Gaming
Nominations announced for first-ever Scottish Games Awards
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The longlist covers achievements in Art and Animation, Audio, Best Small Budget Game, Best Big Budget Game, and many more!
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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
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Just Take Your Left (Mehrdad Rezaei)
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Cloudpunk (ION LANDS)
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Galaxy Fight Club (Interference Pattern)
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Train Sim World 2: Island Line 2022 (Rivet Games)
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Autonauts vs Piratebots (Denki)
Audio
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SOLAS 128 (Amicable Animal)
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Train Sim World 2: Island Line 2022 (Rivet Games)
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A Bonnie Odyssey (Astrodreamer Studio)
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Agatha Christie – Hercule Poirot: The First Cases (Blazing Griffin)
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Autonauts vs Piratebots (Denki)
Best Educational Programme
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Glasgow Caledonian University: 3D Art and Animation
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University of the West of Scotland Games Development Programme
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Robert Burns’ Farm at Ellisland in Minecraft
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Dundee & Angus College: HN Games Development
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Glasgow School of Art: MSc Visualisation
Best Educator
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Daisy Abbott
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Dr Thomas Methven
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Jane Draycott
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Erin Hughes
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Dr Lynn Love
Best Large-Budget Game
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From the Depths (Brilliant Skies Ltd.)
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Cloudpunk (ION LANDS)
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Mystery Match Village (Outplay Entertainment Ltd)
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Autonauts vs Piratebots (Denki)
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Island Saver (Stormcloud)
Best Small-Budget Game
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Temple of Snek (Aetheric Games)
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The Black Iris (Jamie Ferguson)
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SOLAS 128 (Amicable Animal)
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The Baby in Yellow (Team Terrible)
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Ultimate Supremacy (GameExplosion)
Creativity
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SOLAS 128 (Amicable Animal)
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Cloudpunk (ION LANDS)
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Playhead (Lowtek Games)
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Temple of Snek (Aetheric Games)
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Strange Sickness (Common Profyt Games)
Diversity Champion
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Joanne Lacey
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Searra Dodds
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Tanya Laird
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Lauren Aitken
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Charly Harbord
Lifetime Achievement
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Colin Anderson
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Tanya Laird
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Stuart Martin
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Dave Jones
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Chris Sawyer
Stewart Gilray Award (Community Spirit)
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Malath Abbas
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Colin Macdonald
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Colin Anderson
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Dr Amanda Ford
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Paddy Burns
Technical Achievement
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Conquest.eth (Etherplay)
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Monstrum 2 (Team Junkfish)
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Ultimate Supremacy (GameExplosion)
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A Bonnie Odyssey (Astrodreamer Studio)
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From the Depths (Brilliant Skies Ltd.)
Tools and Technology
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Dislectek
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Murder Mystery Machine
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Kythera AI
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Zappaty
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AdInMo
The long list of entries will now go to the judging panel, chaired by Chris Scullion, and comprising of:
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Brian Baird: Technical Director at Bethesda Games Studios Austin
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Joe Donnelly: Feature Writer at GamesRadar+
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Alisdair Gunn: Director at Glasgow City Innovation District
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Steven Hamill: COO at Scottish Edge
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Keza MacDonald: Video Games Editor at The Guardian
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Jim Trinca: Games journalist and video producer
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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!”
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Gaming
Soft2Bet Introduces MEGA11, a Football Manager Experience Designed to Elevate Sportsbook Activity
Soft2Bet has revealed the debut of MEGA11, a football management game aimed at enhancing sportsbook interaction and improving player loyalty. Acknowledging that football manager and fantasy games rank among the most favored genres with the longest typical gameplay durations, MEGA11 provides a progression-oriented and captivating football manager experience focusing on fantasy league team construction, allowing players to tactically oversee their own teams and make important choices while competing in leagues and matches.
