Over 500 game developers gathered at WX in Wakefield on 13th November for an event that not only showcased new games, but celebrated the achievements of studios, individuals and charities at a special Game Republic Awards ceremony, judged by Guardian games journalist and writer Keith Stuart. The event also included the Best Indie Game Made in The North Award selected by public vote.
Jamie Sefton, MD of Game Republic presented the awards and said, “This year we have been blown away by the quality of the nominations of every size of games company that show the significant contributions the Northern games industry is making to the UK games industry.”
In a video, Keith Stuart bemoaned the challenge of judging such a stellar line-up, jokingly asking if the games industry could tone it down a little for next year, to make his job easier.
The event was sponsored by HP and AMD with Escape Technology and Plus Accounting and supported by Game Republic’s Official Partners Red Kite Games, Xsolla and Barclays Games and Creative The event which included 68 new games being showcased from Northern games companies – with 10 from Scotland through a partnership with the SGDA – plus roundtables and networking. Thanks to all the Award sponsors
The winners:
Best Small Studio sponsored by Yogscast Games
Dink
Best Mid-Sized Studio sponsored by Other Things
Tanglewood Games
Best Large Studio sponsored by Eaton Smith Solicitors
Winner – d3t
Studio Hero Award sponsored by Plus Accounting
Winner – Natasha Vincent EA Playdemic
Inclusivity Award
Winner – Safe In Our World
Inspiring Course Leader sponsored by Double Eleven
Winner – Rob Charlish Wakefield College
Innovative Use of Technology Award sponsored by HP, AMD with Escape Technology
Winner – Reflex Arc
Community Manager Award
Winner – Pedro Silva, Double Eleven
Martyn Brown Rising Star Award
Winner – Sarah York, Panda Cat Games
Best Game-Related Research
Francesca Foffano, IGGI
Game Legend Award sponsored by Red Kite Games
Darren Falcus
Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by Red Kite Games
Ian Stewart
Best Game Made in The North sponsored by Xsolla
This category was subject to a public vote
Winner – Empyreal by Silent Games
The Game Republic Awards Nominations are in
Nominations closed on 30th September.Here are the list of nominees under each category which will be judged by Game Republic, Sponsors and our Boss Judge who has the final say on everything Keith Stuart. Apart from in the best Indie Game Made in The North which is subject to a public vote.Winners will be announced on 13th November 2025 at GaMaYo which will see over 50 new games being showcased, roundtables with experts as well as networking, food and drink in the spectacular setting of WX in Wakefield. As usual the Game Republic Awards won’t be formal, it will be celebratory and short to ensure everyone gets a chance to play the games and socialise.
Best Indie Game Made in the North sponsored by Xsolla – Voting Open
- Rules and Rodents – Gravy Crew Games
- Empyreal – Silent Games
- Retro Slam Tennis – New Star Games
- Rugby League 24 – Distinctive Games
- Dunk Dunk – Badgerhammer/Playtonic Games
- Dicealot – Goodview Games/Yogscast Games
- Ascend – Miami Avalon
- Platypus Reclayed – Claymatic Games
- Wyrd Waters – Maximalist
- Vextorial – Vext Games/Dink
- Starship Troopers Continuum – XR Games
- Train Sim World VR: New York – Just Add Water
- Siege and The Sandfox – Cardboard Sword
- Racoon Saloon – Theo Clarke
- Positron – Retroburn
Best Small Studio Award sponsored by Yogscast Games
Nominees:
Dink
Observer Interactive
Panda Cat Games
10:10 Games
