Gaming

Revita crowned ‘Best Game’, Heartbound ‘Most Anticipated’ and Super Raft Boat ‘Best of GX.games’ in the GameMaker Awards 2022

Published

4 years ago

July 8, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The judges have deliberated. Over 200 games have been entered with thousands of votes cast. And we can now reveal that Revita has been crowned ‘Best Game’ and Heartbound ‘Most Anticipated’ game of the year, at the GameMaker Awards 2022.

The GameMaker Awards recognize games built in GameMaker which demonstrate excellence in design, creativity, technical ability and of course, awesome gameplay.

This year, the coveted gong for ‘Best Game’ goes to Revita, created by German developer BenStar. Revita is an exciting twin-stick roguelite platformer, where you play as an unnamed child as you ascend an ominous clocktower in pursuit of your lost memories. The game was up against a tough shortlist, which included Sucker for Love: First Date, ElecHead, Grapple Dog and Webbed. However, Revita’s fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping gameplay and incredibly satisfying combat mechanics ultimately won the judges over, which included head of GameMaker Russell Kay, and Opera GX Product Director, Maciej Kocemba.

The ‘Most Anticipated Game’ at this year’s awards went to Heartbound, from US developer, Pirate Software. Heartbound’s unorthodox approach to role playing games tells the story of a boy, his dog, curious secrets, and sanity – all created in a breathtaking pixel art style. However, it was Heartbound’s amazing storytelling which really captured the judges imagination, leaving them hungry for more.

The other finalists of the Most Anticipated Game category were BROK the InvestiGator, Cattails: Wildwood Story, Exophobia and Rusted Moss.

For 2022, the GameMaker Awards introduced the new ‘Best of GX.games’ award category, shining a light on some of the awesome games shared from GameMaker to the GX.games platform. Amongst the host of truly outstanding games competing for this inaugural award, Super Raft Boat was named the winner. An upbeat roguelike set in the flooded world, Super Raft Boat challenges the players to a mad dash over precarious rafts, constantly besieged by enemies, where only the very best of rafters make it to Final Island.

The other games shortlisted for the title of Best of GX.games were All You Can Take, Memorial Pillage, Ogre Chambers and Raven Estate.

Russell Kay, Head of GameMaker, said: “Each year, I’m completely blown away by the incredible standard of the games which enter the GameMaker Awards, from creators and studios pushing the absolute boundaries of GameMaker’s powerful functionality. In judging this year’s awards, we’ve once again been lucky to experience a huge range of awesome games which combine enthralling creative ideas, vivid artistic concepts and highly engaging gameplay to create something truly memorable. But as with last year’s awards, I’m just glad the final decision was left in the hands of our loyal GameMaker and Opera GX communities.”
Ben Kiefer, Lead Developer, BenStar, added: “GameMaker has always been with me since the very start of my gamedev career. Almost everything I know about gamedev, I have learned during the development of Revita. From how much of a difference the lerp function makes to the power of json files. And of course, how important a strong community can be.

“Therefore, it’s immensely humbling that the game that originally made me want to learn gamedev professionally, is the one that’s won the ‘Best Game’ category. I would also like to say a big thank you to everyone who gave Revita their vote, when all the shortlisted games would have deserved it just as much! I honestly still can’t believe it.”

Thor, Founder, Pirate Software, commented: “Heartbound is our first major game as an indie studio so it’s awesome to receive this award. Working with GameMaker throughout this has been easy and it allowed us to do everything we wanted to. Without royalties to tie us down it’s been a fantastic financial choice for our studio as well.

“If anyone out there has ever considered making a game, don’t wait for that perfect moment when the planets align. Get out there and start making stuff or you never will. You don’t need any special knowledge or skill to start. Just work on your side project everyday. Join game jams. Make something small and launch it. Get feedback from EVERYONE. Adapt and level up with your experience. You got this.”

ason Gertner, developer, Super Raft Boat, added: “It’s a big honor to receive a GameMaker Award for Super Raft Boat! Super Raft Boat actually came from a game I canceled in 2017. The team for SRB formed around a new jam in 2021, so we took some elements from the original, and reformatted it into a much more understandable and compact experience. Most of the team has been using GameMaker for over 10 years, so it means a lot that so many people enjoyed the game.”

casino

Stake Upgrades Flagship Crash Game With Sharper Visuals and Smoother Gameplay

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2026

Wladimir P.

stake-upgrades-flagship-crash-game-with-sharper-visuals-and-smoother-gameplay

A worldwide refresh of one of the most-played titles in the Stake Originals collection introduces a new graph crack animation, dynamic multiplier gradients, a live player count and faster, more reliable performance across devices.

