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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!”
BiS Brasília is confirmed for June 2–3, bringing a strong focus on responsible governance and the future of the gaming and betting industry in Brazil.
The event will take place on June 2–3 at the Royal Tulip Brasília Alvorada hotel.
The event will gather key stakeholders, authorities, and industry leaders to discuss major developments shaping the sector.
In its second edition, the event expects a 20% increase in attendance compared to last year.
“Reaching the second edition of BiS Brasília represents the consolidation of an essential space for dialogue between the private sector, authorities, and experts at a decisive moment for the Brazilian market.
Brasília is the center of the country’s major regulatory discussions, and bringing together key ecosystem players in the federal capital reinforces the event’s commitment to building a more transparent, responsible, and sustainable industry,” said Alessandro Valente, the cofounder.
Tickets are available at: https://brazilianigamingsummit.com/brasilia/
About BiS Brasília
In its second edition, BiS Brasília is an event dedicated to the iGaming and betting ecosystem, fostering dialogue between the private sector, public authorities, and society on the development of Brazil’s regulated market for gaming, casinos, and lotteries.
The event brings together business leaders, regulators, and industry experts to discuss key strategic topics such as Brazilian regulation, taxation, integrity, innovation, responsible gaming, compliance, AML / anti-money laundering, licensing, sports integrity, government relations, advertising, and CONAR standards.
BiS SiGMA South America is part of the SiGMA World events portfolio, one of the leading global platforms for B2B business networking and events focused on the gaming and betting industry.
The post BiS Brasília focuses on responsible governance for Brazil’s gaming and betting future appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
El BiS Brasília ya tiene definido el tema central para la próxima edición y será la gobernanza responsable para el futuro de los juegos y las apuestas en Brasil.
El evento se celebrará los días 2 y 3 de junio en el hotel Royal Tulip Brasília Alvorada.
BiS Brasília está confirmado para los días 2 y 3 de junio, con un enfoque en la gobernanza responsable del futuro del sector de juegos y apuestas en Brasil.
El encuentro reunirá a autoridades, líderes y expertos para debatir las principales novedades del sector.
En su segunda edición, el evento espera un crecimiento del 20% en la asistencia en comparación con el año anterior.
“Llegar a la segunda edición del BiS Brasília representa la consolidación de un espacio esencial para el diálogo entre el sector privado, las autoridades y los especialistas en un momento decisivo para el mercado brasileño.
Brasília es el centro de las grandes discusiones regulatorias del país, y reunir a los principales actores de este ecosistema en la capital federal refuerza el compromiso del evento con la construcción de un entorno cada vez más transparente, responsable y sostenible para la industria”, destacó Alessandro Valente.
Los interesados pueden adquirir sus entradas en: https://brazilianigamingsummit.com/brasilia/
Sobre BiS Brasília
En su segunda edición, BiS Brasília es un encuentro dedicado al ecosistema de iGaming y apuestas, promoviendo el diálogo entre el sector privado, el poder público y la sociedad sobre el desarrollo del mercado regulado de juegos, casinos y loterías en Brasil.
El evento reúne a líderes empresariales, autoridades y expertos para debatir temas estratégicos como regulación brasileña, tributación, integridad, innovación, juego responsable, compliance, AML / prevención de lavado de dinero, licenciamiento, integridad deportiva, relación con el Gobierno, publicidad y CONAR.
BiS SiGMA South America forma parte del portafolio de eventos de SiGMA World, una de las principales plataformas globales de negocios y organización de eventos B2B enfocados en la industria de juegos y apuestas.
The post BiS Brasília ya tiene definido tema central para el próximo evento appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Boomerang Partners
Boomerang Partners reveals first Golden Boomerang Awards 2026 leaders in the race for Wimbledon
Boomerang Partners has shared the first leaderboard results from the Kickoff stage of the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026. One month into the tournament’s third season, the first frontrunners have appeared in the race for the stage’s main prize – a trip to the Wimbledon Championships.
The race for Wimbledon starts to take shape
The Kickoff stage has started at a fast pace. After the first month, the leading team has reached 256 points. The rest of the top five currently stand at 218, 156, 142, and 100 points, followed by teams with 93, 62, 30, 26, and 20 points in the top ten.
The early gap is not only about traffic volume. The top teams are also actively using boosts, special tasks, and stage-based opportunities. For the rest of the field, leaving those mechanics unused can quickly turn into lost points.
For now, the top ten are closest to the stage’s main prize – a trip to the Wimbledon Championships, taking place from June 29 to July 12, 2026. But the Kickoff stage runs until June 9, and May leaves enough room for movement. Several major sports events are still ahead, giving active teams more opportunities to earn points before the stage closes.
The Mystery Box draw looks ahead to football summer
Boomerang Partners is also running the first Mystery Box draw during the Kickoff stage of the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026. This mechanic is separate from the leaderboard: five active participants have already been selected at random, with another five to be named by the end of the month. The first Mystery Boxes go to Zitora Agency, AskGamblers & Gentoo Media, alfa:search, Gdc group, and AskBonus.
The Mystery Box is tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026, although Boomerang Partners is not revealing the full contents in advance. For now, the company is only hinting at exclusive football items connected to national teams competing in the tournament.
The next stage of the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026 will run during one of the busiest football periods of the year. By then, the Mystery Box will have a direct connection to what many fans will be watching most closely – the FIFA World Cup.
May brings more room to move
May is the busiest part of the Kickoff stage. The month brings the decisive rounds of European football competitions, the NBA and NHL playoffs, Roland Garros, and other events that tend to concentrate audience interest around key match days.
For affiliate teams, this is where planning becomes important. A steady flow of traffic is useful, but the bigger gains are likely to come from choosing the right days to push, completing additional tasks, and using the remaining point-earning opportunities before June 9.
The first month has shown who started strongest. May will show who can keep that pace – and who can use the final stretch to move closer to Wimbledon.
Kristina Shkredova, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, commented: “The first month has shown that teams are treating the Kickoff stage as a real competition, not just a short campaign. The leading positions are already backed by a clear strategy: teams are using boosts, planning around sports peaks, and staying active across different mechanics. But this is exactly why the stage is still open. In May, one well-timed push can change a team’s position quickly, so consistency and timing will matter as much as the current point gap.”
The road to London remains open
The Kickoff stage of the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026 continues until June 9. Until then, the leaderboard remains open, with updates on the stage results, the remaining Mystery Box winners, and the race for the main prize in London available on the official Golden Boomerang Awards website.
About Boomerang
Boomerang Partners is a rapidly growing global marketing agency offering a wide range of services. Boomerang Partners is an Official Regional Partner of AC Milan. In 2024, it launched the inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards – a global tournament for affiliate teams. More than 400 affiliate teams participated in the second season of the tournament in 2025. Partners of the Agency launched six new products in 2024-2025, contributing to a nearly 1.5-fold increase in product users.
The Agency’s clients’ portfolio contains 10+ brands offering affiliate and entertainment services across 40+ markets in compliance with local regulations. These products provide incentive programs and 24/7 multilingual support.
References to Wimbledon, FIFA, and other third-party brands are made for descriptive purposes only. Boomerang Partners is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to these entities in any way.
Boomerang Partners acts as an Official Regional Partner of AC Milan. Any experiences related to AC Milan are provided within the scope of this partnership.
The post Boomerang Partners reveals first Golden Boomerang Awards 2026 leaders in the race for Wimbledon appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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