BAFTA Young Game Designers awards ceremony programme, 2023

I am proud and honoured to be hosting BAFTA’s YGD ceremony for a second year. This is a time to celebrate everyone’s achievements and, trust me, I’m the biggest cheerleader of all.

I’m also proud to champion YGD year-round. What makes this initiative so special is BAFTA’s ongoing support of its finalists and BAFTA’s ability to showcase young game makers to the industry and beyond. I was particularly excited to film this year’s ceremony at the Science Museum where the YGD winners will feature in its Power UP exhibition. That means hundreds and thousands of people are going to be playing your games. Wow!

As always, the quality of entries was phenomenal. The visuals and storytelling demonstrated across the game concepts made my jaw drop and the ambition and gameplay in the making category were extraordinary. I encourage everyone to explore the finalists’ work on the BAFTA YGD website as you’re basically talent scouting for the future of the industry.

The games industry has a huge variety of different roles and opportunities. All our YGD finalists and entrants have shown that not only do they have the technical knowledge and awareness to succeed but they also have the much-valued three C’s: creativity, collaboration and communication. Incredible key skills and with those, you’re going to go far!

Inel Tomlinson Host BAFTA YGD 2023

YGD is always one of my highlights in the BAFTA Games calendar. There is nothing more inspiring than to see young people, who are our industries future talent, come up with and build out exciting new ideas. It’s a fantastic reminder to where we have all come from and a sneak peek at the talent waiting to enter the industry.

BAFTA YGD is a great initiative with so many amazing resources to help spark ideas. There are workshops and events that help share knowledge and that spotlight the broad careers available in games. With both the concept and game making competition giving opportunity to showcase exceptional talent that is interested in the ideation of or the craft of making games. As with previous years, the entries showcase a rich mix of genres, challenge, characters, and stories. I’m particularly excited to see the exploration of diverse representation in the player characters and how many game ideas were using gameplay to tackle deep and challenging subjects. There is no more creative way to do this than the immersive experience of games.

On behalf of BAFTA and its games membership, we want to congratulate this year’s finalists and welcome them to the game development community! You have already impressed the judges so now is the time to take every opportunity that comes your way through BAFTA and the people you meet from this experience. Let’s help get you get started on your next step to being a professional game developer. And if you didn’t make it to the finals, please don’t be discouraged. Keep working on your ideas and your games and continue learning. I’m delighted to see previous finalists feature again this year. That willingness to take feedback, and come back even stronger, bodes well for your future in the games industry.

Tara Saunders Chair of the BAFTA Games Committee & Studio Head, PlayStation London Studio

THE FINALISTS

See the designs at ygd.bafta.org

10-14 YEARS

POLARITY

Max Whistlecraft (14)

POLARITY has high action and simple graphics with a scientific theme. It’s core gameplay is switching between polarities like those of a magnet. Let’s say your opponent is using the positive pole to attack, you can use your positive shield to stop their attack from reaching you - the way two magnets with the same pole will push away from each other. Each boss is based on an element of the periodic table e.g. Tin would look like an old robot toy, Neon would look like a futuristic spaceship and Calcium would be a giant skeleton. The main goal is to beat the bosses, moving up in the order of the atomic number of the element they represent.

PuzzleFox

Rufus Wray (13)

A puzzle game with three difficulties, set on a large puzzlebox which constantly changes. A mysterious fox must try to leave the cube dimension before the 15 minute timer elapses and the dimension collapses! The puzzlebox will be designed so there are many ways to get everywhere, allowing for the players to experience lots of variety and discover hidden shortcuts and items they previously missed. Puzzlefox is deceptively simple, a visually exciting and surprising game. The unique story of a lonely fox with its satisfying and varied puzzle levels is complemented by the bright graphics. It has warm and colourful shades with a slightly animated and indie aesthetic, with deep dark blocks of colour and bright lush greens.

Bird’s Alliance

Joshua Ashworth (14)

The story line is that cats have won the election for being the most popular pet, and are now taking over the city! And it’s you, the player that will defeat the cats before they destroy the bird civilisation!