Stake, the world’s largest online casino and sportsbook, has today announced a major worldwide update to its flagship Crash casino game, marking the next significant milestone in the evolution of the Stake Originals portfolio. The update delivers a refreshed visual experience and a series of performance upgrades for players.

Crash has built a global following thanks to a simple but high-intensity format – players track a rising multiplier and decide when to cash out before it suddenly drops. As one of the most recognisable titles in the Stake Originals portfolio, it sits at the heart of the platform’s in-house gaming identity, and this latest release sharpens both the look and the feel of every round.

The update introduces a refreshed look with a new graph crack animation that gives every round a more defined visual moment as the multiplier ends. The multiplier curve has been upgraded with dynamic colour gradients that evolve in real time – shifting from blue in the early stages, through green and purple, and into yellow as higher values are reached. A new player count display also shows how many participants are still active in each round, adding a stronger sense of shared, real-time gameplay.

Cashout responsiveness has been improved for faster, more consistent interactions during key multiplier moments allowing for a smoother performance. The update also enables uninterrupted gameplay during deployments, meaning Crash continues running smoothly while improvements are being rolled out in the background. Game payload optimisation and enhanced gameplay processing systems further reduce loading times and improve stability, particularly during high-activity periods, for a more reliable experience across all devices.

“Crash is one of those games that defines what a Stake Original feels like – quick, social, and full of tension in the best way. This update is about giving players a sharper, more responsive version of a game they already love, without ever losing what made it so appealing in the first place.” – Stake’s Chief Marketing Officer, Akhil Sarin.

Crash is one of Stake Casino‘s most-played games, and the goal of this update is simple: keep what players love about it, and make everything around it feel sharper.

About Stake

Stake is the world’s largest online casino and sportsbook, attracting over 100 million monthly visits across its global domains – more than any other iGaming platform on earth. Founded in 2017, Stake attracts over 80 million monthly visits and processes more than 100 billion bets per year. Stake is renowned for its innovation in crypto wagering and its growing expansion into regulated local-currency gaming markets, including Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. The brand boasts an extensive global sponsorship portfolio including Drake, X Games, Everton Football Club, and the UFC.

Contact

Stake

[email protected]

The post Stake Upgrades Flagship Crash Game With Sharper Visuals and Smoother Gameplay appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

casino

Stake Upgrades Flagship Crash Game With Sharper Visuals and Smoother Gameplay

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

Crash is one of Stake Casino‘s most-played games, and the goal of this update is simple: keep what players love about it, and make everything around it feel sharper.

About Stake

Contact

Stake

[email protected]

The post Stake Upgrades Flagship Crash Game With Sharper Visuals and Smoother Gameplay appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

ARK Games

Flexion Enters into Partnership with ARK Games

Published

3 days ago

May 14, 2026

Wladimir P.

flexion-enters-into-partnership-with-ark-games

Flexion has signed a partnership with ARK Games to bring Fishing Travel to its growing portfolio of titles on the alternative app stores. The game will launch on the Amazon Appstore, Samsung Galaxy Store, Samsung Instant Play, Xiaomi GetApps, Epic Games Store and ONE store during during Q2 2026.

Fishing Travel is currently a Top 30 Grossing Casual game in the US alone. It has over 1 million downloads on Google Play and a 4.5-star user rating.

Flexion handles the technical work of bringing a game to alternative channels. This approach relies on 20 years of expertise and a deep bench of alternative market experts. On average, Flexion adds more than 10% in incremental revenue to the titles it represents. Its current portfolio includes 37 top-grossing games, including four titles that have reached the Top 10 grossing charts on Google Play.

As part of this agreement, Flexion will use its Exprexion Markets service to manage the technical requirements and platform relations for ARK Games.

“The old playbook for mobile growth is broken. For too long, developers have been forced to rent their audiences from a duopoly that takes a 30% cut of every dollar earned. We are providing the independence studios need to expand. By using Exprexion Markets, we help partners like ARK Games reclaim their margins and reach global audiences on their own terms,” said Jens Lauritzson, CEO of Flexion.

The mobile market is shifting towards alternative distribution as a strategic necessity. High store taxes and rising acquisition costs have made the traditional model difficult for many studios to sustain. Flexion acts as a partner in scaling revenue and securing earned margins without the typical upfront costs.

“We built Fishing Travel to be a high-quality simulation, and we want to reach the widest possible audience of enthusiasts,” said Xie Xiaoran, BD Director, ARK Games.

Fishing Travel is an exploratory fishing game where players choose from a variety of settings—lakes, rivers and the open ocean. Each location hosts unique species that require specific skills to catch.

The post Flexion Enters into Partnership with ARK Games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.