The finalists for the 2022 Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs) have been revealed, painting a picture of the most remarkable games the talented developers of Australia have produced in the past year. Each AGDA category features three titles, with the winners to be announced at the AGDA ceremony on 5 October 2022, during Melbourne International Games Week.
[Update: The winners of the 2022 Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDAs) have been announced]
Headlining the awards are the three Game of the Year nominees: Heavenly Bodies from 2pt Interactive, Wylde Flowers from Studio Drydock, and Cult of the Lamb from Massive Monster. All three studios are based in Melbourne, Victoria, a state which continues to produce excellent games.
Heavenly Bodies leads the total individual nominations, with six overall. Cult of the Lamb follows with five nominations, and Wylde Flowers has nabbed four.
Notably, Lost and Hound by Daisy Ale Soundworks has become the first-ever game developed in Western Australia to be nominated for an award. Lost and Hound is nominated for the Excellence in Accessibility award, and is designed to be accessible by players who are completely vision-impaired.
Read: Victoria’s games industry continues to thrive, and other states must take note
For those who can’t be physically present at the 2022 ADGAs ceremony in Melbourne, the event will be broadcasted on the IGEA Twitch Page from 6:30pm AEST on 5 October 2022.
The full list of finalists follows below.
The Australian Game Developer Awards (AGDA) 2022 Finalists
Game of the Year
- Heavenly Bodies
- Wylde Flowers
- Cult of the Lamb
Excellence in Art
- Age of Darkness: Final Stand
- Cult of the Lamb
- Heavenly Bodies
Excellence in Gameplay
- Cult of the Lamb
- Heavenly Bodies
- JUSTICE SUCKS
Excellence in Narrative
- You Will (Not) Remain
- Wylde Flowers
- Wayward Strand
Excellence in Sound Design
- JUSTICE SUCKS
- Cult of the Lamb
- Heavenly Bodies
Excellence in Music
- Cult of the Lamb
- Heavenly Bodies
- Age of Darkness: Final Stand
Excellence in Technical Design
- Puzzle Quest 3
- Age of Darkness: Final Stand
- Heavenly Bodies
Excellence in Accessibility – Presented by VicScreen
- Wylde Flowers
- Raw: Emotions Unite Us
- Lost and Hound
Excellence in Mobile Games
- Dream Hopper
- Wylde Flowers
- Hot Lap League
Excellence in AR/VR
- Flush Back
- Raw: Emotions Unite Us
- Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown
Excellence in Serious Games (Applied/Impactful)
- Kinder World
- Wayward Strand
- Raw: Emotions Unite Us
Excellence in Emerging Games (Student or Early Career)
- Fantasy Town Regional Manager
- Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg
- Born Punk
Excellence in Ongoing Games (Games as a Service)
- The Oregon Trail
- It’s Literally Just Mowing
- Crash of Cars
The 2022 ADGAs ceremony will be held in Melbourne, Victoria during Melbourne International Games Week. The event will also be broadcasted on the IGEA Twitch Page from 6:30pm AEST on 5 October 2022.