The player can choose one of the following birds: Penguin, Chicken, Pigeon, Parrot, Robin or Seagull. It’s a creative world where you can play as a multiplayer with friends; collect new weapons, create bases and more! You will always have something to do with the additional quests, defeat all the bosses from all different places, and you, the player get to choose your reward from those quests! It’s a cartoon game and there are different locations like the City, the Arctic, the Fields, the Jungle, the Countryside, the Beaches and the Desert!

The Black Knight’s Jelly World

Alexei Trafford-Horan (10)

TBKJW follows the Black Knight’s (BK) adventures to a faraway island where he gets caught in a battle between two tribes – GOOP and Soap. He’s hunting for the golden cookie, but the guardian GOOP KING and his army of cockroaches boot him to the neighbouring Jelly Island. BK uses jelly technology to create a clone, the Jelly Black Knight (JBK) to evade the tribes and escape with the golden cookie. While that is all happening, the Soap Squad, the soap themed super villains, also have a plot, to turn the island into a soapy paradise that would destroy all the jelly. Can the Black Knight and the Jelly Black Knight, stop all this kerfuffle and steal the golden cookie?

For the most creative and original concept for a new game

Demons in Dreams

Thiago van Vlerken Rene (11)

Demons in Dreams is an immersive RPG set in a dream, where you fight Demons and Dream Monsters while balancing your happiness and fear so you don’t wake up! This mood stat also affects encounters and puzzles in the game world. Demons have invaded the dream world, where Fluffies and Mares have been competing over control of dreams forever. You must fight demons and collect consumables and crafting materials for weapons and trinkets. To win the game, you must recruit Fluffies and Mares, and banish increasingly harder demons from the dream world. The game is set in the player’s dream, so it looks wacky. The colour is different depending on your mood stat: greyscale on high fear and bright colours on high happiness.

Enlightenment: The Misadventures of Marcus Durrum

Owen Goyne (13)

Rosie Pereira (14)

“Enlightenment” mixes exploration with action and puzzles, the player will journey through ruins and towns to retrieve the ancient weapons to save their home town. The game is set in a steampunk society based in the 1910s. “The Naylan Empire” rules over the land and the game begins in the capital, Clockwork Haven. You play as Marcus Durrum, a young street rat, separated from his sister Arriety and adopted by a wealthy friend of his parents after escaping from jail and given the role of saving the city and the empire. Aimed at young adults (10-15), the game tackles themes of class divide, poverty and gang violence and also explores the differences between Nature versus Nurture.

Olympian

Zoe Taylor (13)

The game takes place in the neon-lit dystopia, Tartarus. AI now rules over this city, with only a few humans left that have secretly been plotting to overthrow the regime. These people call themselves the Olympians. You play as Orpheus, a robot created to play music perfectly. Orpheus is forced to make bland and sterile songs. He soon falls in love with another robot named Eurydice, but the corporation he was built by captures her to “prevent any distractions”. Enraged by this, Orpheus joins the Olympians to reunite with the love of his robotic life. He then goes on a mission to defeat the Titans and rescue Eurydice.

The Screen is Completely Black

Sophie Hudson (13)

This is a game where the player can see nothing on screen and must use sound and vibration to escape from a series of mazes before they are eaten by a minotaur. The player is deep underground in a dark labyrinth. Without any source of light – the screen would literally be completely black – the player must use their controller to move in the dark, relying on haptic vibrations from their device. I will use spatial audio so the player can hear the minotaur’s movements in the dark, adjusting volume and virtual location as the minotaur gets closer. If they move too fast, or in the wrong direction, the minotaur would eat them!

Trash

Leon Dudhill (11)

Surf on an ironing board or use a broken ladder as stilts. Players can also craft junk into new items, like putting wheels and a fan on a broken washing machine and using it as a gokart. Trash is simple to play, making it easy to get into it but difficult to master. The open world means Trash appeals to people who like to play at their own speed and set their own rules, rather than being told what to do. Trash has an environmental message. It makes players think about their waste and recycling in the game and in real life. Because there are no rules it is very calming, very relaxing and helps with mindfulness.

