Rogue-like action-adventure game Cult of the Lamb from Melbourne/UK indie studio Massive Monster herded its way to four wins at the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) Australian Game Developer Awards on Wednesday, including Game of The Year.
Held as part of Melbourne International Games Week, the awards recognised winners from 13 categories, in addition to four cultural awards.
Of these, Cult of the Lamb also won Excellence in Gameplay, Excellence in Music and Excellence in Art.
Published by Devolver Digital, the game casts players in the role of a possessed lamb saved from annihilation by an ominous stranger who must repay their debt by building a loyal following in his name.
Massive Monster creative director Julian Wilton said it was pleasing to see the title acknowledged in such a way.
“After experiencing our success overseas,” he said.
“It was an amazing feeling to see our game really resonate with Australians as well. We received such strong support locally and we love that it’s being enjoyed, not just for the gameplay, but also for the art and music.”
The haul was part of a strong showing for Victorian games, which claimed 10 of the 13 categories.
Women-led studios were also well represented on the winners’ list, with Wylde Flowers by Studio Drydock claiming Excellence in Narrative Games and Excellence in Mobile Games, and Kinder World by Lumi Interactive winning Excellence in Serious Games.
IGEA CEO Ron Curry said the calibre of games across each of the categories was a good indicator of the bright future ahead for their creators.
“Australia has a strong and well-deserved reputation across the world for developing innovative, unique, and fun games for all types of players,” he said.
Victoria may have risen to the top in developer awards but South Australian and NSW gamers were the multiple winners in the PAX Indie Showcase, which highlights the best upcoming independent games across Australia and New Zealand.
We Made A Thing Studios’ Box Knight (SA), Melonhead Games’ Rooftop Renegade ArkimA’s TopplePOP Bungee Blockbusters (NSW), Witch Beam’s Tempopo (QLD), Misadventurous’ Repella Fella (NSW), and Studio Folly’s Gubbins (Victoria) were selected to the show floor by industry vets at this year’s event.
Box Knight, an irreverent action RPG roguelike, and fast-paced action platformer Rooftop Renegade, both received funding through the South Australian Film Corporation’s (SAFC) inaugural Games Innovation Fund in 2019.
In commending the developers on their success, SAFC CEO Kate Croser reiterated her agency’s commitment to supporting the state’s game development sector.
“It is so exciting to see two video games developed with support from the very first round of the SAFC’s inaugural Games Innovation Fund – Box Knight and Rooftop Renegade – go on to achieve such national success,” she said.
Melbourne International Games Week runs until October 9.
The IGEA Game Developer winners are as follows:
Game of the Year
Cult of the Lamb
Excellence in Art
Cult of the Lamb
Excellence in Gameplay
Cult of the Lamb
Excellence in Narrative
Wylde Flowers
Excellence in Sound Design
Heavenly Bodies
Excellence in Music
Cult of the Lamb
Excellence in Technical Design
Age of Darkness: Final Stand
Excellence in Accessibility – Presented by VicScreen
Lost and Hound
Excellence in Mobile Games
Wylde Flowers
Excellence in AR/VR
Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown
Excellence in Serious Games (Applied/Impactful)
Kinder World
Excellence in Emerging Games (Student or Early Career)
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Excellence in Ongoing Games (Games as a Service)
The Oregon Trail
Rising Star Award
Raymond Corrigan
Ambition Award
Ryan McMahon
Adam Lancman Award
Clara Reeves
Studio of the Year
Gameloft