The game development community came together to celebrate its best and brightest last night as the winners of the inaugural Develop:Star Awards were announced at the Hilton Brighton Metropole.
The night’s big winners were Sumo Digital, who picked up Best Studio, Weather Factory, who picked up three prizes including Best Micro Studio, Game of the Year winner Overcooked! 2 and Forza Horizon 4, which won two awards.
Jagex won Best Mobile Game for Old School RuneScape, while Amiqus picked up the 2019 Recruitment Star award and Curve Digital picked up this year’s Publishing Star prize.
“What a night,” said Andy Lane, managing director at Tandem Events. “It was a pleasure to see the community celebrating together as we handed out the first of many Develop:Star awards. I’d like to congratulate the winners and thank everyone who came, including our amazing sponsors. We’ll see you all again next year.”
The Develop:Star Awards 2019 winner’s list:
- Best Visual Art: Forza Horizon 4 – Playground Games | Xbox Game Studios
- Best Narrative: Detroit: Become Human – Quantic Dream | Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Best Games Design: Cultist Simulator – Weather Factory
- Best Audio, sponsored by Dolby: Tetris Effect – Monstars & Resonair | Enhance
- Best Original IP: Two Point Hospital – Two Point Studios | Sega
- Best Innovation, sponsored by Amiqus: Cultist Simulator – Weather Factory
- Diversity Star: Kish Hirani – BAME in Games
- Best Supplier: Amazon Game Tech
- Recruitment Star: Amiqus
- Best Use of an Engine: Forza Horizon 4 – Playground Games | Xbox Game Studios
- Publishing Star, sponsored by GamesIndustry.biz: Curve Digital
- Best Mobile Game: Old School RuneScape Mobile – Jagex
- Game of the Year: Overcooked! 2 – Ghost Town Games | Team17
- Best Micro Studio, sponsored by Hi-Rez Studios: Weather Factory
- Best Studio: Sumo Digital
- The Develop Star Award: Sean Murray | Hello Games
The ceremony was hosted by Alan Dedicoat, a legend of the entertainment industry best known for Strictly Come Dancing and for being the National Lottery’s ‘Voice of the Balls’. Alan guided guests through the evening, which culminated with Hello Games co-founder and No Man’s Sky creator Sean Murray accepting the first Develop Star Award.
With the exception of the Develop Star Award, each winner was decided by an industry vote open to more than 4000 people with conference passes to this year’s Develop:Brighton, or who attended over the past three years.
The Develop:Star Awards 2019 were made possible by headline sponsor Unreal Engine and individual award sponsors Dolby, Amiqus, Hi-Rez Studios and GamesIndustry.biz, in partnership with Network N and PlayStation.
The Develop:Star Awards 2020 will take place at the Hilton Brighton Metropole on Wednesday 15 July.
