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!”
blackjack
ICONIC21 launches Private Edition Blackjack with a single-player 7-seat live table
ICONIC21 has launched Private Edition Blackjack, a live table game built around a single-player format. The company said the table is reserved entirely for one player and supports up to seven hands played simultaneously.
Private Edition Blackjack uses a seven-seat table model with a high minimum bet requirement, positioning it at VIP and high-value segments. ICONIC21 said players can request a dealer change, request a shoe change, or choose to keep their current dealer.
The product also adds ICONIC21’s integrated LED Studio technology. According to the company, a built-in LED screen enables operators to change background visuals to support campaigns, partnerships, events, or player segmentation.
Edvardas Sadovskis, Chief Product Officer at ICONIC21, said: “Private Edition Blackjack brings a much stronger sense of ownership to the live blackjack experience. Players are not simply joining a seat – they take full control of the table, playing up to seven hands and shaping the session through dealer and shoe preferences.
For VIP and high-value players, engagement is everything. This format ensures the dealer’s full attention is dedicated to a single player, creating a more personal and immersive experience. With extended decision time and no need to accommodate others at the table, players can control the pace of the game and play entirely on their own terms.”
The post ICONIC21 launches Private Edition Blackjack with a single-player 7-seat live table appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Latest News
QTech Games adds ReelPlay slots via ARC iGaming distribution
Aggregator expands its supplier line-up for operators in emerging markets, with a focus on Africa and Latin America.
QTech Games has signed a supplier partnership with B2B iGaming content developer ReelPlay, giving QTech’s platform customers access to ReelPlay’s slots catalogue via distribution partner platform ARC iGaming.
The agreement adds ReelPlay titles including the 10K WAYS
series and Megaways
games such as Hypernova Megaways
, 10,000 Wonders 10K WAYS
and Atlantis Megaways
to QTech’s aggregation offering.
QTech Games said the collaboration is aimed at extending ReelPlay’s reach in emerging markets, with particular emphasis on Africa and Latin America.
QTech Games CEO, Philip Doftvik, said: “We’re dedicated to constantly launching more and more first-class content and product innovation that drives revenue for our partners. So, this deal with ReelPlay extends our portfolio. We look forward to sharing Reelplay’s games with both leading and challenger operator brands in emerging markets worldwide.”
Niki Longmuir, CCO at ReelPlay, added: “At ReelPlay, we pride ourselves on working with the sector’s biggest and most commercially recognised partners, and QTech Games fits the bill perfectly, as we continue to broaden our borders, expanding our brand. Together, we will strive to prioritise the player experience, ensuring that every game we create is designed with the player in mind first. QTech’s platform is a gateway to global audiences, so we can’t wait to see how our highly engaging games perform across a greenfield landscape of emerging markets.”
The post QTech Games adds ReelPlay slots via ARC iGaming distribution appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Argentina
Win Systems deploys Wigos CMS at Casino City Center Rosario, linking 2,500+ slots
The Argentina rollout adds player tracking and QR-based cashless payments via Win Pay, the company says.
Win Systems has implemented its Wigos casino management system (CMS) at Casino City Center Rosario in Argentina, connecting more than 2,500 slot machines to operate and report in real time. The supplier announced the deployment on May 4, 2026.
According to Win Systems, the Wigos rollout centralizes operational management across gaming and customer-facing functions, with modular components spanning slots, tables, players, promotions, and payments. The company said the installation is designed to support operator oversight and decision-making through a single real-time view.
The project also introduces new functionality at the venue, including Player Tracking for player identification and management, and the activation of “Fun Plays.” Win Systems also said the site can enable a QR-based cashless option that allows players to load credit directly to a machine from a bank account or electronic wallet, via its Win Pay payment management platform.
Francisco de Moya, CEO of Halkkon Capital Partners, commented: “This launch represents an important step in the technological evolution of our operation, allowing us to optimize management, enhance the customer experience, and lay the groundwork for future developments.”
Eric Benchimol, CEO of Win Systems, added: “The deployment of Wigos at City Center Rosario is a clear example of how our technology adapts to large-scale operations, enabling operators to optimize processes, improve the player experience, and evolve toward increasingly digitalized models.” Darío Zutel, Executive Chairman of Win Systems, said: “This implementation is part of our growth strategy in the region and reflects our commitment to supporting operators with robust, scalable, and future-ready technology.”
The post Win Systems deploys Wigos CMS at Casino City Center Rosario, linking 2,500+ slots appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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