Latest News
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!”
Latest News
SpringbokCasino.co.za Reveals ‘Wild Oscars’ Winners and 25 Free Spins on Oz Golden Trail
This March, as Hollywood rolls out the red carpet for the Academy Awards, South Africa’s favourite online casino, SpringbokCasino.co.za, is handing the judging duties over to the ultimate experts of the bush. The March exclusive feature, “BEST PICTURE OF 2026 — ACCORDING TO THE WILD”, explores the year’s top films through the eyes of five iconic South African animals.
To celebrate this “Wild Oscars” season, Springbok Casino is offering players 25 Free Spins on Oz Golden Trail.
The Wild Jury:
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The African Penguin’s Best Picture (Heart): Marty Supreme – South Africa’s most charismatic coastal resident chose the film with the most charm and underdog spirit.
Daniel Van Wyke, Springbok Casino Manager, commented:
“We wanted to bring a South African twist to Awards season by seeing the movies through the eyes of our local legends. Whether you have the strength of a Lion or the heart of a Penguin, there is a winning story—and a winning spin—waiting for you this March.”
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The post SpringbokCasino.co.za Reveals ‘Wild Oscars’ Winners and 25 Free Spins on Oz Golden Trail appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Big Daddy Gaming
Big Daddy Gaming® goes live with casino games aggregator St8
Big Daddy Gaming® has entered a content distribution partnership with St8, a fast-growing casino aggregator with a strong footprint across regulated European markets and a recent expansion into Canada.
Under the agreement, Big Daddy Gaming’s early portfolio will be integrated into St8’s single-API platform, providing operators with seamless access to the studio’s distinctive Reel Fun. Real Value. content offering.
This partnership is part of Big Daddy Gaming’s ongoing commercial momentum, supporting the newly launched studio’s expansion into key regulated European markets.
As part of the rollout, St8 will onboard an initial selection of Big Daddy Gaming’s early titles, including Going Ape, Legacy of Desperados, and Redneck Dynamite, all featuring high-impact mechanics designed to maximize operator value.
Leveraging St8’s established presence in multiple regulated markets and reputation for fast, stable integrations, the partnership offers Big Daddy Gaming® a scalable distribution channel to accelerate its European growth strategy.
Erland Hellström, CEO at Big Daddy Gaming®, said: “Partnering with St8 is a big step forward for us at this early stage. Their compliance credentials and strong operator network make them an ideal aggregator to help deliver our content to the right markets quickly and reliably. We are delighted to be working together and look forward to seeing our first titles go live through St8’s platform.”
Vladimir Negine, CEO at St8, added: “Big Daddy Gaming® is one of the standout new studios to launch this year, and their early portfolio shows real promise. Their creative DNA and focus on delivering genuinely entertaining content make them a valuable addition to our offering. We’re excited to introduce their first wave of titles to our operator partners and expect a strong reception from players.”
The post Big Daddy Gaming® goes live with casino games aggregator St8 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Denmark
ELA Games Strengthens Danish Market Presence via Stake.dk Tie-Up
The partnership enhances ELA’s European strategy, bringing its high-quality creative portfolio to an important market.
ELA Games is excited to reveal a significant collaboration with Stake.dk, the Danish division of the globally recognized betting brand, Stake. The agreement will incorporate the creative excellence and strong performance of ELA Games’ expanding portfolio into the Stake.dk platform, enhancing the operator’s localized content selection.
With this collaboration, Stake.dk players will receive instant access to ELA Games’ distinctive “WinPot” features and narrative-based slots. The integration features the studio’s best-selling games alongside the visually captivating journey, Wealth of Legends. This partnership allows Stake’s Danish clients to access the same high-quality, engaging content that is contributing to ELA Games’ achievements throughout Europe.
Collaborating with a brand as internationally acknowledged as Stake marks a significant achievement in ELA’s growth approach, confirming its status as a preferred provider for Tier-1 operators in regulated markets such as Denmark.
“At Stake Denmark we are thrilled to welcome ELA Games as we continue to elevate our offering to the Danish market. Our goal has always been to provide local players with a world-class gaming experience, and integrating ELA Games’ high-performance portfolio, including fan favorites like Wealth of Legends is a major step toward that. Their unique mechanics and immersive storytelling perfectly complement our brand’s innovative edge, and we look forward to seeing our players engage with this exciting new content,” said Peter Eugen Clausen, Managing Director of Stake.dk
Marharyta Yerina, Managing Director of ELA Games, added: “Stake is one of the most bold and recognizable names in our industry, so launching with Stake.dk is a massive achievement for us. We know their players expect fast-paced, high-quality action, which is exactly what titles like It’s Shark Time and Cash of Gods deliver. We are thrilled to bring our vision of immersive gaming to their expanding Danish community.”
The post ELA Games Strengthens Danish Market Presence via Stake.dk Tie-Up appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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