Wild World

Orion Burhan (12)

Rowan Burhan (10)

Shannon Burhan (14)

In Wild World, players will be able to create habitats that spawn rare and endangered species. These habitats will mirror that of the real world. When players create the right conditions, the endangered creature will flourish. Each time the player gets a rare creature to flourish, they win points and unlock different biomes. The more biodiversity the player creates in each biome, the further along in the game they get and the more rewards they will earn! Be careful to keep an eye on each biome - if a habitat of the endangered species dies out, they become at risk again.

Astronauts VS Nightmares

Sophie Sterland (17)

This is a non-violent puzzle mystery game. The player will start as Wendy, who is convinced they’ve just crashed on their home planet. Exploring the world, they will discover the planet is not the astronauts home, but an alternate reality of it. They will also find monsters who appear scary and to be avoided. But soon, the player will learn that the way to stop them is by helping and solving problems for them. These monsters are creations of people’s fears and nightmares, and to help calm the monsters they need to fix the dream and make it less scary. The main mystery is how the astronauts came to the world and how can they leave it?

Balloon Mania

Marcus Korniotis (17)

This multiplayer game is a comical fighting game where inflatable balloon men ‘scrap’ with each other to win the round. All players start at the same time, but it is pretty much a free-for-all.The goal is to deplete the opponents health bar as quickly as possible using the combat mechanics available. Once defeated, the character will deflate and be left in a heap on the floor. There are different maps and worlds that you can unlock, which are based on real life locations. Once you win a round in campaign mode, you can progress onto the next map, for example, you win in the NYC Subway Map and unlock the Times Square Map.

Bounce Bat

Ava Rogerson (17)

An exciting 2D platformer game where you play as a character fighting to get back home and overcome their fears. You play as a flightless bat born with tiny wings who falls down into a cave system and gets lost. To escape, there are boss battles, quests and optional levels. To complete the levels there is a launch mechanic where the character can launch themselves from spring plants and bounce off of walls. There are also powerups that are collected from different coloured flowers, these give the character new attacks and allow them to do specific things. Levels are split from free-play/ the open-world and you need to complete certain levels to unlock more open world areas.

High Pressure

Charlotte Bigham (16)

A first-person platformer about stress, the sea, and science. You play as Dr MacNamara, sent on a journey into her now-submerged home planet to find a rare, mutated plant - the Vena Aqua. The game takes place within four locations in an underwater city; the Terra Firma research facility, the city centre, and the nuclear power plant. Each is covered in debris and overgrown with strange mutant plant life, some of which are helpful, while others are hostile. Accompanying Rosemary on her journey via audio transmissions is Meabh Moray, a tough but altruistic and savvy engineer. She will point Dr MacNamara in the right direction and provide insight on any items and plants she comes across.

Jerry Ho!

Malachi Inman (16)

A single or multiplayer pirate fighting game where you can soar through the skies in a flying pirate ship fighting enemies. In lower atmospheres, you are shot by artillery that give you endgame materials when destroyed. The crew also falls out with parachutes and you can choose to take prisoner for in game currency or some may volunteer to join your ship. With in game currency, you can go to a ‘ship shack’ to buy materials or items. There are several categories of items: ‘tools’ (weapons), ships and modules.Throughout the game, you will get better ships that can access higher levels of the atmosphere. Only with the best ships can you reach space.

Shadows over Mythriel

Alexander Genus (18)

April Wells (18)

A fantasy RPG in which you play as The Seer, a sorcerer who specialises in mind magic. Returning to the town of Ashwood to find your oldest friend missing and the town now bleak and lifeless, your new magic awakens. As you search the village for signs of your friend, you realise there is more to the mystery than meets the eye, and set out on a quest to find her. Inspired by games like Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale, Shadows over Mythriel is an isometric top down game with turn-based action. Stylistically the game draws from Gothic and Romanesque architecture, while the fashion is inspired by my favourite fantasy costumes and mediaeval European armour.

