Vampire Survivors, Balatro shine at BAFTA Games Awards

The BAFTA Games Awards concluded last night, celebrating a range of exceptional titles, with standout wins for Balatro and Vampire Survivors. Yet, a pertinent question arises: does the absence of platform-specific categories hinder the visibility of mobile games?

While the BAFTA Games Awards may not boast the widespread audience of Geoff Keighley's Game Awards, they arguably outshine in prestige, if not in sheer spectacle. Despite the lack of specific mobile categories at the BAFTA Games Awards 2024, we witnessed notable victories for two significant mobile releases from the past year.

Balatro, a roguelike deckbuilder from Localthunk, clinched the Debut Game award. This win has sparked a frenzy within the industry, with many publishers now scouring for the next indie sensation, potentially a challenging quest.

Vampire Survivors, which previously won Best Game in 2023, was honored with the Best Evolving Game award this year. This achievement is particularly impressive, given the competition from heavyweights like Diablo IV and Final Fantasy XIV Online.

What, no mobile? The BAFTA Games Awards adopt a unique approach by not including platform-specific awards. This decision, made in 2019, has persisted despite significant wins by mobile and multiplatform games like Vampire Survivors and Genshin Impact.

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 compete equally, regardless of platform.

It's undeniable that Balatro and Vampire Survivors have benefited immensely from their mobile availability, which has significantly increased their reach. This can be seen as a form of recognition, even without dedicated mobile categories.

That's just my take on it. If you're interested in diving deeper into mobile gaming discussions, why not tune into the latest episode of the Pocket Gamer Podcast? Join me and Will as we explore all things mobile gaming and more.