The Creative Gaming Award is granted anually during the PLAY – Creative Gaming festival and honors the most creative and innovative games and media. There are two categories: while the Most Creative Game Award will be given to the most creative project, the Most Innovative Newcomer Award honors the best newcomer production. Indie game developers from all over Europe have the chance to submit their games and prototypes. The nominated media will be shown at the PLAY18 exhibition and winners will be chosen by an international jury . The winners will be announced at the awarding ceremony on 3 November 2018 in Hamburg.
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The award focuses on creative games and playful media that give the player the possibility to interact creatively with and within the game. The innovation can be showcased by a special gameplay, transmediality, unknown possibilities of interaction within the game, essential graphic innovations, new interfaces, uncommon atmospheres, visual breakthroughs or interesting topics that the game deals with in a novel manner.
Deadlines 2018
Submissions will open 15 June 2018 and close 31 July 2018.
We will announce the nominees in September.
The Creative Gaming Award will be awarded in two categories:
Most Creative Game
This category is directed to experienced developers that have already published one or more games. The award is endowed with a prize money of 1.500 Euro. The nominated games will also be showcased in the PLAY exhibition, the developers are invited to Hamburg during the festival and can participate in the awarding ceremony, taking place on 3 November 2018. Beta versions and completed projects can be submitted.
Most Innovative Newcomer
This category is directed to newcomer developers that have NOT published a game yet. In this category, prototypes as well as alpha and beta versions can be submitted. This award is endowed with a prize money of 500 Euro. Additionally, the winners receive a one-year mentoring. The nominated games also receive a place in the PLAY exhibition and participate in the festive awarding ceremony on 3 November 2018. During the festival, nominated developers are invited to Hamburg.
Former winners of the Creative Gaming Award are Keyboard Sports by Triband, FRU by Through Games and Among the Sleep by Krillbite Studios, all have won in the category “Most Creative Game”. The winners in the category “Most Innovative Newcomer” include Tell Me What You See by Pesky Bees, FAR: Lone Sails by Mr Whale’s Game Service and Mixtvision as well as Lucid.