Dicing With Destiny Kate West (17)

‘A simulation/action-adventure hybrid where the main character, Caesar, manages his restaurant by completing orders and experimenting with ingredients to create dishes. However, the village is unaware that he transforms into a beast at night, which he uses to his advantage by foraging for resources. Day and night are dependant on each other- doing well in the day gives you more money, spent on upgrades. Success at night gives you a wider range of resources and ingredients that can be used to make higher-quality dishes. This game tackles the themes of change and isolation, along with the importance of reaching out in times of need.

THE FINALISTS

See the designs at ygd.bafta.org

15-18 YEARS

The Pasta Children Gaby Porter (17)

A comedy/horror inspired game aiming to unsettle the player under a comical mask. The basis of this world: naughty children are taken from their homes and transported to a pasta factory, in which they are labelled different styles of pasta. Eventually these children -turned to pasta- are sent back to their parents for a nice Sunday lunch. Delicious. Enter You! The main character of this story. You have been nothing but a gold star child, mistakenly taken from your home and transported to this factory. You are labelled and sent on your way through the factory works and you must escape the facility.

Too Much Truffle

Lily Roadley (18)

You play as a small mushroom called Violetha, captured by evil scientists who have been experimenting on her with different mushroom extracts, imbuing her with magical powers. Upon becoming conscious to what is happening, she tries to escape the lab. On the way, she must overcome puzzles, traps and defeat enemies. Luckily some of the powers are helpful on her escape, such as poison darts, extra bounce and light emission. You can switch between these powers at any time, using them to your advantage in different situations. As she progresses through the levels, she will encounter more challenging enemies and obstacles and will need to use her stealth and strategy to outsmart the scientists and escape.

WORLD CANVAS: Comic come to life

Samuel Nwabunor (16)

This game is an action, JRPG-like, set on the very fantastical planet of… Earth! You play as Kunayo, a 16-year-old Japanese-Nigerian art student who discovers that anything he draws on his tablet comes to life! However, Nigeria is under attack from enemies that appear to have come straight out of comic books!

Kunayo must use his art to rid the world of these enemies. He will meet many people, come to terms with his Japanese heritage and go from a geeky teen who watches anime all day, to a geeky teen who watches anime all day AND saves the world. Enjoy a game filled with a comic book visual aesthetic, an immersive story and diverse cast of characters and locations.

For the most creative and original concept for a new game

THE FINALISTS

See the designs at ygd.bafta.org

Go Home Edd

Elliot James Pace (14)

For the best original game made using freely available software

10-14 YEARS

Red Bot

Rufus Perkins (11)

A fun, exciting, addictive game with beautiful graphics and mindblowingly awesome features such as a shop containing many splendid skins and an incredibly satisfying button mechanism which is almost impossible to stop fiddling with! The player will follow your mouse’s X position. Jump from platform to platform, but don’t fall! There are also missiles coming down at you. However, a few seconds before it fires, a warning sign appears at the place that the projectile will be coming from. Pick characters in the shop and... ENJOY!!!

Samurai Turtle

Harry Poole (12)

A challenging 2D platformer game. You play as a samurai turtle who parkours through different levels, slowly introducing more mechanics through level progression. Each level usually is pretty straight forward, collecting coins and puzzles are included. Beware of the enemies that get in your way, don’t lose your lives or it’s game over! The introduction of portals can transport the player to different sections of the levels and players also have to take account of physics so what goes up must come down!

A 2d time travelling puzzle platformer adventure about a bored 10 year old boy called Edd. One day, he finds himself playing in his back garden and discovers a little door in a tree. Within moments, he is transported to an exciting, time travelling adventure solving puzzles, meeting new characters and learning about historical moments before he can get home in time for tea.

serialbus

Alex Phillips (13)

The character is trapped inside a computer after turning it on to procrastinate on homework. The character must explore the circuitry of the computer and solve puzzles to work through the computer to find a way out. However, on the way, the character encounters an unknown entity. The entity corrupts the computer and the character is stuck in a broken computer, now with unlimited access to all of the machine and the way out.

