Vampire Survivors, Balatro shine at BAFTA Games Awards

The BAFTA Games Awards concluded last night, shining a spotlight on standout titles like Balatro and Vampire Survivors. While these awards may not garner the widespread attention of Geoff Keighley's Game Awards, they hold a prestigious reputation, often outshining their glitzy counterpart in terms of industry respect. Interestingly, despite the absence of mobile-specific categories at the BAFTA Games Awards 2024, we witnessed significant wins from notable mobile releases over the past year.

Balatro, developed by Localthunk, clinched the Debut Game award. This roguelike deckbuilder has sparked considerable interest within the industry, with many now scouring for the next potential indie sensation. Meanwhile, Vampire Survivors, which previously won Best Game in 2023, was awarded Best Evolving Game, impressively competing against heavyweights like Diablo IV and Final Fantasy XIV Online.

What, no mobile? The BAFTA Games Awards adopt a unique stance by not featuring platform-specific accolades. This approach led to the elimination of the mobile-specific category in 2019, yet high-profile mobile and multiplatform successes like Vampire Survivors and Genshin Impact have continued to make their mark.

In a past interview, Luke Hebblethwaite from the BAFTAs game team shared that the organization believes platform-specific categories detract from the notion that games should be judged on merit, regardless of the platform they're released on. It's undeniable that Balatro and Vampire Survivors have greatly benefited from their mobile availability, which arguably amplifies their recognition.

That's just my take on it. If you're eager to dive deeper into the world of mobile gaming and beyond, don't miss the latest episode of the Pocket Gamer Podcast, where Will and I team up to explore these topics and more.