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Colt Canyon crowned ‘Best Game’ and LUNARK ‘Most Anticipated’ at GameMaker Awards 2021

Published

5 years ago

July 21, 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!”

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Digicode to demo Diger Suite iGaming stack at iGB L!VE London 2026

Published

5 hours ago

June 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

digicode-to-demo-diger-suite-igaming-stack-at-igb-l!ve-london-2026

The company says it will show five modules covering RGS, PAM, payments, affiliates and an AI ops assistant at ExCeL London on 1–2 July.

Digicode will exhibit at iGB L!VE London 2026 on July 1–2 at ExCeL London, where it plans to showcase its Diger Suite modular iGaming technology ecosystem.

The company said the Diger Suite is built to help operators integrate multiple technology partners while maintaining player experience, compliance workflows and operational agility as they expand into regulated markets.

Digicode’s product lineup at the show includes DigerRGS (remote game server for launching, distributing and managing content across jurisdictions), DigerPAM (player account management covering player operations, compliance and responsible gaming controls), and DigerPay (payment orchestration supporting local payment methods and regulatory requirements).

It will also present DigerClick, an affiliate management platform with tracking, partner management, commission automation and analytics, plus DigerCompanion, described as an AI-powered operational assistant for automating customer support and internal workflows.

Digicode said its team will use the event to meet operators, game providers, affiliates and technology partners to discuss platform interoperability, modernization of legacy systems, and approaches to reducing vendor lock-in through modular integrations.

The post Digicode to demo Diger Suite iGaming stack at iGB L!VE London 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Million Games launches Skull King’s Treasure with partner studio Arcane Pixel

Published

5 hours ago

June 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

million-games-launches-skull-king’s-treasure-with-partner-studio-arcane-pixel

High-volatility 6×6 cluster slot goes live to operators and aggregators via Million Games on 30 June 2026.

Million Games has launched Skull King’s Treasure, a high-volatility cluster slot developed in partnership with Million Stars studio Arcane Pixel. The game becomes available to operators and aggregators through the Million Games distribution network on 30 June 2026.

The title is Arcane Pixel’s first release under the Million Games brand. It runs on a 6×6 grid with a cluster pay mechanic, paying on connections of five or more matching symbols and using cascading wins to enable multiple outcomes from a single spin.

Gameplay is built around Wild generation and multiplier progression via the Skull King mechanic. Winning Wild symbols are absorbed to increase the multiplier for subsequent cascades, linking continued wins with increased payout potential.

A Free Spins mode triggers on four or more Scatter symbols and awards up to 10 spins. During Free Spins, the multiplier does not reset between spins.

“With Skull King’s Treasure, Arcane Pixel has delivered a confident first release,” said Thomas Nimstad, CEO of Million Games. “The game combines familiar cluster mechanics with strong multiplier progression, creating a clear and engaging experience with real upside. It’s exactly the kind of partner-driven innovation the Million Stars programme is built to support.” Million Games said the title has a maximum win potential of 10,000x the bet.

The post Million Games launches Skull King’s Treasure with partner studio Arcane Pixel appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Paysecure hires Entain’s Ganesh Iyer as Head of Product

Published

6 hours ago

June 29, 2026

Wladimir P.

paysecure-hires-entain’s-ganesh-iyer-as-head-of-product

The payment orchestration platform also appoints Lili Piper as Senior Partnership Manager and adds infrastructure and blockchain leads.

Paysecure has appointed Ganesh Iyer, formerly of Entain, as Head of Product, as the payment orchestration platform looks to scale internationally across iGaming and global ecommerce.

Paysecure said Iyer will lead the next stage of product design. At FTSE 100-listed Entain, he led Global Payments across 20+ regulated markets, managing a team of seven Product Managers and distributed engineering squads.

The company also named Lili Piper as Senior Partnership Manager. Piper previously worked as Business Development Director at Volt.io and Senior Business Development Manager at Paysafe, and will focus on growing revenue from Paysecure’s partner network and adding strategic partners to expand payment method choice for clients.

Paysecure added that it has made further hires over the last two months, including Head of Infrastructure and Head of Blockchain, as it expands its technical footprint.

Ganesh Iyer, Head of Product, Paysecure, commented, “After time at Entain, I am pleased to join the Paysecure team and having worked on the operator side of the orchestration space, I can’t wait to get started. I’m looking forward to refining our products to clearly address the deep needs of our client personas, and surface clear product and functionality feature sets that differentiate us in our market as a challenger brand.”

Amit Hooja, Co-Founder and CEO at Paysecure, said: “We’re excited to welcome Ganesh and our new colleagues to the Paysecure team. Ganesh will spearhead our product development, and there’s a shared sense of purpose towards the work we are doing, which we believe is game changing in the payment orchestration space. We look forward to bringing new products to the market and continue to lead the way in the sector”.

The post Paysecure hires Entain’s Ganesh Iyer as Head of Product appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.