaming community!
SXSW Sydney 2024 will be running 14th to 20th of October throughout the illustrious city of Sydney. More info can be found on the incredible games festival conference and festival lineup here.
