Australian Game Developer Awards 2020 Winners Announced--Moving Out Takes Top Prize

The Australian Game Developer Awards 2020 winners have been announced, with multiple different games and people winning across the 15 categories. The awards, which are handed out at the end of the Games Connect Asia Pacific (GCAP) conference every year, happened as a virtual ceremony for 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Game of the Year award for 2020 went to Moving Out from SMG Studio, an Overcooked-style co-op game about working for a moving company. The game has been praised for its focus on inclusivity and diversity, and studio Ash Ringrose provided a statement celebrating the team's win. "Aussie game developers have been creating amazing games of all shapes and sizes over the years," he said. "We are happy to contribute to that fantastic output and are proud of the enjoyment Moving Out has bought to people all over the world."

The Studio of the Year award went to League of Geeks, which launched Armello in 2015 and has since released numerous updates for the game. The studio, which has been growing and working on a new (currently unannounced) project, also released a statement through studio director and co-founder Ty Carey. "It’s such an honour for League of Geeks to be awarded Australian game studio of the year and for the team to be celebrated for their amazing work," Carey said. "We pride ourselves on our studio culture and the entertainment we create. LoG gives back to the industry and assists wherever we can, and we are thrilled to receive this recognition."

League of Geeks recently signed with Private Division, Take-Two's indie label, to publish their next game. It's been described as an "ambitious new IP."

Other recipients include Necrobarista, which received a 7/10 in GameSpot's review, and Boomerang Fu, which is a recent Switch gem you might have missed.

The Adam Lancman Award, recognizing industry excellent, went to Queensland University of Technology's Dr. Jane "Truna" Turner, while the Game Connect Award, given to "an individual within the industry who has forged a path for others," went to Mighty Kingdom's Ella Macintyre. Mighty Kingdom received the Studio of the Year award in 2020.

The full list of winners is below.

Australian Game Developer Awards 2020 Winners

Studio of the Year

• League of Geeks

Game of the Year

• Moving Out (SMG Studio)

Best Art

• Necrobarista (Route 59)

Best Gameplay

• Boomerang Fu (Cranky Watermelon)

Best Narrative

• UNDER A STAR CALLED SUN (Cécile Richard)

Best Sound

• Audioplay: Alien Strike (Audioplay)

Best Music

• RITE (Pond Games)

Best AR/VR

• Shooty Skies Overdrive (Mighty Games Group)

Best Serious Game

• Kana Quest (Not Dead Design)

Best Mobile Game

• Crossy Road Castle (Hipster Whale)

Best Ongoing Game (Game as a Service)

• World of Tanks (Wargaming Sydney)

Best Emerging Game

• RITE (Pond Games)

Rising Star Winner

• Meredith Hall
• Jarrod Farquhar-Nicol

Game Connect Winner

• Ella Macintyre

Adam Lancman Winner

• Jane Turner