ShotDash
BetaJester Ltd
Cooperative Innovations
Maximalist Ltd
Dreaming Methods
North Breeze Entertainment
Claymatic Games
Badgerhammer
Five Aces / New Star Games
Distinctive Games
Best Mid-Sized Studio Award sponsored by Other Things
Nominees:
Radical Forge
Red Kite Games
Atomhawk
Nosebleed Interactive
Skyhook Games
Behaviour Interactive
Tanglewood Games
Steel City Interactive
Best Large Studio Award sponsored by Eaton Smith Solicitors
Nominees:
Team17
Sumo Digital
Wushu Studios
Double11
D3t
Cloud Imperium
Firesprite
Lucid Games
Inclusivity Award
Nominees:
BetaJester Ltd
Radical Forge
Safe in our world
One to One Development Trust
Most Innovative Use of Technology sponsored by HP and AMD with Escape Technology
Nominees:
Cooperative Innovations
Northwave
Reflex Arc
One to One Development Trust
Tanglewood Games
Huey Games
Studio Hero Award sponsored by Plus Accounting
Nominees:
Niall Curran – Dink
Adam Riley – Team17
Harry Knott – Observer Interactive
Adam Grimley – Huey Games
Natasha Vincent – EA Playdemic
Tara Naz – Cloth Cat Games
Derek Cowap – Radical Forge
Adam Clewes-Boyne – BetaJester Ltd
Grant Clark – Double Eleven
Johnny Hughes – Double Eleven
Lewis Bibby – Cooperative Innovations
Jamie Smith – Behaviour Interactive
Ryan Smith – Radical Forge
Jake Richards -Dink
Ash Habib – Steel City Interactive
Community Manager Award
Nominees:
Molly Holmes – Panda Cat Games
Pedro Silva – Double Eleven
Harry Flanagan – The Save Room Club
Em Aspinall – Safe In Our World
Tom Birdsey – Team17
Luke S – Curve Games
Kevin Johnson – Electronic Arts
Martyn Brown Rising Star Award
Nominees:
Harry Flanagan – Revolution
Jess Whall – Chokepoint Creative
Marco – Otterweave Games Studio
Yasmina Fadel – Maximalist
Jordan Thorpe – Snappy Gurus
Sarah York – Panda Cat Games
Natasha Handley – Gongylus Games
Rich Thompson – Black Rose Studio
Ryan Smith – Radical Forge
Francesca White – Behaviour Interactive
Northwave
Maximalist
Max Everingham – Noodle Cat Games
Paige Grant – Pitstop Productions
Inspiring Course Leader Award sponsored by Double Eleven
Nominees:
James Cotterill – University Campus Doncaster
Dr. Duke Gledhill – University of Huddersfield
Michael Smith – Heart of Yorkshire
Kieran Hicks – University of Staffordshire
Rob Charlish – Wakefield College / Heart of Yorkshire
Marco A. Valerio – Leeds Beckett University
Stuart Lilford – University of Hull
Mike Acosta -University of Staffordshire
Emma Nuttall – University of Salford
Matthew Crossley – Manchester Metropolitan University
Best Game-Related Research
Nominees:
Dr Martin Turner, Dr John Henry, Dr Ashley Williams – Manchester Metropolitan University
TriageStory Team – Sheffield Hallam University
Stuart Lilford, Adrian Mills & David Grant
Francesca Foffano – IGGI
Tania Dales – University of York
Tom Garner – Sheffield Hallam University
Tom Battey – Sheffield Hallam University
Kieran Hicks and Chris Headleand – University of Staffordshire
Games Legend sponsored by Red Kite Games
Nominees:
Matt Shepcar – Red Kite Games
Shaun Southern – Playdemic
Sally Blake – Silent Games
Matty McGrory – Observer Interactive
Simon Barratt – Cooperative Innovations
Matt Phillips – Double Eleven
Darren Falcus
Ian Stewart – Gremlin Graphics
Nina Cliff – Auroch Digital
The Game Republic Awards were revealed at GaMaYo on 21st November at WX in Wakefield. Boss Judge Keith Stuart was so impressed with the quality of nominations alongside the winners, several individuals and studios earned special commendations.
Sponsors of the Awards included Red Kite Games, Barclays Games, Escape Technology, Yogscast Games, Eaton Smith Solicitors and Other Things.
