Vampire Survivors and Balatro make their mark at the BAFTA Games Awards

The BAFTA Games Awards concluded last night, celebrating excellence in gaming with notable wins for Balatro and Vampire Survivors. Despite not having the widespread reach of Geoff Keighley's Game Awards, the BAFTAs hold a prestigious reputation, often outshining the former in terms of industry respect, if not in spectacle.

A striking aspect of this year's awards was the absence of platform-specific categories, a decision that has been in place since 2019. This approach aims to highlight games based on their merit rather than their platform, allowing titles like Balatro and Vampire Survivors to shine. Balatro, a roguelike deckbuilder, clinched the Debut Game award, sparking discussions about the potential for indie games to become the next big hit. Meanwhile, Vampire Survivors, previously honored with the Best Game award in 2023, secured the Best Evolving Game title, impressively outperforming heavyweights like Diablo IV and Final Fantasy XIV Online.

The decision to forgo platform-specific accolades, as explained by Luke Hebblethwaite from the BAFTAs game team, reflects the organization's belief that games should compete on equal footing, regardless of the platform they're released on. This perspective has allowed mobile and multiplatform games like Vampire Survivors and Genshin Impact to gain significant recognition.

While the lack of mobile-specific categories might affect visibility for some, the success of Balatro and Vampire Survivors suggests that mobile platforms have played a crucial role in their reach and impact. This can be seen as a form of recognition for the mobile gaming community.

For more insights into mobile gaming and beyond, tune into the latest episode of the Pocket Gamer Podcast, where I and Will dive deep into the latest trends and discussions in the industry.