Press release

TIGA GAMES INDUSTRY AWARDS 2023: FINALISTS SHORTLIST REVEALED!

Games, studios, education and service companies are in the running for a prestigious TIGA Games Industry Award

Ceremony will take place on the evening of Thursday November 16th at the iconic and historic Troxy venue in London - Secure your tickets today!


The finalists of the TIGA Games Industry Awards 2023 have been unveiled, and the shortlist features some of the most exciting games from the last 12 months, plus the cream of the UK’s game development, business and education community.

Continuing its long tradition of visiting historic and iconic venues, this year’s TIGA Awards presentation ceremony will take place on the evening of November 16th at Troxy (https://troxy.co.uk), a spectacular Grade II-listed Art Deco entertainment venue in East London.

A limited number of tables & tickets are on sale now – Book here.

Dr Richard Wilson OBE, CEO of TIGA, said:

“The TIGA Games Industry Awards celebrate excellence in the video games industry. Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations to our Awards and congratulations to all of our finalists. The finalist shortlist illustrates the depth of talent and creativity to be found amongst our game developers, service providers and educators. We’re excited to welcome everyone for an evening of celebration in November! Thank you to our sponsors for making this fantastic occasion possible.”
The TIGA Awards 2023 finalists across the Games and Business categories are:


GAMES CATEGORIES


BEST ACTION AND ADVENTURE GAME
Auroch Digital: Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
Out of the Bit Ltd: Full Void
Pentakill Studios: The Occultist
Rain Games: Teslagrad 2
Sloclap: SiFU
Sony Interactive Entertainment/Guerilla: Horizon: Call of the Mountain
Sony Interactive Entertainment/Santa Monica Studio: God of War Ragnarök
Supermassive Games: The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me
The Parasight: Blacktail

BEST ARCADE GAME
Exient: Ultimate Sackboy
Island Bender Games: Island Bender
Ping Creates: Super Stretchy Chicken Legs
Secret Base Pte Ltd: Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons
Staffordshire University: MechHead
Sumo Digital Academy: Zool Redimensioned
Supermassive Games: The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR

BEST CASUAL GAME
Awaceb: Tchia
Deadpan and Gaziter: Wildfrost
Exient: Ultimate Sackboy
FuturLab: PowerWash Simulator
Gearbox Publishing: Blanc
Kwalee: Hunt and Seek
Outplay Entertainment: Subway Surfers Blast
Outright Games: DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos
Terahard Studios: Monster Mop Up

BEST SOCIAL GAME
Disney Games/Dlala Studios: Disney Illusion Island
Dovetail Games: CATAN – Console Edition
FuturLab: PowerWash Simulator
GameXPlosion Ltd: Ultimate Supremacy
Gearbox Publishing: Tribes of Midgard
Gearbox Publishing: Homeworld Mobile
Gearbox Publishing: Blanc
Hugecalf Studios: Turbo Golf Racing
Outright Games: DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos

BEST EDUCATIONAL, SERIOUS OR SIMULATION GAME
Auroch Digital: Brewmaster: Beer Brewing Simulator
BBC /Mobile Pie: Planet Planners
BBC / Playerthree: Operation Ouch! It Take Guts!
Charles Games: Beecarbonize
FuturLab: PowerWash Simulator
Fish in a Bottle / BBC: Divided Islands
Frontier Developments: F1 Manager 2023
Frontier Developments/Haemimont Games: Stranded: Alien Dawn
Slitherine Software UK Ltd: Command: Modern Operations
Somewhat Unsettling: The Longest Walk

BEST STRATEGY GAME
Abylight: One Military Camp
Deadpan & Gaziter: Wildfrost
Dovetail Games: CATAN – Console Edition
Gearbox Publishing: Homeworld Mobile
Kraken Empire: Toy Tactics
Only4Gamers: Space Menace
Slitherine Software UK Ltd: Starship Troopers: Terran Command
The Iterative Collective: Homeseek
Thing Trunk: Hellcard

BEST RPG GAME
BBC / Jollywise: Silverpoint: The Game
GameXPlosion Ltd: Ultimate Supremacy
Gearbox Publishing: Tribes of Midgard
Imperia Online JSK: Crush Them All
Pentakill Studios: The Occultist
The Iterative Collective: Knight Crawlers
Ustwo Games: Desta: The Memories Between

