Gaming
Nominations announced for first-ever Scottish Games Awards
-
The longlist covers achievements in Art and Animation, Audio, Best Small Budget Game, Best Big Budget Game, and many more!
-
Winners will be announced on Thursday 27th October, as part of Scottish Games Week
The long list of nominees for the first-ever Scottish Games Awards has been released, celebrating the best games talent in Scotland. The awards – taking place at the Malmaison in Dundee on the 27th of October – will bring together a wide range of disciplines and specialities from across the games ecosystem and beyond, acting as a show of appreciation for those leading the charge across the growing and thriving sector.
The Scottish Games Awards ceremony is the culmination of the first ever Scottish Games Week, a first of its kind suite of events that will take place across Scotland from the 24th – 27th of October. Winners will be announced at the ceremony on Thursday 27th of October, tickets are available now via Citizen Ticket.
The award nominees are as follows:
Art and Animation
-
Just Take Your Left (Mehrdad Rezaei)
-
Cloudpunk (ION LANDS)
-
Galaxy Fight Club (Interference Pattern)
-
Train Sim World 2: Island Line 2022 (Rivet Games)
-
Autonauts vs Piratebots (Denki)
Audio
-
SOLAS 128 (Amicable Animal)
-
Train Sim World 2: Island Line 2022 (Rivet Games)
-
A Bonnie Odyssey (Astrodreamer Studio)
-
Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The First Cases (Blazing Griffin)
-
Autonauts vs Piratebots (Denki)
Best Educational Programme
-
Glasgow Caledonian University: 3D Art and Animation
-
University of the West of Scotland Games Development Programme
-
Robert Burns’ Farm at Ellisland in Minecraft
-
Dundee & Angus College: HN Games Development
-
Glasgow School of Art: MSc Visualisation
Best Educator
-
Daisy Abbott
-
Dr Thomas Methven
-
Jane Draycott
-
Erin Hughes
-
Dr Lynn Love
Best Large-Budget Game
-
From the Depths (Brilliant Skies Ltd.)
-
Cloudpunk (ION LANDS)
-
Mystery Match Village (Outplay Entertainment Ltd)
-
Autonauts vs Piratebots (Denki)
-
Island Saver (Stormcloud)
Best Small-Budget Game
-
Temple of Snek (Aetheric Games)
-
The Black Iris (Jamie Ferguson)
-
SOLAS 128 (Amicable Animal)
-
The Baby in Yellow (Team Terrible)
-
Ultimate Supremacy (GameExplosion)
Creativity
-
SOLAS 128 (Amicable Animal)
-
Cloudpunk (ION LANDS)
-
Playhead (Lowtek Games)
-
Temple of Snek (Aetheric Games)
-
Strange Sickness (Common Profyt Games)
Diversity Champion
-
Joanne Lacey
-
Searra Dodds
-
Tanya Laird
-
Lauren Aitken
-
Charly Harbord
Lifetime Achievement
-
Colin Anderson
-
Tanya Laird
-
Stuart Martin
-
Dave Jones
-
Chris Sawyer
Stewart Gilray Award (Community Spirit)
-
Malath Abbas
-
Colin Macdonald
-
Colin Anderson
-
Dr Amanda Ford
-
Paddy Burns
Technical Achievement
-
Conquest.eth (Etherplay)
-
Monstrum 2 (Team Junkfish)
-
Ultimate Supremacy (GameExplosion)
-
A Bonnie Odyssey (Astrodreamer Studio)
-
From the Depths (Brilliant Skies Ltd.)
Tools and Technology
-
Dislectek
-
Murder Mystery Machine
-
Kythera AI
-
Zappaty
-
AdInMo
The long list of entries will now go to the judging panel, chaired by Chris Scullion, and comprising of:
-
Brian Baird: Technical Director at Bethesda Games Studios Austin
-
Joe Donnelly: Feature Writer at GamesRadar+
-
Alisdair Gunn: Director at Glasgow City Innovation District
-
Steven Hamill: COO at Scottish Edge
-
Keza MacDonald: Video Games Editor at The Guardian
-
Jim Trinca: Games journalist and video producer
-
Jo Twist: CEO of UKIE
The judges will be tasked with picking a shortlist and winners from each of the categories.
