In 2000, at the second Australian Game Developers Conference (AGDC) the announcement was made that in 2001, the AGDC would host a new award panel for the best of the best Australian games of that year. To tie into that announcement, comedian Martin Ralph at the AGDC’s Wildlife Dinner made sure that everyone got a taste of what their award shows could be like.
Martin concocted and awarded such titles as:
‘Best Use of A Disney Character’ – Which went to Torus, for Lion King, which was also one of the first Australian titles to ever make use of a Disney Character
‘Most Timely Release Party’ – Awarded to Blue Tongue, for their Starship Troopers release party the night before.
‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ – Given to Ratbag for their use of Mud Textures, for their ongoing series of dirt track racing games.
‘Best Strategy Game’ – Awarded to SSG for Warlords Battlecry, one of the only strategy titles developed in 2000 and finally;
‘Best Use of Bodily Functions In A Game’ – which went to Tantalus, for South Park Rally.
It wasn’t until 2002 however, that the first serious AGDAs (then called the AGD Awards) would take place. The Inaugural event featured 14 awards, mainly focusing on the “next gen” Consoles of the time.
The judging was done with a selected short-list from the event managers, and a mixture of online voting and ballot papers at the in-person conference.
At the final AGDC in 2005, it was announced that the Game Developer Association Australia (GDAA) were to take over the AGDC (to be called Games Connect Asia Pacific, or GCAP) and the AGDAs the following year.
The first GDAA run AGDAs in 2006 took place under a different name, with the awards changing name to ‘The GDAA Awards’. This year was the year that marked the first Adam Lancman Award, who had sadly passed away in 2005. Learn more about Adam here.
Many different iterations of the AGDAs have followed, trialling different awards categories, including introducing the first ever Games Accessibility Award in the world in 2013, removing categories entirely and changing the voting and judging processes again and again.
In 2020, due to the IGEA and GDAA merger, IGEA took over the Award ceremony directly before the pandemic hit. Not only was IGEA about to deliver their first ever AGDAs, but they were also set to host the first ever virtual AGDAs.
Between 2020 and 2021, the AGDAs were hosted virtually on Twitch, with such hosts as Jordan Raskopoulos and Amanda and Angharad Yeo. These virtual ceremonies reached more people than ever before, and united the game developer community during a global crisis.
In 2022, the AGDAs returned bigger and better than before as an in-person event at a brand new location, The Forum Melbourne.
The Adam Lancman Award: Trent Kusters
The Empower Award: Caitlin Lomax & Dylan Bennett
The Rising Star Award: Ryan Penning
Studio of the Year: PlaySide Studios
Game of the Year: Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical by Summerfall Studios
Excellence in Art: The Master’s Pupil by Pat Naoum
Excellence in Gameplay: Moving Out 2 by SMG Studio, Team17
Excellence in Narrative: Amarantus by ub4q
Excellence in Sound Design: Gubbins by Studio Folly
Excellence in Music: Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical by Summerfall Studios
Excellence in Technical Design: Phantom Abyss by Team WIBY
Excellence in Accessibility: Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical by Summerfall Studios
Excellence in Emerging Games: Partum Artifex by DalaKoala Games
Excellence in Impactful Games: Earthlingo by Earthlingo
Excellence in Mobile Games: My Little Pony: Mane Merge by Gameloft Brisbane
Excellence in AR/VR Games: Espire 2: Stealth Operatives by Digital Lode Immersive Media
Excellence in Ongoing Games: Wylde Flowers by Studio Drydock
The Adam Lancman Award: Clara Reeves, (Hipster Whale)
The Ambition Award: Ryan McMahon (PlaySide Studios)
The Rising Star Award: Raymond Corrigan, (Founder and Developer of Earthlingo)
Studio of the Year: Gameloft
Game of the Year: Cult of the Lamb, (Massive Monster)
Excellence in Art: Cult of the Lamb, (Massive Montser)
Excellence in Gameplay: Cult of the Lamb, (Massive Monster)
Excellence in Narrative: Wylde Flowers, (Studio Drydock)
