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The Initiative Creative Gaming handed out the international Creative Gaming Awards in three categories as part of the PLAY – Creative Gaming Festival (November 5th-13th, 2021). Artists and developers could submit games and playable media that allow players to interact with the game in a creative way.

Indie game developers from around the world had the chance to submit their games and playable media. In addition, all projects in the PLAY21 exhibition could win the Audience Award.

Creativity can mean overturning existing structures, finding new perspectives or simply questioning previous game ideas and finding originality. We do not want to restrict developers in any way and welcome all forms of video games, playful media and performances – whether they are games with a narrative focus; projects that play with the game controls as we know them; video games as media art; or a game that is simply entertaining and that others should play as well.

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NOMINEES

MOST CREATIVE GAME


The Most Creative Game award honors games and playful media works from around the world that give players the opportunity to interact creatively within the game. The creative freedom can arise in the interaction with the game, out of the game or in the mind of the player.

For example, works in this category may have multiple story paths, non-linear gameplay, role-play opportunities, unexpected interactions with other gamers, or be open to interpretation. The creativity of the players can also be stimulated by built-in editors or the possibility of enriching the game world with your own creations, designs and your own social rules.

The winners will receive prize money of € 1,000 and the PLAY AWARD trophy.

And the winner is...


One Hand Clapping

What the jury said:

“From capturing adorable fictions in Alekon, to bringing joy to a crowd with our tactical DJing skills in Hexagroove and literally building bridges with our voice in One Hand Clapping, we were once again shown what inspiring interactions are possible in games. The nominees delighted us with unique visuals, interesting gameplay twists, a whole lot of charm, and food for thought. (And by food for thought, we’re not only talking about tossing a Donut to corporal ideas in Alekon)

The Creative Gaming Award recognizes games that allow players to interact freely and express themselves with the medium. All three entries provided us with a new perspective on how games can be experienced, so the choice was not an easy one. The winner of this award however goes beyond traditional gameplay and asks players to interact with the medium in a way we haven't enjoyed before. At the same time it encourages players to get in touch with their own creativity and teaches them to trust their creative voice again.

The Most Creative Game award goes to One Hand Clapping!”

Congratulations to the winner!
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MOST INNOVATIVE NEWCOMER


The Most Innovative Newcomer Award honors artists worldwide who have produced a new creative game or playful media work. The winners, be they school-aged teenagers, students, indie developers or artist collectives, prove their creativity with a really innovative debut work.

This can be characterized by special gameplay, transmediality, unprecedented or unexpected interaction possibilities in the game, essential graphic innovations, new interfaces, unusual atmospheres, visual breakthroughs or new topics that are dealt with.

The winners will be supported for one year by a mentorship from the gaming industry and will receive the PLAY AWARD trophy.
In this year, winners can get acquainted with Let's Player, Media Scientist, Host & Caster as well as Funding and Project Manager Jennifer Wergin!

And the winner is...


tERRORbane

What the jury said:

“From embarking on a journey to understand our place in the world while helping out our human friends in Tentacular, travelling through space and time to solve mind bending puzzles with our different selves in Help Yourself, to fighting and squashing bugs on a meta-adventure beyond that metaphorical 4th wall in Terrorbane - all these games proved that you don’t have to be an established developer with multiple titles under your belt to create something engaging, fun, and innovative.

The Most Innovative Newcomer Award celebrates new creators who didn’t settle for established tropes but achieved something different, beyond the status quo. As we all stand by you here today, the biggest common achievement we recognize in this category is honoring games that allow its players to be inspired, to dream on and come as close to fantasies and players’ freedom as possible, fading limitations. The creativity and uniqueness of all these entries was refreshing to experience and renewed our excitement for the future of games. Thanking you all on behalf of all the future players’ for poking their curiosity as you did ours, the winner of this award didn’t just bring one novel idea to the table, they kept us on our toes at every moment, surprising and delighting us in equal measure while taking us on a wild adventure blurring the line between players and the developer.

The Most Innovative Newcomer Award goes to tERRORbane!”

Congratulations to the winner!
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AUDIENCE AWARD


During the festival, visitors of the festival could choose their favorite from all the works in the exhibition, which will also be honored with the PLAY trophy at the Awards Show.

And the winner is...
Help yourself by Flat Head Studio


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HONORABLE MENTIONS

Sadly, we can only nominate 6 entries, but still want to draw some attention to other works!
The Honorable Mentions will be featured in the digital exhibition and have the chance to win the Audience Award.

REVIEW PROCESS



This year, we received 146 entries from 36 countries and opened our review process to a PLAYtest Community. And what can we say, it was a great step to get a more diverse perspective on all works. The 32 international PLAYtesters took a lot of time to play every entry and wrote very thoughtful reviews.

Our 4 international judges choose the winning works.

The Jury

Bethlehem Anteneh
(ET)


Bethlehem Anteneh (she/her) is an architect, game thinking designer and project manager of Enter Africa, an interdisciplinary project of the Goethe-Institut in 15 African countries. She is interested in ways of how physical environment, challenges and their Game-Thinking overlap to create spaces and activities that elevate human activity, thought and experience.

Helen Krüger
(DE)


Helen (she/her) is a Project Assistant at Gamecity Hamburg and host of the podcast Hold X. Before joining the games industry, she completed a dual study program at the media company Edel Germany and worked as a marketing manager. She loves games that focus on narration and exploration, right now her favorite game is Outer Wilds.

Paolo Pedercini
(US)


Paolo Pedercini (he/him) is a game developer, curator and educator. He teaches digital media production and experimental game design at the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University. Since 2003 he works under the project name Molleindustria producing provocative games addressing issues of social and environmental justice, religion, and labor and sexuality. Paolo is the director of LIKELIKE, a neo-arcade devoted to independent games and playful art in Pittsburgh, PA.

Timea Tabori
(UK)


Timea (she/her) is a Senior Software Engineer at Netspeak Games. Previously, Timea spent 8 years as an Engine Programmer at Rockstar North and served on the Board of Directors for the Scottish Game Developers Association for 7. She is a Woman in Games Ambassador passionate about inclusivity and heart-centered leadership.

Awards show

The awards ceremony took place at:
November 12th 2021 in the PLAYvalley of PLAY21.

We started off with a one hour live Let's Play by our Hosts Manu and OddNina, followed by the appearance of many guests, the announcements of the award winners and a musical interludes by videogame jazzband Endgegner.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

MOST CREATIVE GAME


MOST INNOVATIVE NEWCOMER


AUDIENCE AWARD

PLAY21 – Creative Gaming Festival is an event produced by the Initiative Creative Gaming e. V. and jaf – Verein für medienpädagogische Praxis Hamburg e. V. in cooperation with spielbar.de, the platform of the Federal Agency for Civic Education/bpb on the Subject of Computer Games, Behörde für Schule und Berufsbildung Hamburg and JIZ – Jugendinformationszentrum Hamburg (BSB).

Thanks to our locations: SCHORSCH at IFZ and Europa Passage Hamburg

Supported by the BürgerStiftung Hamburg and gamecity:Hamburg

In cooperation with the FUNDUS THEATER

Sponsored by siebold/hamburg messebau GmbH