BAFTA Nominees Announced At Dare Protoplay
The three nominees for the BAFTA ones to watch award were revealed at the Dundee festival
Photo credit: Alan Richardson
The three teams nominated for the BAFTA ones to watch award have been named at Scotland's biggest video games festival.
Dare ProtoPlay is held as the finale of Abertay University’s Dare to be Digital game design competition, which this year sees 16 teams of students building games at their home universities before travelling to Dundee to showcase their creations.
The winners were The Wall Shall Stand by Pixel Tailors, where players attempt to start a revolution in an abstract version of Berlin; Sundown by Mild Beast Games, a multiplayer stealth game where everyone is invisible in the dark - until you fire and reveal your position; and Selfienation by Pictrail, a social game where you challenge your friends to fun and educational selfie challenges.
The three winning teams become the exclusive nominees for the BAFTA Ones to Watch Award, a prize which can only be won by entering Dare to be Digital.
Eddy Burton from Pixel Tailors said: "It’s amazing, totally amazing. We never thought we’d get this BAFTA nomination. Our game started off as a university project. We didn’t even think we’d get into Dare to be Digital and now we’re going to the BAFTAs."
Gracie May from Mild Beast Games said: "It’s very validating to win a BAFTA nominations after working so hard and flying all the way from Los Angeles. Right now it feels like the stage after a marathon of complete exhaustion, not quite the joyous celebration phase!"
Ric Barros from Pictrail said: "It feels amazing. There are just no words to describe it. Our game is so different, so weird that we thought no one would go for it. When we won we really didn’t believe it."
Pathos by Pathos Studios won the Channel 4 Award. The team will receive £25,000 of support to start a business and complete their game, which will then be published by the broadcaster.
Pathos also won the Design in Action Award for Commercial Potential, providing financial support and design mentoring to bring their game to market.
The Audience Award for the most popular game of the festival went to EctoPlaza by Yeah Yeah Games.
Professor Gregor White, Head of the School of Arts, Media and Computer Games at Abertay University, said: "Dare to be Digital has grown into a major international game design competition and this year’s entries are the most exciting and creatively diverse we’ve ever seen.
"Selfienation, Sundown and The Wall Shall Stand are exceptional games and they strongly deserve their nominations for the BAFTA Ones to Watch Award.
"Our most recent BAFTA Ones to Watch winner, Chambara, went from Dare ProtoPlay to being part of the IndieCade showcase at E3, one of the world’s biggest gaming events.
"We expect to see great things from all this year’s Dare to be Digital contestants as they become the next generation of inspiring game developers."
The BAFTA Ones to Watch winners will be announced at the British Academy Games Awards early in 2016.