Compulsion Games' South of Midnight Claims Top Honors at 2026 Games for Change Awards

The winners of the 2026 Games for Change Awards have been unveiled, with South of Midnight by Compulsion Games taking home the prestigious Game and Experience of the Year award. Consume Me, developed by Hexecutable, garnered accolades for Best Narrative, Best Gameplay, and the Indie Breakout Award. Meanwhile, Paintbucket Games' The Darkest Files secured the Best in Learning award. Thatgamecompany was recognized with the Industry Leader Award, while Jenn Panattoni, founder and CEO of Aizle Impact, received the Vanguard Award for her significant contributions to the gaming industry. Panattoni's notable achievements include establishing the Xbox Social Impact team in 2018, which has successfully raised over $250 million for various global campaigns. The winners were chosen from a pool of submissions representing 42 countries and were announced during the G4C Awards ceremony at the annual Games for Change Festival in New York. According to Games for Change President Susanna Pollack, "This year has been remarkable for games with a purpose, and these winners showcase the diversity and breadth of this genre." The Games for Change Award Winners include: Game/Experience of the Year - South of Midnight (Compulsion Games), Best Narrative, Best Gameplay, and Indie Breakout Award - Consume Me (Hexecutable), Best in Impact - And Roger (TearyHand Studio), Best in Learning - The Darkest Files (Paintbucket Games), Best in Community Empowerment - Relooted (Nyamakop), Best in Environmental Impact - Faceminer (Wristwork), Best in Health & Wellness - ARWell Pro (Augment Therapy), Best in XR & Emerging Media - A Long Goodbye (Timescapes & Polygoat), Best Platform-based Project - Planet Planners on Roblox (Playerthree & BBC Bitesize), Best Board Or Tabletop Game For Impact - Ciclo do Poder / Cycle of Power (Fiocruz), Vanguard Award - Jenn Panattoni, Industry Leader Award - Thatgamecompany, Giving Award - Special Effect, and Accessibility Award - EA Sports FC 26 (EA Sports).