POLY City Racecourse

Felix Myrie (13)

‘A high-octane, high-speed, lowpoly 3D racing game set in an awesome city. Players can race against the clock in eight unique levels, with jumps, turns and high speeds, and compare their scores in a leaderboard with other players online. The levels get progressively more difficult, and the game can be controlled by keyboard and mouse or game controller.

Potato Ninjas vs Coconuts 2

Julian Tanca (13)

An ambitious young potato ventures into the beaches of the wilderness and seeks to plunder the booty of the many coconuts that dwell there. Each level has different game mechanics such as night levels, pirate ships and volcanoes, creating a unique experience with every game. The coins, found sporadically in all game modes, can be used in “Indora’s Store” and spent on cosmetics, upgrades, and weaponry equipment. If the player is struggling on a particular level, they can always rely on the Coco Book to tell them what each of the coconuts’ strengths and weaknesses are. Alternatively, they can purchase bombs or upgrades from the store.This game does not condone violence. No coconuts were harmed in the making of this!

QuickBowl Edward Hesketh

(13)

Combining fast-paced bowling with wacky crazy golf and featuring quick and satisfying obstacles along with randomly generated bowling alleys that offer endless possibilities for players of all ages and skill levels. In QuickBowl, the player uses touch controls to fire a bowling ball at pins, while avoiding various obstacles and collecting powerups. The game randomly generates different scenarios by mixing and matching pre-made objects and mechanics, allowing for the game to continue for as long as the timer allows.

Skeletus Bossfight

Roman Gamaury (14)

You must defeat a giant flying skeleton head who summons spikes, minions and lasers to try and stop you. Fight the skeleton boss by throwing rocks at it and killing its minions. The boss goes through a few different phases and progressively gets more difficult.

Swing!

Elliott McCombie (14)

Swing is a fast-paced game which tests reaction times using swings and orbs. You must use a rope to swing through an obstacle course, where you have to collect points by touching the green orbs. You should avoid obstacles such as walls, which will block your path, and red orbs which will kill you . There is a sea of lava on the floor so you have to avoid touching the floor otherwise you will lose your life and have to start again. To complete a level you must touch the yellow orb, which is located at the end. Swing is highly addictive and will keep players entertained and coming back for more.

The Lost Soul

Shuaib Magamedov (14)

A fun RPG game that involves strategy and skill. You are a knight in a village and you do activities set out by villagers to gain coins before entering the dungeon. In the dungeon there are ghosts that spawn every 10 seconds in 3 spawn points. You must find the entrance to the room of the lost soul and can use chests along the way to increase your speed for 5 seconds, escaping the ghosts.

Bird in the Woods

Arlo Freer (15)

A dilapidated ruin, deep in the forest - where better to hone your archery skills? You’re a bird with a magic bow that allows you to teleport to the location of your arrows. With as few shots as possible, you need to manoeuvre your way through puzzling levels. It can be challenging but the addition of ranks should allow anyone to finish the game, while people willing to push themselves are also able to do so. Instead of music, the backdrop to levels is birdsong and other nature noises.

Carrot Slime 2

Phoenix Wu (16)

Play as a little square slime on a mission to eat as many carrots as quickly as possible whilst traversing a perilous terrain. You collect different types of food while trying to reach the end of the level in the quickest time. There are 21 levels, with the last level of the game being a race against a boss. There are powerups like a speed boost, jump boost and a gravity reverser to help you get to the golden carrot at the end of each level the quickest.

Escape The Darkness

Harrison Green (16)

James Schaffer (17)

You play as the unfortunate security guard in this breathless 2d puzzle game. The darkness has escaped, a living shadow which envelops all life it touches. It behaves much like a shadow and is ‘scared’ of light. The darkness has damaged parts of the facility and you have to navigate through, using your flashlight to solve puzzles, repair the facility and make your way out. You have to search the level for clues for door codes, find out what is happening and keep yourself alive with batteries scattered around the facility.

