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Colt Canyon crowned ‘Best Game’ and LUNARK ‘Most Anticipated’ at GameMaker Awards 2021
The judges have deliberated. Over 33,000 votes have been cast. And we can now reveal that Colt Canyon has been crowned ‘Best Game’ and LUNARK ‘Most Anticipated’ game of the year, at the GameMaker Awards 2021.
Created by German-based developer Retrific, Colt Canyon is a stylish western-themed pixel art shooter combining roguelike elements with real-time combat. The judges were impressed with Colt Canyon’s highly engaging gameplay and heavily pixelated artist style. While in the popular vote, members of the GameMaker and Opera GX communities voted Colt Canyon the clear winner.
The other finalists for ‘Best Game’ included: Chicory: A Colorful Tale, Jet Lancer, Post Void and Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!.
The winner of ‘Most Anticipated’ game is LUNARK, from Canari Games. LUNARK is a 2D cinematic platformer, designed in the vein of ’80s and ’90s classics. The game challenges players to run, jump, hang, climb, roll, and shoot their way through a kaleidoscope of different environments. These include mysterious alien ruins, a flying penitentiary, a high-tech megalopolis, and a majestic forest.
The judges were blown away with how the Canari Games team have pushed the creative limits of cutscenes and pixel art in GameMaker, to create a game that is both visually stunning and great to play. Set for release later this year, LUNARK also made a big impression with the voters – who overwhelmingly crowned it the ‘Most Anticipated’ game of 2021.
The other finalists for ‘Most Anticipated’ game included: NYKRA, Jitsu Squad, APICO and Toodee and Topdee.
The GameMaker Awards, in partnership with SpecialEffect, a charity that uses video games to enhance the lives of those people with physical disabilities, celebrate creativity and innovation in Indie game development, honouring the best games created using GameMaker Studio 2 as well as the Indies and Studios that designed them.
From over 200 entries, only 5 games for each category were selected by an expert panel of industry peers, including GameMaker Studio CTO Russell Kay, Opera GX Product Director Maciej Kocemba, and Into Indie Games Editor Harry Cole.
Russell Kay, CTO, GameMaker Studio, said: “This year’s GameMaker Awards has redefined what we’ve come to expect from the indies and studios that choose GameMaker as their creative engine of choice. Each of the finalists have demonstrated both amazing creativity, plus the technical ability to harness GameMaker’s powerful functionality to design a game that really pushes the boundaries. Given the incredible standard of this year’s entries, I am only glad that the final decision was left in the hands of our loyal GameMaker and Opera GX communities.”
Jonathan Mannshoven of Retrific, said: “Colt Canyon wasn’t a bestseller when it launched last year. It wasn’t free from criticism either. But by working closely with the community, I’ve been able to make many improvements to the game which have helped turn a lot of criticism into positive feedback. Having all that hard work now paying off with Colt Canyon winning ‘Best Game’ at the GameMaker Awards 2021 is an overwhelming and surreal feeling – just incredible!
“GameMaker has always been my engine of choice as it is just so easy to use yet also powerful, enabling me to reach maximum productivity. Which as a solo developer is extremely valuable. Put simply – I wouldn’t be a game developer now if it wasn’t for GameMaker.”
Johan Vinet of Canari Games, added: “LUNARK started as a passion project to create a game in the genre I loved in my youth. Making it a reality became so clear that I decided to quit my job, start my own studio and launch a Kickstarter campaign. Winning the “Most Anticipated Game” award is an incredible recognition from the players and the GameMaker Community, which brings some welcome legitimacy and a massive confidence boost to actually finish the game! Thank you!”
Anthony Dalla-Giacoma Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt
Swintt launches Wild Chicken slot with roaming wilds and free spins
Premium release features a 5×3 layout with 10 paylines, a Risk gamble option, and a stated max win of 10,000x.
Swintt has released Wild Chicken, a new Premium slot that introduces roaming wilds and a free spins feature, with the supplier stating a maximum win of up to 10,000x the bet.