Alongside the Awards, Brandon Briggs won the Safe in Our World raffle (picture below)
And the winners and special commendations are
(Gallery below with photos by Corrupted Lens | thecorruptedvisuals.com)
Best Small Studio sponsored by Yogscast Games
Cooperative Innovations
Special commendations for Best Small Studio
Chokepoint Creative, Distinctive Games and Coal Supper
Best Mid-Sized Studio sponsored by Other Things
Red Kite Games
Special commendation for Best Mid-Sized Studio
Just Add Water Development
Best Large Studio sponsored by Eaton Smith Solicitors
Double Eleven
Special commendation for Best Large Studio
Wushu Studios
Community Player Award
Stacey Jubb at National Videogame Museum
Special commendations for Community Player
Simon Barratt (Cooperative Innovations) and One to One Development
Most Innovative Use of Technology sponsored by Escape Technology
Pitstop Productions
Inclusivity Award
Chokepoint Creative
Special Commendation for Inclusivity Award
Huey Games
Studio Hero Award sponsored by Other Things
Kerrie Holland – Tanglewood Games
Special commendations for Studio Hero
Arpit Sharma Huey Games and Adam Clewes-Boyne BetaJester
Inspiring Course Leader
Renzo Palmisano from Burnley College
Special commendations for Inspiring Course Leader
Duke Gledhill (University of Huddersfield), Ben Elson (The Manchester College) and Mike Acosta (University of Staffordshire)
Best Game Related Research sponsored by Escape Technology
IGGI – University of York, Queen Mary, Goldsmiths and Essex
Special commendation for Game Related Research
Staffordshire Games Institute
Games Legend sponsored by Red Kite Games
Martyn Brown
Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by Red Kite Games
Roger Womack
Best Indie Game Made in Yorkshire from Sept 23 to Nov 24 sponsored by Barclays Games and Creative
Broken Sword –The Shadow of The Templars: Reforged
Award winners in 2023
Nominations closed on 30th September and Game Republic alongside our Official Partners Red Kite Games, Barclays and Escape Technology and our Award Sponsors were chuffed to bits with the response. Thanks all for taking time out to nominate your colleagues, studios, games and more. Thanks to our Official Partners for supporting our 2023 year of events – Escape Technology, Red Kite Games and Barclays.
Below the winners you will see the full list of nominations which were judged by Game Republic, Sponsors and our Boss Judge who had the final say on everything Rhianna Pratchett.
Photos by Johnny Carr johnnycarr.com
Best Small Studio presented by Wayne Smith from Lenovo
Winner: Huey Games
Best Mid-Sized Studio presented by Elaine Dowman from Barclays
Winner: Radical Forge
Best Large Studio presented by Chris Taylor from Eaton Smith Solicitors
Winner: Double 11
Commenting on the studio awards – Chris Taylor of Eaton Smith Solicitors was impressed with the range of nominations “It is wonderful to see such a breadth and depth of games studios in Yorkshire and the North of England, showing what a well-developed ecosystem there is.”
Elaine Dowman from Barclays added “What was clear in the mid-sized studio category was that companies nominated all shared a common feature of growing but staying true to their roots. Well done to Radical Forge”
Further awards included:
Best Game-Related Research presented by Simon Iwaniszak from Red Kite Games
Winner: IGGI
Inclusivity Award presented by Azaria Narine & Jessica Swiffen from Boneloaf
Winner: Sumo Group
Sustainability Award presented by Richy Pears from Other Things
Winner: Megaverse
Most Innovative Technology Award presented by Neil Parmar from Escape Technology
Winner: Dreaming Methods
Neil Parmar from Escape Technology admired the winning team in particular their Abandoned library project that has won major accolades, he explained “this project used tech to create a moving and powerful experience dealing with environmental disaster and has widened access to immersive technology and raised awareness of global issues at the same time.”
Best Company Boss presented by Matt Hitchcock from Other Things
Winner: Kimberley Turner of Double 11
Studio Hero presented by Chris Lunardi from Barclays
Winner: Anne Van Der Merwe of Red Kite Games
Most Inspiring Course Leader presented by John Stopforth from Escape Technology
Winner: Matt Novak of the University of Huddersfield
Community Player Award presented by Nick Keynes from Tileyard North
Winner: Andrew Crawshaw, Thunkd
Games Legend presented by Simon Iwaniszak from Red Kite Games
Winners: Charles Cecil and Noirin Carmody of Revolution Software
And in the Best Game Ever Made in Yorkshire and The North the same legendary team took the title against 19 other nominated games as Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars was voted Best Game in a public vote.
Speaking about the Games Legends and their work Simon Iwaniszak, Studio Director of Red Kite Games said “‘I feel extremely honoured to be involved with this award – and what’s better than one games legend if not two! Over the last three decades Charles Cecil and Noirin Carmody have been instrumental in ensuring that the games industry in Yorkshire and The North prospers and evolves. In 1989, Charles and Noirin co-founded Revolution Software, a pioneering games studio that went on to develop hit titles such as Lure of the Temptress, Beneath a Steel Sky and my personal favourite, the Broken Sword series. I was 10 years old when I pointed-and-clicked my way through The Shadow of the Templars, a lasting childhood gaming memory, that I still cherish today. Charles and Noirin are the dictionary definition of a games legend, and we’re lucky to have them in Yorkshire!”