Gul-p

Isabelle Johnston (18)

Defend your hotdog stand business from vicious seagulls while serving customers! You are the business owner of the stand at a local fair but today flocks of seagulls are plotting to steal your produce, causing you to lose lots of money. Whilst trying to continue serving hotdogs to your customers, you must defend your stand from the seagulls with ketchup!

Lizard: The Game

Benjie Elston (16)

A fast-paced action platformer surrounding the life of a poor little lizard; your goal being to escape the evil clutches of the Lizard King and his thousands of lizard servants, and to put as much distance as possible between you and the prison tower you find yourself in at the start of the game. You start off in a tutorial level that tells you the controls and how to play, and each level after that slightly increases in difficulty. After level 10, there is a boss fight with the Lizard King, and if you manage to beat him, you can jump out of the tower into the grass chapter.

One Life

Ethan Dale (15)

You play as a Square who jumps infinitely, hopping from one platform to the next while forever dodging dangerous obstacles that try to extinguish your one and only life. You have one objective: race to the finish line without dying! Along the way you must dodge obstacles and protect your one life. Anything can and will kill you. Using the objects around you, your challenge is to traverse each level and survive.

Gloop Fishing

Tommy Bell (16)

A casual fishing game where you play as a little slime creature called Gloop. In the game, you can catch 21 different fish. You can sell or eat fish, progressing horizontally though the map. The game has no definitive end, as it is decided by the player, but the intended final part is when the player defeats “The Ancient One”, a large fish that lives in a cave at the end of the map. The player must purchase spears and scuba gear from the shop. There are three classes of items, basic, good and mystical, with the better items making fish easier to catch.

THE FINALISTS

See the designs at ygd.bafta.org

15-18 YEARS

Pipes

Humzah Awais (17)

Traverse the pipe to avoid the corruption, mutated moles and ruthless sentries. You are a player moving in and out of a big pipe going through the ground, which allows you to avoid the sentry enemies who attack when you enter their light sensors. The tunnel isn’t always accessible as it’s infested with creatures called the moles. You can hack the sentries to redirect their missiles and destroy other sentries. Although beware, standing still may allow the corruption to catch up with you, instantly devouring you, or maybe the moles kill you, OR maybe another sentry detects you, sending tracking missiles in your direction. The player needs to survive for as long as possible to achieve a high score.

The Intergalactic Contests Of The Speaker

George White (18)

A re-playable, galaxy trotting, colorful, sports game with rogue like elements and unique characters. The player takes part in the speaker’s intergalactic contests, a five-round contest where each round takes place on a new planet. The rounds consist of each team trying to get the ball to the opposing team’s side, protecting whoever has the ball from projectiles. With each goal scored the player earns money which they can use to buy better lights for their spaceship. After each match is won the player gets a ticket which they can exchange for a game-changing item. Whether the player wins or loses all five rounds they can come back and take part again on a whole new set of planets.

WordPong!

Dhruv Kale (16)

A fast, competitive online twoplayer word game. Players connect with each other over the internet and choose between four game modes: Car Racing, On The Clock, Capital Chaos and Custom. These are played by entering similar words, country capitals, or custom terms and definitions, supported by fun ‘boost’ features and graphics. The game works by using socket.io to connect a player to the server file (nodeJS), and then relay the sent information to the opponent. In this game, players can play from different devices, but also from different countries. This makes the game more enjoyable, as you can play a strategic, intelligence-based game with people from across the world.

For the best original game made using freely available software

We are tremendously pleased to be YGD finalists, it is like a dream come true! We have always wanted to make video games but lacked the skills. This is a great opportunity to be able to do something with all our ideas.

I am very excited to be a YGD finalist and most looking forward to listening to people who work in the games industry and hear about their jobs. I am also looking forward to the tutoring as it will be great to improve my skills in game-making.