Excellence in Sound Design: Heavenly Bodies, (2pt Interactive)
Excellence in Music: Cult of the Lamb, (Massive Monster)
Excellence in Technical Design: Age of Darkness: Final Stand, (PlaySide Studios)
Excellence in Accessibility: Lost and Hound, (Daisy Ale Soundworks)
Excellence in Mobile Games: Wylde Flowers, (Studio Drydock)
Excellence in AR/VR: Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown, (Tin Man Games)
Excellence in Serious Games: Kinder World, (Lumi Interactive)
Excellence in Ongoing Games: The Oregon Trail, (Gameloft)
Excellence in Emerging Games: Queer Man Peering Into A Rock Pool.jpg (Fuzzy Ghost)
The Adam Lancman Award: Steve Wang, (Wargaming Sydney)
The Raising the Bar Award: Chad Toprak, (Freeplay Independent Games Festival)
The Rising Star Award: Kathleen Smart, (Joy Everafter Stories) & Ashley Van Wyngaard, (Wargaming Sydney)
Studio of the Year: Black Lab Games
Game of the Year: Unpacking, (Witch Beam)
Excellence in Art: The Artful Escape, (Beethoven & Dinosaur)
The Blowfish Excellence in Gameplay: Webbed, (Sbug Games)
Excellence in Narrative: The Forgotten City, (Modern Storyteller)
Excellence in Audio: The Artful Escape, (Beethoven & Dinosaur)
Excellence in Accessibility: Unpacking, (Witch Beam)
Excellence in Mobile Games: The Oregon Trail, (Gameloft Brisbane)
Excellence in Serious Games: Sharmila, (Chaos Theory Games and the World Food Programme)
Excellence in Ongoing Games: Pico Tanks, (Panda Arcade)
Excellence in Emerging Games: Video World, (Things for Humans)
Adam Lancman: Dr Jane Turner
Rising Star: Meredith Hall & Jarrod Farquhar-Nicol
Game Connect: Ella Macintyre
Studio of the Year: League of Geeks
Game of the Year: Moving Out, (SMG Studio)
Best Art: Necrobarista, (Route 59)
Best AR/VR: Shooty Skies Overdrive, (Mighty Games Group)
Best Sound: Audioplay: Alien Strike, (Audioplay)
Best Music: RITE, (Pond Games)
Best Serious Game: Kana Quest, (Not Dead Design)
Best Narrative: UNDER A STAR CALLED SUN, (Cécile Richard)
Best Gameplay: Boomerang Fu, (Cranky Watermelon)
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)
Adam Lancman Award: Liam Routt
Lighting The Way: Rae Johnston
Industry Champion: Ally McLean
Studio Of The Year: Mighty Kingdom
Game Of The Year: Untitled Goose Game, (House House)
Best Art: Void Bastards, (Blu Manchu Games)
Best AR/VR: Paper Fire Rookie, (Ultimerse)
Best Sound Design: Untitled Goose Game, (House House)
APRA Amcos Award For Best Music: Frog Detective: The Haunted Island, (Worm Club)
Best Serious Game: Bleached Az, (Chaos Theory)
Best Narrative: Black Widow, (Flux)
Best Gameplay: JumpGrid, (Ian MacLarty)
Game categories were removed from 2017 – 2018.
Adam Lancman Award: Giselle Rosman
Industry Champion Award: Liam Esler
Studio of the Year: Team Cherry
Game of the Year: The Gardens Between, (The Voxel Agents)
It Will Be Hard, (Hien Pham)
That Boy Is A Monstr, (Sav Wolfe)
Super Starfish, (Protostar Games)
The Adventure Pals, (Massive Monster)
Paperbark, (Paper House)
Earthlight, (Opaque)
Florence, (Mountains)
Rumu, (Robot House)
Game categories were removed from 2017 – 2018.
Adam Lancman Award: Tony Lay
Industry Champion: Lisy Kane
Industry Champion: Kim Allom
Studio of the Year: Opaque Space
Hollow Knight, (Team Cherry)
Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock, (Black Lab Games)
Paradigm, (Jacob Janerka)
Forts, (Earthwork Games)
Miss Fisher and the Deadly Maze, (Tin Man Games)
Ticket to Earth, (Robot Circus)
Hacknet: Labyrinths, (Team Fractal Alligator)
Earthlight: Arcade, (Opaque Space)
Hand of Fate 2, (Defiant Development)
Game Of The Year: Agent A: A Puzzle In Disguise, (Yak & Co)
Studio Of The Year: League of Geeks
Adam Lancman: Morgan Jaffit
Accessibility: Tangent, (Lampshade Games)
Representation: Killing Time at Lightspeed: Enhanced Edition, (Gritfish)
Excellence In Design: Tennis Bits, (Playside)
Technical Excellence: Assault Android Cactus, (Witchbeam)
Innovation: Killing Time at Lightspeed: Enhanced Edition, (Gritfish)
Excellence In Art: Agent A: A Puzzle In Disguise, (Yak & Co)
Excellence In Audio: Agent A: A Puzzle In Disguise, (Yak & Co)
Game Of The Year: Land Sliders, (Prettygreat)
Studio Of The Year: Hipster Whale
Adam Lancman Award: Bernadette Neumann, (Reedpop)
