- The BAFTA Games Awards concluded last night.
- Key winners included Balatro and Vampire Survivors.
- But does the absence of platform-specific categories limit recognition?
While it might not match the massive scale of Geoff Keighley's Game Awards, the BAFTAs arguably surpass them in prestige, if not glitz and glamour. Although there were no dedicated mobile categories at the 2024 BAFTA Games Awards, we saw notable victories from significant mobile releases over the past year.
Unsurprisingly, Balatro won the Debut Game award—a double-edged sword, as Localthunk's clever roguelike deckbuilder has captivated the industry, leaving many to worry that publishers are now scrambling to find the next elusive indie megahit.
Meanwhile, Vampire Survivors, last year's Best Game winner, earned the Best Evolving Game title. This is especially impressive given its competition included heavy-hitters like Diablo IV and Final Fantasy XIV Online.
No Mobile Category?As you may have noticed, the BAFTA Games Awards take a unique approach by avoiding platform-specific awards. This led to the removal of the mobile-specific category back in 2019. Despite major wins from acclaimed mobile and multiplatform titles like Vampire Survivors and Genshin Impact, the award structure has largely remained unchanged.
In the past, I had the opportunity to speak with Luke Hebblethwaite from the BAFTA games team, who explained that the organization felt platform-specific awards contradicted their belief that games should compete on equal footing, regardless of platform.
Regardless of your stance on this approach, few would argue that Balatro and Vampire Survivors didn't gain wider appeal thanks to their mobile presence. So perhaps we can take some comfort in that, as it still represents a form of recognition.
Of course, that's just my take. And if you're still curious, why not tune into the latest Pocket Gamer Podcast episode? Will and I team up to discuss all things mobile gaming—and much more.