Users of sportsbooks are inherently used to waiting before making their next wager. That inactivity naturally leads to a decrease in daily engagement, even among bettors who are very focused on football. MEGA11 addresses this issue by providing users with a football management game seamlessly connected to the sportsbook experience. Rather than waiting for the upcoming kickoff, players can remain engaged by forming their team, modifying lineups, and battling in their personal matchups or leagues. This establishes a distinctive two-way interaction cycle, effortlessly integrating real-money wagering with social, engaging gameplay, transforming these calmer times into organized activity with defined objectives, advancement, and a motivation to come back.
MEGA11 is developed as an independent game featuring its own soft-currency system, without any direct links to sportsbook deposits or casino operations. The main experience is free-to-play, enabling players to advance at their own speed. For players seeking to advance quickly or enhance their team, MEGA11 provides optional purchases, such as more powerful player cards and boosters that speed up progress and offer a strategic advantage.
The engagement of the sportsbook is fueled by a straightforward, quantifiable mechanism. Each wager allows players to accumulate points that enhance their advancement in the football manager game. This advancement, consequently, activates sportsbook bonuses, actively encouraging ongoing involvement and strengthening consistent engagement. Advancement is organized via a five-level loyalty and gamification framework that reflects a football career trajectory: Beginner, Amateur, Professional, World Class, and Legend. The tiering aims to maintain motivation over time, providing a consistent feeling of progress that fosters longer-term retention instead of brief spurts of engagement.
The new engine enhances Soft2Bet’s larger MEGA portfolio, which currently features mechanics like MEGA Chance, MEGA Round, and MEGA Clawee. It further enhances Soft2Bet’s sportsbook offering with instant payouts, 24/7 support, and over 200 pre-match football markets, by introducing a perpetual football format designed to maintain fan engagement beyond the live match calendar.
The design of the product continues to prioritize player protection and compliance. MEGA11’s soft-currency, non-deposit model promotes secure and compliant interactions, emphasizing entertainment and advancement while adhering to responsible gaming standards in regulated regions.
Yoel Zuckerberg, CPO at Soft2Bet, stated: “MEGA11 is built to keep football fans engaged between matchdays, pairing a manager-style progression loop with a soft-currency model that supports compliant, long-term sportsbook loyalty. Football manager games are renowned for having the highest player immersion and longest session times in the industry. By bringing this experience to our partners, we are combining real betting with social gameplay to deliver authentic player experiences that resonate with fans and drive sustainable engagement.”
The introduction of MEGA11 enhances Soft2Bet’s emphasis on product-driven engagement, merging game design, loyalty strategies, and a robust regulatory framework to assist operators in achieving more reliable retention during the football season. The technology has received significant industry awards and is eliciting a strong positive reaction from players, confirming its influence on engagement and long-term value generation.
The post Soft2Bet Introduces MEGA11, a Football Manager Experience Designed to Elevate Sportsbook Activity appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Gaming
58% of respondents like the“warmy” archetype. Rocket Match by RocketPlay became “ Valentine’s Tinder in Gaming”.
This Valentine’s, RocketPlay tested a playful idea: players who seek thrills in gaming don’t necessarily want intensity in everything — including relationships. Instead of asking users to pick a “perfect partner,” RocketPlay launched Rocket Match, a fast, flirty quiz that matches players with a vibe: Bold, Sunny, Dreamy, or Adventurous.
Early Results Flip the Stereotype
Around 58% of participants matched with the Sunny archetype — defined by warmth, charm, and easy-going fun. The experiment suggests that when it comes to Valentine’s, RocketPlay’s community prefers light-hearted connection over drama or high stakes.
What Rocket Match Is
Rocket Match is a Valentine’s matchmaking quiz built inside the RocketPlay Universe. Players answer five simple, no-wrong-answer questions and instantly discover their match vibe.
The goal: move away from typical Valentine’s content that swings between overly serious romance or clichéd tropes. Rocket Match keeps it flirty, playful, and moment-focused, letting players discover a vibe rather than a label.