Accessibility Award: Ryan North’s To Be Or Not To Be, (Tin Man Games)
Representation Award: Little Witch Story, (Snow Mcnally)
Excellence In Design: Mallow Drops, (Gritfish)
Technical Excellence: Screencheat, (Samurai Punk)
Innovation Award: Land Sliders, (Prettygreat)
Excellence In Art: Breath Of Light, (Many Monkeys)
Excellence In Audio: Breath Of Light, (Many Monkeys)
Game of the Year: Crawl, (Powerhoof Studios)
Studio of the Year: Defiant Development
Adam Lancman Award: Souri Seignarack, founder of Tsumea
Accessibility Award: Appointment with FEAR, (Tin Man Games)
Excellence in Design: Duet, (Kumobius)
Technical Excellence: Fight the Dragon, (3 Sprockets)
Innovation Award: Hacknet, (Team Fractal Alligator)
Excellence in Art: Crawl, (Powerhoof)
Excellence in Audio: Duet, (Kumobius)
Game of the Year: Real Racing 3, (Firemonkeys)
Studio of the Year: Halfbrick Studios
Accessibility Award: Puzzle Retreat, (The Voxel Agents)
Excellence in Design: Crabitron, (Two Lives Left)
Technical Excellence: Real Racing 3, (Firemonkeys)
Innovation Award: Crabitron, (Two Lives Left)
Excellence in Art: Real Racing 3, (Firemonkeys)
Excellence in Audio: Fish Out Of Water, (Halfbrick Studios)
Brief Hiatus
Brief Hiatus
Brief Hiatus
Best Game: Flight Control, (Firemint)
Best Console Title: Heroes over Europe, (Transmission Games)
Best PC Title: Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, (Infinite Interactive)
Best Handheld Title: Puzzle Quest: Galactrix, (Infinite Interactive)
Best Mobile Title: Flight Control, (Firemint)
Best Game Play: Flight Control, (Firemint)
Best Graphics: Heroes over Europe, (Transmission Games)
Best Audio: Heroes over Europe, (Transmission Games)
Best Downloadable Title: Shatter, (Sidhe)
Independent Games – Best Unsigned Game: Hazard: The Journey of Life, (Alexander Bruce)
Independent Games – Best Game Play: Last Life, (Powerboard Productions)
Independent Games – Best Graphics: Pillager, (AIE Melbourne)
Best Game: de Blob, (Blue Tongue)
Best Console Title: de Blob, (Blue Tongue)
Best PC Title: Monster Jam, (Torus Games)
Best Handheld Title: Zoo Hospital, (Torus Games)
Best Mobile Title: Dung, (Firemint)
Best Gameplay: de Blob, (Blue Tongue)
Best Graphics: de Blob, (Blue Tongue)
Best Audio: de Blob, (Blue Tongue)
GDAA Independent Game Award: Debug, (Qantm College Brisbane/Fighter Creative)
Best Game: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, (Infinite Interactive)
Best New Startup (Adam Lancman Award) Winner: Redtribe
Best Console Title: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, (Infinite Interactive)
Best PC Title: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, (Infinite Interactive)
Best Handheld Title: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, (Infinite Interactive)
Best Mobile Title: The Fast & the Furious: Fugitive 3D, (Firemint)
Best Gameplay: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, (Infinite Interactive)
Best Graphics: Viva Piñata: Party Animals, (Krome Studios)
Best Audio: Viva Piñata: Party Animals, (Krome Studios)
GDAA Award for Best Game 2006: Destroy All Humans! 2, (Pandemic Studios)
The Adam Lancman Award for Best New Start Up 2006: Endgame Studios
GDAA Award for Best Console Game 2006: Destroy All Humans! 2, (Pandemic Studios)
GDAA Award for Best PC Game 2006: Medieval II: Total War, (Creative Assembly)
GDAA Award for Best Handheld Game 2006: MX vs ATV: On The Edge, (Tantalus Interactive)
GDAA Award for Best Mobile Game 2006: Madden 07 3D, (Firemint)
GDAA Award for Best Gameplay 2006: Medieval II: Total War, (Creative Assembly)
GDAA Award for Best Graphics 2006: Medieval II: Total War, (Creative Assembly)
Career Achievement Award: Steve Stamatiadis, (Krome Studios)
Award for Outstanding Innovation: BigWorld Pty Ltd
Award for Outstanding Industry Contribution: Sidhe Interactive
Award for Best New Start-Up: Firemint
Award for Best Game of 2005: Heroes of the Pacific, (IR Gurus)
Award for Best PC Game: Heroes of the Pacific, (IR Gurus)
Award for Best Console Game: Destroy All Humans!, (Pandemic Studios Australia)
Award for Best Handheld Game: GripShift, (Sidhe Interactive)
Award for Best Mobile Phone Game: Star Trek – The Cold Enemy, (Firemint)
Award for Best Original Character Design: TY the Tasmanian Tiger, (Krome Studios)