Brian Baglow, Director of Scottish Games Week and Founder of the Scottish Games Network said: “As the founder and director of the Scottish Games Network, I am lucky enough to see on a daily basis, the incredible work being carried out in Scotland and meet the people, the pioneers and the games which are shaping the future of the games ecosystem.
“However, not every game – or person – doing this work gets the visibility they need or deserve. The Scottish Games Awards are designed to address this and showcase the people, the organisations and the games which make Scotland such a wonderful place to create, publish, teach, learn, love (or even play!) games.
“We were thrilled to get such a wide range of entries and such a high level of excellence across each of the categories. I don’t envy the judges trying to select the winners from such a superb range of entries.
“Good luck to every entrant!”
Powered by WPeMatico
Africa
South Africa’s Top Gamers Crowned at 2025 MTN SHIFT Gaming Grand Finals at Canal Walk
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Massive wins, standout talent and a showdown wrapped up five months of fierce competition across the country.
After months of qualifiers and regional heats at eight Hyprop malls across South Africa, the MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience reached its electrifying conclusion at Canal Walk Shopping Centre. With hundreds of spectators and players packing the gaming arena, the national finals brought the heat and crowned South Africa’s best in EAFC 25
, Beat Saber, Call of Duty and more.
In the EAFC National Final, Hamza Moosa (17) from Sandton, proved why he’s one of the country’s most exciting young talents. A professional esports player for Goliath Gaming, Moosa outplayed the competition to take top honours. A familiar name on the international stage, he recently represented South Africa at the Esports World Cup qualifier in Saudi Arabia. Hamza left the MTN SHIFT Gaming national finals with prize money of R25000.
Beat Saber fans saw a fast-paced, high-score battle won by Michael Prange (17) from Pretoria and Garsfontein High School. Ranked #2 nationally, Prange is also a two-time Beat Saber World Cup competitor and has helped shape South Africa’s competitive VR rhythm community through coaching, mentorship, and global participation. As the 2025 MTN SHIFT Gaming Beat Saber national champion, Michael won a Gaming PC valued at R50000.
In the schools division, Ridhaa April, 15, from Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs, took the EAFC title. A prodigious talent who’s been competing since the age of 12, Ridhaa plays professionally for Goliath Gaming and already holds multiple top finishes, including 1st place at the 2025 ASL.
In the Rocket League school tournament, Curro took top spot, followed by Edgemead High in second place.
Meanwhile, Call of Duty Mobile closed out the finals with serious intensity as returning champions Nixuh held onto their title. The dominant team of Magicz (Raees Ismail), Adnaan (Adnaan Bhamjee), Raz (Rahil Bux) and Enigma (Jameen Essa) walked away with a R30 000 cash prize.
“The atmosphere at this year’s finals was absolutely electric,” said Vanessa Herbst, Marketing Manager at Canal Walk Shopping Centre. “The level of skill on display was unreal, and the crowd brought their energy every day. The bar has been set very high for the 2026 edition.”
The MTN SHIFT Gaming Experience is South Africa’s biggest mall-based gaming tournament, played over five months across Gauteng and the Western Cape. Regional heats were hosted at Rosebank Mall, Clearwater Mall, The Glen, Woodlands, Table Bay Mall, Somerset Mall and Capegate Shopping Centre, with the final week of competition culminating at Canal Walk. The tournament drew thousands of players across all skill levels, offering more than R250 000 in prizes and a platform to compete in front of live audiences.
“The SHIFT Gaming Experience is about bringing high-level competition into public spaces and giving players of all ages the opportunity to compete, connect and grow,” said Christie Stanbridge, Brand and Campaigns Marketing Manager at Hyprop. “From pros representing South Africa on global stages to young players discovering their potential, far more than being entertaining, this year highlighted gaming as a space for learning, discipline and community.”
With the 2025 tournament wrapped, planning is already underway for an even bigger return in 2026.
