The executive committee of the online game award "SHIBA GAME AWARD 2026 SUMMER" (hereinafter "SGA2026SUMMER"), operated by SQOOL Co., Ltd. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Kenji Kato), announced the winners of the Grand Prize, the Streamer Awards and the Judges' Special Awards on October 22, 2026.
SHIBA GAME AWARD is an online game award held twice a year, in summer and winter, by the editorial team of the game media outlet "SQOOL.NET Game Lab" with the aim of supporting game creators. SGA2026SUMMER accepted entries for games released in a publicly playable form — including full releases, early access and demo versions — between May 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026, and received 331 entries from around the world. From the 31 finalists selected through three rounds of judging, a total of 8 titles were chosen: 1 Grand Prize title, 4 Streamer Awards (3 titles) and 4 Judges' Special Award titles. The 31 finalists were introduced in a YouTube livestream held on October 18, 2026.
【Image 2: Thumbnail of the October 18 YouTube livestream "LIVE SPECIAL
— Finalist Showcase" (SGA2026S.jpg)】
YouTube livestream archive: https://youtube.com/live/DfyaThymyRA
■SGA2026SUMMER Grand Prize
The Real Face of a VTuber (中の人は誰)
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2871140
【Image 3: Key visual of Grand Prize winner "The Real Face of a VTuber"
(Presskit_CHT_1920x1080_Media1A.jpg)】
Comment from CEO Kato:
An Ace Attorney-like game in which you solve a murder case that took place at a VTuber agency, with a very well-crafted scenario. The nature of VTubers, who don't show their real faces, is put to excellent use in how the story unfolds, and you can enjoy it right to the end.
It isn't a lavish, big-budget game, but the storytelling that gradually draws you in and the concept of a game made so that anyone can enjoy it are truly wonderful. It is a title I want to keep supporting.
■SGA2026SUMMER Streamer Awards
The three VTubers who appeared in the SGA2026SUMMER livestream each
selected award winners from among the finalists.
【Image 4: Streamer Award selectors — from left: Kisa, Layla Ajisai and
Rinne Meguru (SGA2026S_streamers.jpg)】
Kisa Award
ANTHEM#9
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2656490/ANTHEM9/
Comment from Kisa:
Above all, the gem battle system is way too much fun!! The stylish design, the attractive characters, and the game balance were all wonderful.
Layla Ajisai Award
魔界都市CHI-BA (Makai Toshi CHI-BA)
https://qr.c-cloud.co.jp/t/o/J6gucL (iOS / Android)
Comment from Layla Ajisai:
I was moved by the originality of depicting folklore as an RPG and by the dedication of ten years of development. It's a game that lets you rediscover the charm of the local area and learn something along the way. I felt it will also give a push to future creators who haven't
yet taken their first step.
Rinne Meguru Award 1
Little Tree Kingdom
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3938990/Little_Tree_Kingdom/
Comment from Rinne Meguru:
Grow the tree using the cards dealt each day.
It's not just about gathering resources; you also prepare for
encounters with the enemies to come.
There are disasters too, but you overcome everything and complete your missions.
A substantial game that contrasts with its cute art style. It was
challenging and wonderful.
Rinne Meguru Award 2
魔界都市CHI-BA (Makai Toshi CHI-BA)
https://qr.c-cloud.co.jp/t/o/J6gucL (iOS / Android)
Comment from Rinne Meguru:
It's not just for playing, and not just for learning.
Very interesting as a work that achieves both play and learning at once.
It takes me back to those days when I naturally learned language and
expression while playing games.
I'd like to see it sent out into the world precisely because of the
times we live in now.
■SGA2026SUMMER Judges' Special Awards
ARCHETYPE BLUE
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2541560/ARCHETYPE_BLUE/
Comment from the Judges:
ARCHETYPE BLUE is a deck-building roguelike in which you form a party
of four to fight. Unusually for this genre, it puts real effort into
its scenario, making it a title to look forward to. The pixel-art
animations are finely detailed too, and you can feel the commitment
and passion behind it.
たたかう だけのゲーム (A Game Where All You Do Is Fight)
https://unityroom.com/games/onlyattack (unityroom / browser)
Comment from the Judges:
An RPG in which a princess fights with nothing but her fists, using
only the "Fight" command. Despite having just one command, it offers
all sorts of choices and meta elements, and it's amazing how a single
idea makes it so much fun as a game.
Lost and Found Co.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2101390
Comment from the Judges:
As a hidden object game, its artwork is very charming, and every
single design is carefully crafted. Even spots unrelated to the main
story have all kinds of gimmicks and reactions, so you can enjoy the
fun of clicking around everywhere.
Sovereign Tower
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4113940/__Sovereign_Tower/
Comment from the Judges:
Sovereign Tower is a simulation game set in a medieval fantasy world.
You hire quirky knights, take on quests, and solve all kinds of
problems, but each knight has their own strengths, weaknesses, likes,
and dislikes, and deciding which knight to send on which quest is a
lot of fun. The characters' personalities are crafted to be charming,
and it's a game with an absorbing kind of fun.
■SGA2026SUMMER Partners
Sponsors:
TOEI GAMES: https://games.toei.co.jp/
ASAKUSA GAMES: https://www.asakusa-games.com/
Special Partner:
Akatsuki Taiwan: https://aktsk.com.tw/
Event Partners:
ChinaJoy: https://en.chinajoy.net/#/englishPage/englishHome
CiGA: https://www.ciga.me/
Game Pavilion: https://gamepavilion.jp/
OPEN GAME FEST: https://opengamefest.com/
Taipei Game Show: https://tgs.tca.org.tw/index_e.php
WePlay: https://www.weplaymore.com/
Media Partner:
Mr.GAMEHIT: https://mrgamehit.com/blog/
■Related Links
SGA2026SUMMER Grand Prize and Award Winners (official website):
https://shibagameaward.com/en/news/detail.php?slug=20261022-award-results-announced
SGA2026SUMMER Finalists (titles that passed the third round):
https://shibagameaward.com/en/2026s/thirdscreening.php
SGA2026SUMMER YouTube livestream archive (October 18, 2026):
https://youtube.com/live/DfyaThymyRA
SHIBA GAME AWARD Official Website: https://shibagameaward.com/en/
SQOOL Co., Ltd.: https://sqool.co.jp/
SQOOL.NET Game Lab: https://sqool.net/
The next edition, "SHIBA GAME AWARD 2027 WINTER", is scheduled to be
held in February 2027.
The SHIBA GAME AWARD Executive Committee will continue its efforts to
support game creators.