Brussels, 18 October 2024 22h30 – On the evening of October 18, the Belgian games industry gathered to celebrate the very best our country has to offer. The Belgian Game Awards, organized by FLEGA and BelgianGames with support from various partners of the Belgian game ecosystem, are excited to announce the results for this year’s show! In presence of the brand new Flemish Minister of Media, in charge of video games Cieltje Van Achter, over 500 people from the gamesector gathered to celebrate video games made in Belgium.
Cieltje Van Achter, Flemish Minister of Media: “As the new Flemish Minister for Media, I am proud of the growth of our game companies, which showcases Flanders as a true powerhouse in the sector. However, we face several challenges that we must address together. The sustainability of the game sector will be a key focus in our policy, as we strive to retain our creative talent in Flanders. Our ambition is clear: to position Flanders as an attractive international hub for creative and innovative game companies and to enhance our developers’ competitive edge abroad. Through the Level Up Vlaanderen initiative, we will support the local game sector, emphasizing its cultural, educational, and societal roles. Together, let’s nurture the creativity and innovation of our talented Flemish developers. The future is bright, and I look forward to seeing them continue to inspire us!”
XR Game of the Year
- GAZZLERS by Bolt Blaster Games
- Breachers by Triangle Factory
- BAM by I-Illusions
What the jury had to say: “GAZZLERS is a game with universal appeal that makes losing feel like fun. The game is very intuitive and makes good use of the VR medium. It makes you want to come back for more. The art direction is remarkable, the game is well polished and the voice acting is sublime.”
Best Applied Game
- Please, Touch The Artwork 2 by Thomas Waterzooi
- Kadet by Die Keure
- The Man Came Around by Pipette Inc
What the jury had to say: “Please, Touch The Artwork 2 is easily accessible and can be used anywhere: from the kitchen to the museum or in schools. It brings the big C of Culture to anyone using the medium of a game”
Best Narrative
- Baldur’s Gate 3 by Larian Studios
- The Man Came Around by Pipette Inc
- Gangs of Sherwood by Appeal Studios
What the jury had to say: “Baldur’s Gate 3 is in a league of its own. The game stayed true to the studio’s DNA while thriving on a huge and impressive IP. The communities that arose around the game’s characters, such as Astarion, have never been seen before. There is an enormous amount of effort and content put in the narrative lines. The storylines and characters became real for many players; which makes this game unique.”
Best Audio
- Baldur’s Gate 3 by Larian Studios
- Swarm Survivor by Megaloh! Games
- Verses of Enchantment by Nachtvlam
What the jury had to say: “A lot of the emotions and immersion in Baldur’s Gate 3 come to the player through the music. The music is even used in other media to set the atmosphere of a scene (e.g. De Mol). The voice acting is sublime and the game single-handedly launched the career of its voice actors. Goosebumps all over every time we start-up it up and the first score starts.”
Best Visual Art
- The Man Came Around by Pipette Inc
- Waking Tides by AirshipFX
- Please, Touch The Artwork 2 by Thomas Waterzooi
What the jury had to say: “Developed by a single person, The Man Came Around managed to set a very strong identity. If you see a screenshot of this game, you immediately recognize the art style. A simple style that works and doesn’t follow the 2D trends.”
Best Game Design
- Baldur’s Gate 3 by Larian Studios
- GAZZLERS by Bolt Blaster Games
- Slapshot Rebound by Oddshot Games
What the jury had to say: “Even if you hate turn-based-combat, you’ll still love Baldur’s Gate 3 as it made the Dungeons & Dragons rules less boring. Every detail is just right: the difficulty levels are well balanced and there is an undeniable Larian touch in the way the toy box elements have been perfected.”
Best Multiplayer
- Breachers by Triangle Factory
- Slapshot Rebound by Oddshot Games
- Kraken Island by VEX Solutions
What the jury had to say: “If Counterstrike and Rainbow 6 would have a love-child in VR, Breachers would be it! With a huge player community – and some practice to get the hang of it – once you’re in, you are hooked.”
Student Game of the Year
- Nebelmer by Haute École Albert Jacquard students
- Don’t Forget by Howest DAE students
- A Postman’s Journey by LUCA School of Arts students
What the jury had to say: “Nebelmer offers an incredible experience and is so well polished for a student game. Please finish it and put it on the market!”
Most-Anticipated Game
- Laser Dance by Studio Vanbo
- Koira by Studio Tolima
- Gloomy Eyes – The Game by Fishing Cactus
What the jury had to say: “Laser Dance is the perfect Mixed Reality game to showcase to people who don’t grasp the concept yet. Any room in your house can be turned into a unique level and the possibilities are endless. Brilliant concept with flawless execution, we can’t wait to play more of it!”
Best Tech Provider
- Demute
- Briganti
- Cybernetic Walrus
What the jury had to say: “Demute has an impressive track record working on scopes ranging from big AAA titles to humble indie games. They have worked on over 20 Belgian games and remain an important element for our Belgian games ecosystem. But they have big news to share: in January 2025, they will open a new branch in Montreal to better serve their North American clients while still offering advice, audio services, tools and shared knowledge to Belgian studios.”
Changemaker of the Year
- BrainBugs
- Boxsun
- Maracas Studio
- Triangle Factory
What the jury had to say: “BrainBugs has a unique focus on using games to solve social and ethical questions. For instance, they are working on a game that raises the topic of AI-use and the ethics surrounding that. They actively use the medium of video games to contribute to change in our society.”
Most-Promising Start-Up Studio
- Maracas Studio
- Clever Trickster
- Tovenaar
What the jury had to say: “Maracas is a young studio with a very holistic view. They know where they come from, who they are and where they are going. The studio works on a diverse portfolio of games and carefully adjusts which projects to invest in, while also giving back to the local community through their recurring developer meet-ups.”
Baldur’s Gate 3 wins Game of the Year + Audience Award!
It seems our Belgian Game Awards jury and the voters at home agreed on their favorite title, as Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 has won both the Game Of The Year as well as the Audience Award!! This should come as no surprise as the epic D&D-inspired RPG has won all major award shows globally, so it seems only fitting it does the same on its home turf.
More than just an award show!
On 19 & 20 October game enthusiasts could discover and play games of some nominees and winners at Gameforce. With Gameforce joining forces with Made in Asia and Heroes Comic Con, we celebrated the largest video game event Belgium has ever seen.
In addition to the live show and expo, a week-long Belgian Game Awards Steam Event celebrated this year’s nominees. The event also features winners and nominees from previous years, creating a comprehensive showcase of Belgium’s video game talent. The event runs from 16 to 23 October and even had front-page visibility on Steam from 16 to 18 October!