The game runs on a 5×3 reel layout with 10 fixed paylines. Its key mechanic is a “roaming rooster wild” that remains on the reels and shifts one position to the left after each spin, potentially contributing to multiple wins.
Free spins are triggered by landing three or more grain sack scatter symbols in the base game. Players receive 10, 15 or 20 free spins depending on the number of triggering scatters, and any wilds on the reels add one extra free spin while they remain present. Swintt also says collecting four additional grain sacks increases the wild’s size from one to three symbol positions, before it becomes an expanding symbol that fills its reel when it appears. Three or more grain sacks can retrigger the feature.
Wild Chicken also includes an optional Risk feature, where players can attempt to double winnings by guessing the colour of a hidden playing card, up to the game’s maximum payout.
Anthony Dalla-Giacoma, Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt, said: “Combining classic visuals and sounds with a progressive prize mechanic, Wild Chicken is the Premium release that players have been waiting for. With unique rooster wilds roaming the reels during the base game and expanding in size during the main feature, there’s a ton of excitement to be had on every spin, and a maximum jackpot of 10,000x means its sure to be a popular entry in all operators’ line-ups.”
The post Swintt launches Wild Chicken slot with roaming wilds and free spins appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Brand Partnerships
Ronaldinho partners with CreedRoomz on football-themed live casino games
The former Brazil star visited CreedRoomz’ Yerevan studio as the supplier prepares Kickoff Roulette and Marble Cup.
Ronaldinho Gaúcho has partnered with live casino supplier CreedRoomz to develop two football-themed live games, Kickoff Roulette and Marble Cup. The company said the collaboration was officially unveiled in Yerevan, where Ronaldinho visited CreedRoomz’ headquarters and filming studios.
CreedRoomz said Ronaldinho toured the studio floor, met development and production teams, and took part in filming activity intended to integrate his on-screen presence into the live product.
According to the company, Kickoff Roulette is a live roulette title built around a football-stadium presentation and includes Ronaldinho-themed elements such as voiceovers. Marble Cup is positioned as a live game show in a football-themed studio environment, with gameplay designed around fast-paced rounds and betting options.
“It is amazing to be here. The incredible Yerevan energy and the warm welcome at the office have been fantastic. Stepping onto this digital pitch is a thrill because these are totally unique games. I am proud to be the ambassador for these games.” said Ronaldinho during the interview.
CreedRoomz said the timing is designed to align with increased football audience attention around major tournaments, with a focus on engagement and retention. No launch date, operator rollout plan, or market availability details were disclosed.
The post Ronaldinho partners with CreedRoomz on football-themed live casino games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
eSports
Esports Foundation sets Esports World Cup 2026 venue at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles
Tickets go on sale May 29 for the seven-week Paris event running July 6 to August 23, with a $75 million prize pool across 25 competitions.
The Esports Foundation (EF) has confirmed Paris Expo Porte de Versailles as the venue for the Esports World Cup 2026, scheduled for July 06 through August 23 in Paris, France.
Ticket sales open Friday, May 29, 2026 via esportsworldcup.com/tickets. EF said the event will run for seven weeks and span 25 competitions, with more than 2,000 players from over 200 Clubs and more than 100 countries competing for a $75 million prize pool.
EF said Paris Expo Porte de Versailles will host competition arenas, broadcast operations, fan activations, and festival experiences. The organiser also pointed to the venue’s track record as the home of Paris Games Week since 2010 and as a site used during the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Ticketing includes Regular Tournament Passes and Premium Tournament Passes, alongside Daily Regular Tournament Passes. For select championship matches across VALORANT, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Counter-Strike 2, EF said “Final Day Seating Zones” will be split into Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers.
The published schedule lists Week 1 events including VALORANT (July 9–12), ALGS Year 6 Split 1 Playoffs for Apex Legends (July 7–11), Dota 2 (July 7–12), and FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves (July 8–11), concluding in Week 7 with Counter-Strike 2 (August 19–23), Fortnite Reload Elite Series Championship (August 19–22), Trackmania (August 19–22), and CROSSFIRE (August 18–22).
The post Esports Foundation sets Esports World Cup 2026 venue at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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