BEST PUZZLE GAME
ARTE France: How to say Goodbye 
Chanko Studios: It’s a Wrap!
Disney Games/Dlala Studios: Disney Illusion Island
Max Inferno: A Little to the Left
Outplay Entertainment: Gordon Ramsay’s Chef Blast
Space Ape Games: Chrome Valley Customs
Staffordshire University: Mental Block
Supersolid: Cook & Merge
Trailmix: Love & Pies
Wired Productions: Tin Hearts

BEST CREATIVITY IN GAMES
Disney Games/Dlala Studios: Disney Illusion Island
Fireshine Games: Shadows of Doubt
FuturLab: PowerWash Simulator
Hugecalf Studios: Turbo Golf Racing
Jump Over the Age: Citizen Sleeper
Noun Town: Nown Toun: VR Language Learning
Supermassive Games: The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
Supermassive Games: The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me
Ustwo Games: Desta: The Memories Between
Wired Productions: Tin Hearts

HERITAGE IN GAMES
Cave Monsters: Lord Winklebottom Investigates
D’Avekki Studios: Murderous Muses
Frogwares: Sherlock Holmes The Awakened
The Parasight: Blacktail
Sugar Creative: 878 AD: Winchester Revealed
Sumo Digital Academy: Zool Redimensioned
Ustwo Games: Desta: The Memories Between
Wales Interactive, Dead Pixel Productions, Good Gate Media: Mia and the Dragon Princes
Wales Interactive and Good Gate Media: Ten Dates

DIVERSITY AWARD
Awaceb: Tchia
D’Avekki Studios: Murderous Muses
DON’T NOD: Harmony: The Fall of Reverie
GameXPlosion Ltd: Ultimate Supremacy
Sony Interactive Entertainment/Santa Monica Studio: God of War Ragnarök
Staffordshire University: Staffordshire University Games Development
Trailmix: Love & Pies
Ustwo Games: Desta: The Memories Between
Wales Interactive and Good Gate Media: Ten Dates
Women in Games

BEST AUDIO DESIGN
Air Edel Associates Ltd: After Us
Auroch Digital: Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
Dovetail Games: Train Sim World 3
Frontier Developments: F1 Manager 2023
Frontier Developments: Deliver Us Mars
Sony Interactive Entertainment/Santa Monica Studio: God of War Ragnarök
Sony Interactive Entertainment/Guerilla: Horizon Call of the Mountain
Supermassive Games: The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me
TiMi Studio Group: Honor of Kings – Mayene
Wired Productions: Tin Hearts

BEST VISUAL DESIGN
Arte France: To Hell with Ugly
DON’T NOD: Harmony: The Fall of Reverie
Gearbox Publishing: Blanc
Max Inferno: A Little to the Left
Plot Twist: the Last Case of Benedict Fox
Sony Interactive Entertainment/Guerilla: Horizon Call of the Mountain
The Parasight: Blacktail
Trailmix: Love and Pies
Wales Interactive, Dead Pixel Productions, Good Gate Media: Mia and the Dragon Princes
Wired Productions: The Last Worker

BEST VR/AR/XR/MR GAME
Maze Theory: Peaky Blinders: The King’s Ransom
nDreams: Synapse
Noun Town: Nown Town: VR Language Learning
Squido Studio: No More Rainbows
Sony Interactive Entertainment/Guerilla: Horizon Call of the Mountain
Sugar Creative: 878AD: Winchester Revealed
Supermassive Games: The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR
Wired Productions: The Last Worker
XR Games: Zombieland: Headshot Fever Reloaded

BEST SMALL STUDIO
D’Avekki Studio
Dlala Studios
Exient
Fireshine Games
Huge Calf Studios
Party for Introverts
Purple Yonder
Trailmix
Ustwo Games
Wired Productions


BUSINESS CATEGORIES

BEST ART/ANIMATION TRAILER SUPPLIER
Airship Interactive
Atomhawk
Liquid Crimson
Maverick Media
Sony Interactive Entertainment/PlayStation Studios
TrailerFarm
1518 Studios

BEST AUDIO SERVICES PROVIDER
PitStop Productions
SIDE
Sony Interactive Entertainment/PlayStation Studios/Creative Arts
Soundcuts Ltd
Tazman-Audio

BEST LARGE STUDIO
Auroch Digital
Dovetail Games
Flix Interactive
Guerrilla
Kwalee
nDreams
Outplay Entertainment
Rebellion
Santa Monica Studio
Space Ape Games
Sumo Digital
Supermassive Games

OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AWARD
Ben Forrester, Head of PC and Console, Kwalee
Ben Lavery, Studio Head TrailerFarm
Bobby Thandi CEO XR Games
John Sanderson, CEO PitStop Productions
John Tearle, CEO Flix Interactive
Nathan Burlow Studio Director and Darius Sadeghian Studio Production Director, Rocksteady Studios.
Patrick O’Luanaigh, CEO nDreams
Professor Martin Jones, Vice-Chancellor Staffordshire University
Russ Clarke, CEO, Co-Founder and Creative Director, Payload Studios
Simon Iwaniszak, Studio Director Red Kite Games
Trevor Williams, Studio Head, Playground Games
Viki Freeman, Chief Strategy Officer Airship Interactive and Tim Horton, Chief Commercial Officer Airship Interactive

COMMITMENT TO ESG AWARD
Airship Interactive
Behaviour Interactive
London College of Communication, University of the Arts, London
PlanetPlay
Rebellion
Rocksteady Studios
Santa Monica Studio
Sumo Group
Testronic
Ubisoft Reflections and Ubisoft Leamington Spa
University of Portsmouth

COMMITMENT TO WORKPLACE WELLBEING AWARD
Airship Interactive
Dovetail Games
nDreams
Outplay Entertainment
Payload Studios
Playground Games
PlayStation London Studio
Rebellion
Rocksteady Studios
Sumo Group
TrailerFarm
Ubisoft Reflections and Ubisoft Leamington Spa

BEST EDUCATION INITIATIVE
Birmingham City University STEAMHOUSE
London College of Communication, University of the Arts, London
Norwich University of the Arts
Staffordshire University
University of Hertfordshire
University of Portsmouth

BEST TALENT DEVELOPMENT
Dlala Studios
Dovetail Games
Flix Interactive
Grads in Games
nDreams Academy
PlayStation London Studio
Rocksteady Studios
Sumo Group
XR Games

BEST EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION
Birmingham City University
Bournemouth University
London College of Communication, University of the Arts, London
Norwich University of the Arts
Staffordshire University
University of Gloucestershire
University of Greenwich
University of Hertfordshire
University of Portsmouth
University of the West of England
University of the West of Scotland

EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
Dovetail Games
Rebellion
Sumo Group

LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDER
Charles Russell Speechlys
Eaton Smith LLP
Lewis Silkin LLP
Stevens & Bolton LLP
Wiggin LLP

BEST PUBLISHER
Curve Games
Kwalee
nDreams
Rebellion
Secret Mode
Sony Interactive Entertainment

BEST QA and/or LOCALISATION PROVIDER
PTW
Testronic
Universally Speaking

BEST RECRUITMENT AGENCY
Aardvark Swift
Amiqus
Avatar
Big Planet

BEST SERVICES PROVIDER
Airship Interactive
Big Planet
Flix Interactive
Liquid Crimson
Magic Media
Maverick Media
PitStop Productions
PTW Family of Brands
Testronic
TrailerFarm
Sky Life Accountancy
RSM


TECHNICAL INNOVATION
CG Hero Ltd
Rebellion
Speech Graphics
TrailerFarm & Big Farmer
In addition, the Outstanding Individual Year 2023 and Game Of The Year special awards winners will be announced on the night.


TIGA is delighted to welcome Rothschild & Co, one of the world’s largest independent financial services groups, as Headline Sponsor and creative studio Toikido as After Party Sponsor.
Sumo Group, Supermassive Games and Ubisoft are also generously supporting the Awards as Gold Sponsors, while Amiqus is our Drinks Reception partner.
Our Silver sponsors are Airship Interactive, Staffordshire University, Abertay University, Dovetail Games, NGI, Hangar 13 Games and Liquid Crimson.
Our Bronze sponsors are Bournemouth University, Birmingham City University, Outplay Entertainment, Tazman Audio, RSM, Stevens & Bolton, Testronic, Eaton Smith, Kwalee and PTW.
The TIGA Awards 2023 ceremony will take place on the evening of Thursday 16th November at Troxy. A limited number of tickets are on sale now – Book here.


Ends


Notes to Editors
About TIGA
TIGA is the trade association for the UK video games industry.  Since 2010, TIGA has won 28 business awards and commendations. Our vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to develop video games. Our core purpose is to strengthen the games development and digital publishing sector. We achieve this by: