Vampire Survivors, Balatro shine at BAFTA Games Awards

The BAFTA Games Awards concluded last night, spotlighting top winners like Balatro and Vampire Survivors. However, the absence of platform-specific categories raises questions about visibility for mobile games. While the BAFTAs may not match the reach of Geoff Keighley's Game Awards, they hold a higher prestige, albeit with less glitz and glamour. Despite the lack of specific mobile categories in the 2024 BAFTA Games Awards, we witnessed notable wins from significant mobile launches over the past year.

Balatro, a roguelike deckbuilder by Localthunk, clinched the Debut Game award. This victory has sparked industry buzz, with many publishers now scouring for the next potential indie megahit. On the other hand, Vampire Survivors, which won Best Game in 2023, was honored with the Best Evolving Game award this year. This is a remarkable feat, especially considering it competed against heavyweights like Diablo IV and Final Fantasy XIV Online.

What, No Mobile?

The BAFTA Games Awards take a unique approach by not featuring platform-specific accolades. This decision led to the removal of the mobile-specific category back in 2019. Despite significant wins from top mobile and multiplatform releases like Vampire Survivors and Genshin Impact, the awards format has remained consistent.

In a past conversation, Luke Hebblethwaite from the BAFTAs game team explained that the organization believes games should be judged on their merits, regardless of the platform they're released on. This perspective suggests that games like Balatro and Vampire Survivors, which have benefited from their mobile reach, receive recognition in a broader context.

While opinions may vary, the impact of mobile platforms on these games' success is undeniable. For further discussion on mobile gaming and more, tune into the latest episode of the Pocket Gamer Podcast, where I and Will delve into the topic in detail.