The post South Africa’s Top Gamers Crowned at 2025 MTN SHIFT Gaming Grand Finals at Canal Walk appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Bonus Bag feature
TaDa Gaming Delivers Highway Thrills in Chicken Dash
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Award-winning TaDa has taken a favourite joke and transformed it into an immersive and humorous crash release. Simple mechanics, personalised risk management controls and a max win of 20,659.1x are enhanced with slick graphics and a fearless chicken.
And with an expanding bonus bag that fell off the back of a lorry, it’s easy to see why this chicken is so determined to get to the other side.
Players begin by setting their preferred gameplay parameters. Three levels of Easy, Normal and Hard will dictate the level length or number of tiles the bird has to cross and the level max multiplier value.
Strong clear colours and polished visuals set the scene for the determined chicken to make it across the motorway. Beginning on the grass verge, players click to send the bird across the lanes one multiplier tile at a time against the oncoming traffic.
Each safe step will see a safety barrier land to protect the chicken but one false move and it’s game over and back to the grass verge.
Keeping players on high alert, the Chicken Dash feature can randomly trigger multiple times in a game. The appearance and squawking of the rooster starts the bonus feature which protects the chicken from traffic throughout and allows it to pass over two or three tiles in one go.
A Bonus Bag feature can also randomly trigger. Players must land the chicken on the tile where the bag dropped to collect the prize. And the higher the risk level, the higher the prize.
A clear UI and straightforward gameplay mean players can focus on getting the chicken across the road in one piece – and hopefully with the bonus prize – while enjoying Chicken Dash’s crisp graphics and sly details in this high volatility and amusing game.
Sean Liu, Director of Product Management at TaDa Gaming, said: “Chicken Dash is a hugely entertaining crash game that will have players laughing out loud. The cartoon graphics add to the experiential play and we promise no chickens were hurt in making of this game.”
The post TaDa Gaming Delivers Highway Thrills in Chicken Dash appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Cash Rain Event
TaDa Gaming Releases Cash Stack
Reading Time: < 1 minute
TaDa Gaming, a leading provider of innovative casino content, is redefining fast-play entertainment with the release of Cash Stack, an adrenaline-pumping crash game that puts timing, control and strategy directly in the player’s hands. With a max multiplier of 100x, Cash Stack delivers rapid gameplay, instant decisions and nonstop engagement.
Built for players who love simplicity and control, Cash Stack starts at a 1.01x multiplier, with the tension rising as players manually tap DROP to increase their payout potential. Every decision carries risk — one mistimed move and the round ends instantly. For those who dare, the game can soar up to 100x before the stack collapses.
The twist comes with the Cash Rain Event, a random in-game boost that can multiply winnings by 0.1x to 10x. Players must hit CASH OUT before the round ends to claim the bonus value, adding a thrilling layer of timing and anticipation. The result is a fast, skill-driven experience that rewards quick reactions and nerve.
Cash Stack embodies TaDa Gaming’s next step in the evolution of crash games — sleek visuals, simple mechanics and an emphasis on player control over automatic outcomes.
Sean Liu, Director of Product Management at TaDa Gaming, said: “Cash Stack takes the essence of crash gameplay and turns it into a true test of timing and instinct. Every round is a balance between greed and precision — do you cash out early or chase the big win? We’ve designed it to be fast, flexible, and highly engaging for players who want to feel in control.”
The post TaDa Gaming Releases Cash Stack appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
Australia6 days agoWestern Australia: New Casino Carded Play Set to Reduce Gambling Harm
-
Association of Organisers of Games of Chance6 days agoSerbia Establishes “Association of Organisers of Games of Chance”
-
Latest News6 days agoAll Roads Lead to the Helicopter — N1 Partners Turns SiGMA Central Europe 2025 into a Pit Stop for Deals
-
Latest News5 days agoMarketing the Game: How iGaming Brands Win Players and Partners in 2025
-
Latest News5 days agoDream Play Unleashes Fun`n Games — Where Innovation Meets the Wheel of Fortune
-
Compliance Updates5 days agoEGBA Launches Pledge on Responsible Influencer Marketing
-
Booming Games6 days agoFish Tales Are Back with a Haunted Twist in Booming Games’ Fish Tales: Halloween
-
Compliance Updates5 days agoKansspelautoriteit Sees Increasing Risk Analyses of Sports Betting