Finding out I was a YGD finalist was a massive pat on the back and confidence boost for me. Out of all the games I’ve made, my entry feels the most reflective of me as a person and the types of experiences I want to create. Being nominated will hopefully push me to be even more expressive and creative with my future ideas.

George White Making 15-18

I wanted my game to be playable by everyone, which means it can be played equally well by people who are deaf or blind. Being a YGD finalist is really exciting – what an opportunity!

I am looking forward to connecting with other talented finalists and learning from their unique perspectives and creative approaches.

Shuaib Magamedov Making 10-14

Rosie Pereira & Owen Goyne Concept 10-14

Roman Gamaury Making 10-14

Sophie Hudson Concept 10-14

I feel elated to have been nominated, after trying for three years. It really shows hard work and persistence pay of! My game idea celebrates the whole world and how different cultures express themselves through the arts. It stars a bi-racial main character, something we need more of in the gaming space. I am most looking forward to digital mentorship opportunities and meeting professionals from the gaming industry. I hope they can help me take World Canvas to the next level and make it truly something special.

Samuel Nwabunor Concept 15-18

I am really looking forward to learning new coding skills from the mentors to incorporate into my future projects; getting their expert advice on developing creative and elegant coded solutions to any problem and finding out about current trends and tips to create interesting, original games.

Dhruv Kale Making 15-18

Being a YGD finalist has been a rollercoaster of emotions.... I just know this is going to be an amazing experience and hopefully a great opportunity for my future.

Sophie Sterland Concept 15-18

I feel incredibly proud to get recognition as a game designer, even as a 10 year old. I am most looking forward to working with people who share my passion for gamemaking.

Thiago van Vlerken Rene Concept 10-14

CREATIVE ASSEMBLY

Creative Assembly is once again proud to suppor BAFTA Young Game Designers as part of our Legacy Project’s commitment to inspiring and educating the next generation of game developers. BAFTA YGD is a fantastic oppurtunity for young people, no matter their background, to gain industry advice and feedback and to realise their creative potential.

PLAYSTATION

SIE and PlayStation Studios are thrilled to announce the continuation of our partnership with the esteemed BAFTA Young Game Designer programme. The YGD Awards has consistently been a nurturing ground for exceptional talent, and we are honoured to be a part of this journey. The future of game design looks brighter than ever as we continue to witness the unique and inspiring creations of these gifted young individuals.

CRITERION GAMES

Criterion are proud to have been an official partner to BAFTA Young Game Designers since 2014.

Working with and inspiring the next generation of game makers is core to our mission to inspire the world to play. Our involvement with BAFTA YGD brings us fresh perspective, enthusiasm and creativity that reaffirms our love of games and making games.

EPIC GAMES

Congratulations to all the participants in BAFTA YGD this year. We’re proud to be supporting this brilliant initiative. The sign of a successful industry is one that works hard to develop and nurture new talent. BAFTA leads the field in the endeavour, and we’re delighted to support its efforts.

WARNER BROS. GAMES

We firmly believe in the importance of supporting the talent of tomorrow and investing in the people who will be the future of this industry. We are thrilled to support the BAFTA Young Game Designers initiative and proud to work with BAFTA on developing the next generation of creative talent, opening up a wider range of potential career-paths to more aspiring young professionals from all backgrounds.

WIZARDS OF THE COAST

We’re delighted to be an official partner of Young Game Designers, an initative by BAFTA that inspires and supports young people to create, develop and present their new game idea to the world. At Wizards of the Coast we create entertainment that inspires creativity, sparks passion, forges friendships and fosters communities around the globe. In every pursuit, our mission is to inspire a lifetime love of games and, as such, we wholeheartedly believe in supporting the next generation of game developers, visionaries and industry leaders.

