Winners of the 2021 installment of the Australian Game Developer Awards were announced last night.

The big winner of the night was Witch Beam’s Unpacking, which won for Excellence in Accessibility and Game of the Year. Witch Beam art director and designer Wren Brier said this about earning two wins:

"It's humbling to be part of a roster of amazing studios with incredible games that have won this award. We're so pleased that Unpacking also took home the Excellence in Accessibility Award as we're firm believers that video games can and should be enjoyed by everyone."

The Australian Game Developer Awards, which was hosted by the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association, was part of Melbourne International Games Week. IGEA CEO Ron Curry commented on the ceremony:

"Each of these worthy individual recipients received numerous nominations from across the industry and it is a joy to recognise them with these awards tonight. The AGDAs are the perfect opportunity to celebrate the Australian games industry and the amazing people who work within it. Australian developers create games that are enjoyed internationally, by millions of people, giving credence to the creativity, skill and hard work of our Australian studios. All of these games, studios, and individuals truly deserve these Awards - not just for video games, but for the work and contributions they have made to the wider screen sector."

Australian Game Developer Awards 2021 winners

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)

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)