BAFTA has announced the winners of the 2025 Young Game Designers awards, hosted by Inel Tomlinson during a digital ceremony last week.
There were 52 finalists competing for one of two awards during the event’s 15th anniversary: the Game Concept Award and the Game Making Award.
The five winners of this year’s competition were aged between 12 to 18-years-old, the youngest being 13-year-old Thiago van Vlerken Rene who received the Game Making Award for his title Sir Floofington that takes place in a procedurally generated castle.
In the same age category, 14-year-old Tanisi Rawat won the Game Concept Award for The Undead – a non-linear psychological horror that “explores solitude and loneliness” that Rawat said highlights “the prevalence of solace and human kindness in a society unbound by proper law”.
In the 15 to 18-year-old group, Luke Rayfield received the Game Making Award for his game Furniture Fu that combines martial arts and interior decorating.
Isabelle Taylor and Emily Sun won the Game Concept Award for Mikka Bouzu, which follows a game designer “who has lost her passion for art” which was “made for players who struggle with the difficult transition from child to adult, and the burnout it often brings.”
The winners will be featured in the Power Up experience, which are currently being showcased at the Science Museum in London, the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, and the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford.
The games will also be showcased at 195 Piccadilly on June 29, 2025.
“BAFTA is dedicated to supporting emerging talent, and this year’s Young Game Designers are no exception,” said BAFTA executive director, learning, inclusion, policy and membership Tim Hunter.
“The amount of talent and creativity we’ve seen from our winning game creators and finalists has been a joy to behold, and their ideas continue to provide us with a fascinating insight into the younger generation.”
Hunter continued: “Since we began Young Game Designers in 2010, a lot has changed. Schools and wider society now increasingly recognise the creativity involved in game-making, as well as the opportunities games offer young people to express themselves and explore life’s big questions.
“We continue to work hard to champion the cultural contribution games make and to ensure the industry is accessible to everyone. I look forward to our BAFTA Young Game Designers Showcase, and to seeing what our brilliant winners and finalists do next.”