Alexander Rehm

Anna Latchman

Audrone Zukauskaite

Ayo Norman-Williams

Aysheq Hussain

Brendan Ford

Carina Calvert

Catherine Bygrave

Charlie Blay

Cosima Wiltshire

David Cecil

David Valjalo

Dominic Noble

Els White

Evie Sanger-Davies

Georgia Ayling

Holly Reddaway

Husban Siddiqi

Jaime Williams

Jenny Wheatley

Jimmy Chuong

Jonathan Ridgway

Jonathon Wilson

Joshua Davidson

Kirsty Gillmore

Louis Lyle

Luca Pantaleo

Mark Drew

Martin Bundy

Matt Bull

Michael Ballantyne

Michael Cryne

Michelle Brondum

Paul Munro

Raf Presciutti

Sam Webster

Samuelba Jones

Samy Narrainen

Sebastian Russell

Serhii Krystiev

Simon Brewer

Sophia Shepherd

Thomas Hope

Thomas Keane

Tia Wedderburn

Tim Kaufmann

Tim Spencer

Tom Hughes

Dave Kelsall

David Banner (Dai)

Janelle McCurdy

Jen Simpkins

Joe Straker

Kirsty Brinkman

Malath Abbas

Reena Beri

Sean Gorman

Sean Kelly

Shahneila Saeed

Sharna Jackson

Game Concept 15-18

Tara Saunders (Chair)

Amrita Bharij

Ben Kovacs

Caitlin Goodale

Callum Daniel

Jade Crosby

Michelle Sporle

Morhag Taylor

Natalia Hinds

Rich Hebblewhite

Romana Ramzan

Dr. Satish Shewhorak

Zakia Abdullah

Game Making 10-14

Des Gayle (Chair)

Annabel Ashalley-Anthony

Ben Cawthorne

Cassandra Hughes

Gurrashpal Khakh

Husban Siddiqi

Jade Leamcharaskul

Jonathan Ashton

Katy Wood

Lauren Kaye

Mark Cutmore

Nico Orru

Game Making 15-18

Catherine Woolley (Chair)

Adonis Emmanuel

Cait Meredith

David Valjalo

JD The Kid

John Nejady

Mary Casey

Michael Anderson

Nigel Twumasi

Sebastian Russell

Zoe Sams

Official Partners

Creative Assembly

Criterion Games

Epic Games

Playstation

Warner Bros. Games

Wizards of the Coast

Publicity

WDM Entertainment

Juries

With thanks to all readers, jury members and chairs.

Awards Venue

The Science Museum Group

For BAFTA

Head of Children & Young People’s Programme

Lisa Prime

Children & Young People Coordinator

Ellie Rudge

Executive Director of Learning, Inclusion Policy and Membership

Tim Hunter

Head of Games

Luke Hebblethwaite

Games Programme Manager

Grace Shin

Games & Children’s Officer

Lewis Peet

Games & Children’s Coordinator

Tia Wedderburn

Photography Junior Producer

Jordan Anderson

Director of Photography

Jack Champion

Executive Producer

Cassandra Hybel

Producer & Director

Ella Coveney

Script Supervisor

Harry Balmforth

Production Team

Hattie Barker

Kristen Helmick

Rachel Lucas

Editor

Jamie Rowland

Video Graphics

Johnny Luu

Executive Director of PR & Communications

Donna Mathews

PR & Communications

Augustin Wecxsten

Caoimhe Foran

Catie Poust

David Dougherty

Luka Kenyon

Graphic Design

Abigail Bills

Tom O’Boyle

Executive Director Partnerships & Fundraising

Louise Robertson

Partner Manager

Emma Tarcy

Partnerships and Fundraising Intern

Daisy Margolis

British Academy of FIlm and Television Arts

195 Piccadilly

London W1 9LN

T: 020 7734 0022

bafta.org

Chair, BAFTA Games Committee

Tara Saunders

Chair

Krishnendu Majumdar

Chief Executive

Jane Millichip

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO GIVES THEIR TIME AND PASSION TO YGD

The BAFTA Young Game Designers competition re-opens for entries in November 2023. See you next year!

ygd.bafta.org

@BAFTAGames

#BAFTAYGD /BAFTA