Award for Best Game Audio: Destroy All Humans!, (Pandemic Studios Australia)
Award for Best Game Design: Andy Satterthwaite, GripShift, (Sidhe Interactive)
Award for Best Level Design: GripShift, (Sidhe Interactive)
Award for Programming Excellence: David Jewsbury, Heroes of the Pacific, (IR Gurus)
Award for Outstanding Visual Arts: Clive Hambly, Heroes of the Pacific, (IR Gurus)
Award for Best Unsigned Game (Professional): Gridwerx Genesis, (Gridwerx)
Award for Best Unsigned Game (Professional) Runner Up: Cube, (Metia Interactive)
Award for Best Unsigned Game (Indie): Aporkalypse, (AIE Melbourne)
Award for Best Unsigned Game (Indie) Runner Up: Battlecore, (ChickenHead Studios)
Career Achievement Award: John De Margheriti, (Micro Forté)
Award for Best New Start-Up: Binary Star Limited
Award for Outstanding Innovation: Andrew Bailey, (Tantalus)
Award for Outstanding Visual Arts: TY the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue, (Krome Studios)
Award for Programming Excellence: Transformers, (Atari Melbourne House)
Award for Best Level Design: Dean Tate, Tribes: Vengeance, (Irrational Games)
Award for Best Original Character Design: TY the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue, (Krome Studios)
Award for Best Game Audio: TY the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue, (Krome Studios)
Award for Best Game Design: Edward Orman, Tribes: Vengeance, (Irrational Games)
Award for Best PC Game: Tribes: Vengeance, (Irrational Games)
Award for Best Console Game: Transformers, (Atari Melbourne House)
Award for Best Handheld Game: TY the Tasmanian Tiger 2: Bush Rescue, ( Krome Studios)
Award for Best Game of 2004: Tribes: Vengeance, (Irrational Games)
Award for Best Unsigned Game (Professional): Homeland, (Binary Star Limited)
Award for Best Unsigned Game (Professional) Runner Up: 3D Sky Invaders, (A-Rage)
Award for Best Unsigned Game (Indie): Scootarama, (Primed Games)
Award for Best Unsigned Game (Indie) Runner Up: Roach Rage, (Where’s Our Game)
Career Achievement Award: Robert Walsh, (Krome Studios)
Award for Outstanding Industry Contribution: John De Margheriti, (Micro Forté)
Award for Outstanding Innovation: BigWorld
Award for Best Game of 2003: Top Gear Rally, (Tantalus Interactive)
Award for Best Game for PC: Warlords IV, (Infinite Interactive)
Award for Best Game for Next Generation Consoles: Jurassic Park: Operation Genius, (Blue Tongue Entertainment Limited)
Award for Best Game for Game Boy Advance: Top Gear Rally, (Tantalus Interactive)
Award for Best Game Audio: Jurassic Park: Operation Genius, (Blue Tongue Entertainment Limited)
Award for Best Level Design: Jurassic Park: Operation Genius, (Blue Tongue Entertainment Limited)
Award for Programming Excellence: Matthew Jones, (Atari Melbourne House)
Award for Outstanding Visual Arts: Jurassic Park: Operation Genius, (Blue Tongue Entertainment Limited)
Award for Best Unsigned Game (Professional): Ash, (White Noise)
Award for Best Unsigned Game (Professional) Runner Up: Fuzz and Rocket, (Halfbrick)
Award for Best Unsigned Game (Indie): Frost, (AIE)
Award for Best Unsigned Game (Indie) Runner Up: X-Fire, (Uni. of Ballarat)
Career Achievement Award: Adam Lancman
Award for Outstanding Industry Contribution: Camille Wall
Award for Outstanding Innovation: Big World Technology, (Micro Forté)
Award for Best New Start-Up: Evolution Games, (released Rocket Power: Beach Bandits for the Gamecube – Sept 02)
Award for Best Game of 2002: Grand Prix Challenge, (Infogrames Melbourne House)
Award for Best Game for PC: Freedom Force, (Irrational Games)
Award for Best Game for Next Generation Consoles: Grand Prix Challenge, (Infogrames Melbourne House)
Award for Best Game for Game Boy Advance: Duke Nukem Advance, (Torus)
Award for Best Character Design: Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, (Krome Studios)
Award for Best Game Audio: Grand Prix Challenge, (Infogrames Melbourne House)
Award for Best Game Design: Freedom Force, (Irrational Games)
Award for Best Level Design: Hotwheels Bash Arena, (Micro Forté)
Award for Programming Excellence: Grand Prix Challenge, (Infogrames Melbourne House)
Award for Outstanding Visual Arts: Grand Prix Challenge, (Infogrames Melbourne House)
Award for Best Unsigned Game: Melodie Mars