The four vibes include:
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Bold – confident, high-energy, loves bigger sparks
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Sunny – easy-going, playful, social, effortlessly charming
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Dreamy – soft, romantic, focused on atmosphere and emotion
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Adventurous – playful risk-taker, spontaneous, curious
Community Insights from Rocket Match
The quiz quickly gained traction, with 7,000+ completions, revealing a strong preference: Sunny, the archetype defined by warmth, lightness, and charm.

Alex Martin, PR Lead at RocketPlay, said:
“What we liked most about Rocket Match is how clearly it captured the mood people actually want on Valentine’s. It wasn’t about labels or big statements — it was about light energy, easy chemistry, and a feel-good kind of connection. That’s the vibe we try to build across the brand: simple to join, fun in the moment, and positive without the drama.”
Why It Matters
Rocket Match was more than a Valentine’s gimmick. It offered a snapshot of what RocketPlay’s community enjoys most: light energy, playful interaction, and feel-good connections. By turning a pop-culture moment into a small experiment, RocketPlay gained insight into player preferences, informing how the brand continues to design engaging, fun, and positive experiences.
The post 58% of respondents like the“warmy” archetype. Rocket Match by RocketPlay became “ Valentine’s Tinder in Gaming”. appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Gaming
58% of respondents like the“warmy” archetype. Rocket Match by RocketPlay became “ Valentine’s Tinder in Gaming”.
This Valentine’s, RocketPlay tested a simple idea: people who come to iGaming for thrill don’t necessarily want the same intensity in everything — including relationships. Instead of asking players to choose a “perfect partner,” we launched Rocket Match, a fast, playful quiz that matches players with a vibe — bold, sweet, dreamy, or adventurous.
Early results flipped the stereotype. Around 58% of participants matched with the same vibe — built around warmth, charm, and easy fun — suggesting that when it comes to Valentine’s, our community prefers light-hearted connection over drama or risk.
What Rocket Match is
Rocket Match is a Valentine’s matchmaking quiz built as a small cosmic adventure inside the gaming RocketPlay Universe. Players answer 5 light questions — no right or wrong answers — and instantly unlock a Rocket Match that compliments themself. The idea was simple: Valentine’s content online often swings between two extremes — overly serious romance or pure cliché. Rocket Match was created to do something different: keep it flirty, keep it playful, and let players discover a vibe that feels like a moment, not a label.
There were 4 vibes to match with:
Bold — confident, high-energy, loves a bigger spark and bolder choices.
Sunny — easy-going, lighthearted, funny, good communicator
Dreamy — softer, romantic, drawn to atmosphere and emotion.
Adventurous — playful risk-taker energy; spontaneous, curious, and always up for something new.
The lightweight Valentine’s experiment quickly gained traction, with 7,000+ players completing the quiz. The unexpected value came after: the answers revealed a clear preference in what players wanted Valentine’s to feel like — and that insight became the story.
Across responses, around 58% of participants landed on the same Rocket Match vibe — the “sunny” archetype. It’s defined by warmth, lightness, and easy charm: playful, social, and effortless to be around.
What it says about RocketPlay’s community
Rocket Match offered a clear read on the kind of Valentine’s energy players gravitate toward — and it’s lighter than the usual “high-stakes romance” stereotype. As Alex Martin, PR Lead, puts it: “What we liked most about Rocket Match is how clearly it captured the mood people actually want on Valentine’s. It wasn’t about labels or big statements — it was about light energy, easy chemistry, and a feel-good kind of connection. That’s the vibe we try to build across the brand: simple to join, fun in the moment, and positive without the drama.”
What started as a fun Valentine’s experiment quickly became a snapshot of what the community enjoys most: light energy, easy chemistry, and feel-good connection. Valentine’s was simply the right moment to test a playful, pop-culture format — and see what kind of “match” people gravitate toward.
The post 58% of respondents like the“warmy” archetype. Rocket Match by RocketPlay became “ Valentine’s Tinder in Gaming”. appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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