Here are this year’s Develop:Star Awards winners

Develop:Brighton is a three-day conference and expo that opened on Tuesday 9th and ends today, Thursday 11th July, 2019, and the accompanying Develop:Star Awards took place overnight on July 10th. The Awards – the first of which was handed out by Hello Games’ Sean Murray – “recognise the very best of the game development community” and celebrates the achievements of developers and their games across 15 categories, including one ultimate Develop Star award given to an “extraordinary game developer” for outstanding achievement and contribution to the industry.

With the exception of the Develop Star Award – which was awarded to Sean Murray – each winner was decided by an industry vote open to more than 4000 people with conference passes to this year’s Develop:Brighton, or who have attended over the past three years.

The big winners last night included Weather Factory, which picked up three awards for Best Micro Studio, Best Games Design, and Best Innovation, whilst Sumo Digital picked up Best Studio. Game of the Year went to Overcooked! 2 whilst Old School Runscape Mobile secured Best Mobile Game.

Amiqus received the 2019 Recruitment Star award and Curve Digital picked up this year’s Publishing Star prize.

“What a night,” said Andy Lane, managing director at Tandem Events. “It was a pleasure to see the community celebrating together as we handed out the first of many Develop:Star awards. I’d like to congratulate the winners and thank everyone who came, including our amazing sponsors. We’ll see you all again next year.”

The full winners are as follows:

Best Visual Art: Forza Horizon 4 – Playground Games | Xbox Game Studios

Best Narrative: Detroit: Become Human – Quantic Dream | Sony Interactive Entertainment

Best Games Design: Cultist Simulator – Weather Factory

Best Audio, sponsored by Dolby: Tetris Effect – Monstars & Resonair | Enhance

Best Original IP: Two Point Hospital – Two Point Studios | Sega

Best Innovation, sponsored by Amiqus: Cultist Simulator – Weather Factory

Diversity Star: Kish Hirani – BAME in Games

Best Supplier: Amazon Game Tech

Recruitment Star: Amiqus

Best Use of an Engine: Forza Horizon 4 – Playground Games | Xbox Game Studios

Publishing Star, sponsored by GamesIndustry.biz: Curve Digital

Best Mobile Game: Old School RuneScape Mobile – Jagex

Game of the Year: Overcooked! 2 – Ghost Town Games | Team17

Best Micro Studio, sponsored by Hi-Rez Studios: Weather Factory

Best Studio: Sumo Digital

The Develop Star Award: Sean Murray | Hello Games