The 12th annual A MAZE. Award nominees have been revealed, with dozens of experimental, arthouse, and innovative games from around the world celebrated. Amongst them is Wayward Strand, the Australian-made narrative adventure game from Melbourne studio, Ghost Pattern. It’s been nominated in the Gender Diversity category, which was established to highlight games created by women and gender marginalised developers.
Elsewhere, the A MAZE. awards have spotlighted an eclectic mix of games and experiences from 56 different countries, each addressing cultural experiences, vast questions, and unique worlds. In Escape from Lavender Island, players explore an uncanny physical realm that originates in the world of dreams. Mind Diver features a sinister party, and an exploration of suppressed memories.
In Roller Drama, you join the high stakes world of Roller Derby as five athletes forge friendships amidst a chaotic sports scene. Scarlet Hollow is a mystery adventure filled with vengeful spirits and untold horror. Then, there’s The Forest Quartet, a puzzle adventure starring a lonely spirit facing difficult emotions.
The A MAZE. award nominees cover performances, poetry, games, and personal stories, with each embodying the experimental, playful, arthouse experiences elevated by the international A MAZE. Festival.
Here’s the full list of A MAZE. award nominees for 2023.
A MAZE. Nominees
- Discordance, Unwired Dance Theatre (UK)
- Escape from Lavender Island, Jeremy Couillard (USA)
- Extreme Evolution: Drive to Divinity, Sam Atlas (USA)
- Flawless Abbey, CRITICAL REFLEX / Bed Head Games (Georgia)
- Human:Level, Fabian Kühfuß (Germany)
- It’s just a dream (don’t worry), Laurenz Riklin / Leander Leutzendorff (Austria)
- King of the Castle, Tributary Games (UK, New Zealand, France, USA)
- Lost on Mars, Trey Ramm (USA)
- Mexico, 1921: A deep slumber, Macula Interactive (Mexico)
- Mind Diver, Indoor Sunglasses (Denmark)
- Onto Maizilind Unto Infinity (OMUI), Kas Ghobadi / Julian Palacios (USA, Italy)
- opera – a future game, v. zur Mühlen / Köck / Bischoff / Miotk (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)
- Player Non Player, Jonathan Coryn (France)
- PRODUCER 2021, Stuffed Wombat (Austria)
- Roller Drama, Open Lab (Italy)
- Scarlet Hollow, Black Tabby Games (USA)
- SCHiM, Extra Nice (Netherlands)
- SEASON: A letter to the future, Scavengers Studio (Canada)
- SIGNALIS, rose-engine (Deutschland)
- South of the Circle, State of Play (UK)
- The Bureau of Multiversal Arbitration, Aconite (USA)
- The Forest Quartet, Mads & Friends (Denmark, Germany, Brazil)
- The MetaMovie Presents: Alien Rescue, The MetaMovie (USA)
- Viewfinder, Sad Owl Studios (UK, Philippines, USA, Norway, Spain, Finland)
- Yugo: the non-game, Petrit Hoxha (Kosovo)
A MAZE. Gender Diversity Award Nominees
- Finding Hannah, Fein Games (Germany)
- Psychotic Bathtub – The Story of an Escalating Mind. And Ducks., natsha (Switzerland)
- Songs of the Lost, Apocablyss Studios (Canada)
- The Horticulturists, The Lovable Hat Cult (Denmark)
- Wayward Strand, ghost pattern (Australia)
A MAZE. Honourable Mentions
- A Community Garden Outside Of Kyiv, Dean Moynihan (UK)
- Afterglitch, Vladimir Kudelka (Czech Republic)
- Beyond The Lens, Ben Koder (Australia)
- Dead Pets Unleashed, Triple Topping (Denmark)
- Gerda: A Flame of Winter, PORTAPLAY / Don’t Nod (Denamark)
- GRASPING, Duncan Corrigan & Vulcara (Australia)
- Open World Shutter, Johnny Hopkins (USA)
- OXYMORE by Jean-Michel Jarre, VRROOM (France, Italy, Georgia, Kazakhstan)
- POST VOID, Y/CJ/Y games (Sweden)
- Sena,, Jisoo Lim (Republic of Korea)
- Strange Aeons, Korlis Dikcius (Lithuania)
- Strayed Lights, Embers (France)
- words, Ahmet Zahit Dönmez aka Ascetic (Turkey)
