The German Computer Game Award will be awarded in 2023 in 15 categories to honor the best games from Germany and the creative minds behind the games. The award comes with prize money of 800,000 euros.
The most highly endowed category is the “Best German Game”. For the first time, awards will be presented in the categories “Best Audio Design” and “Best Graphic Design” at the DCP 2023.
The submission phase ended on January 20, 2023 at 11:59 pm. Games released between the end of the last submission period on January 17, 2022 and the day of this year’s awards ceremony on May 11, 2023 could be submitted. It was possible to submit titles in several categories. The situation is different for up-and-coming prototypes. These must not have been published before the award ceremony. For the “Best Innovation and Technology” category, not only classic computer games but all innovative games-related projects are eligible. The winners are determined in a two-stage process by expert juries and a main jury.
Games worthy of an award are characterized by high quality, i.e. they offer gaming fun, are culturally and/or educationally valuable and/or technically or otherwise innovative.
In the Best German Game category, the best digital game originating from Germany is awarded a prize – regardless of the target group, genre and game platform. In the Best German Game category, all nominated games receive prize money and are thus upgraded.
The “Best German Game” category is endowed with 100,000 euros for the winning game and 30,000 euros each for the two other nominees.
In the Best Family Game category, prizes are awarded to digital games originating from Germany that are aimed in particular at children who experience gaming fun accompanied by their parents, or offer shared gaming fun in the family, and that have or receive an age rating from the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) of 12 years or less.
The category “Best Family Game” is endowed with 40,000 euros for the winning game.
In the Young Talent Awards category, the best debut games originating from Germany will be awarded “Best Debut” and “Young Talent Award Best Prototype”. The “Best Debut” is awarded to digital games by a developer or team of developers who have brought a relevant game to the market for the first time or whose game is published by the day of the award ceremony in accordance with the regulations of the award and is worthy of an award in the sense of the award criteria. The game does not have to be the developer team’s very first game.
The category Young Talent Award Best Debut is endowed with 60,000 euros for the best debut game and 25,000 euros each for two further nominees.
The Best Prototype category is awarded to the best prototypes from Germany submitted by young teams. The digital game submitted for the “Young Talent Award Best Prototype” must not have been published before the award ceremony and must not be submitted as a finished game in another category at the same time. Usual non-commercial publications in early development phases on platforms commonly used for this purpose, e.g. on itch.io, are permitted.
The category “Young Talent Award Best Prototype” is endowed with 50,000 euros for the best prototype and 25,000 euros each for the four other nominees.
In the category “Best Game Design”, the best game design originating from Germany is awarded. Game design is understood to mean the conception and implementation of a game vision, the flow of the digital game, and game rules and mechanisms, which together create the game experience.
The “Best Game Design” category is endowed with 40,000 euros.
The “Best Graphic Design” category honors digital games developed in Germany that stand out for their outstanding graphic design in the visualization of the game. Graphic design is understood to mean the artistic and technical design, including visual character design, interface, animations, light dynamics, texturing and coloring, as well as the aesthetic design of the game world.
The “Best Graphic Design” category is endowed with 40,000 euros.
The “Best Audio Design” category honors digital games developed in Germany that excel in the design of sound, tone and noises, dialog and musical composition and create a particularly immersive audio experience.
The “Best Audio Design” category is endowed with 40,000 euros.
The “Best Innovation and Technology” category honors the best hardware or software technology made in Germany that is used in the computer and video games industry. This can be, for example, a special process, a special games technology (middleware) or a special control system.
Pioneering innovations from Germany that demonstrate the innovative strength of the computer and video games industry are eligible for the award. Award winners can also be research institutions or industrial companies, for example.
Submissions that are not digital games must have a clear connection to digital games and be submitted in a sample-ready state or with sufficient documentation.
The “Best Innovation and Technology” category is endowed with 40,000 euros.
In the category “Best Serious Game” the best serious game from Germany is awarded. Serious games are digital games that do not primarily serve the purpose of entertainment. Digital games that have a concretely defined characterizing goal, for example a learning effect, a change in behavior, a health effect or playful attention to socially relevant topics such as religion, security or energy, are worthy of an award. This category can also be used to award successful examples of gamification as well as technology transfers from the computer and video game industry to other areas of business, industry or society.
The “Best Serious Game” category is endowed with 40,000 euros.
The “Best Mobile Game” category is awarded to the best game for mobile devices (in particular cell phones, smartphones, tablet computers, handheld consoles) originating from Germany.
The “Best Mobile Game” category is endowed with 40,000 euros.
The category “Best Expert Game” honors the special digital game from Germany that appeals to special target groups and areas of interest, implements unusual game concepts or is outstandingly successful in submarkets. In particular, simulations, strategy games and other complex digital games are to be honored here.
The “Best Expert Game” category is endowed with 40,000 euros.
In the category “Best International Game” the best international game is awarded – regardless of the target group, the genre and the game platform. In this category, the success of a game among players can also be taken into account as evidence of its quality.
The category “Best International Game” is not endowed.
The non-endowed “Player of the Year” award is given to e-sportsmen, let’s players or gamers who have distinguished themselves with special achievements. This can be a gaming achievement, but also a commitment to the medium of games, the community or society as a whole. Clear references to computer and video games must be given in any case.
The “Studio of the Year” award explicitly honors and focuses on the creative minds behind the games. The award-winning development studio is particularly convincing through its games – but (team) success, the commitment of the studio as a whole or a special studio achievement are also to be honored. These can include, for example: quality as an employer, product success and quality, corporate development, innovation, social responsibility or social commitment (e.g. diversity, sustainability, promotion of young talent, education and training).
The “Studios of the Year” category is endowed with 50,000 euros.
With the “Special Jury Prize”, the jury can honor a personality, an institution, a company, an event or the like that has rendered outstanding services to computer and video games or the computer and video games industry.
The category “Special Jury Prize” is endowed with 10,000 euros.
