Empyreal Wins Top Honour as Best Indie Game from the North

Silent Games' Empyreal took home the coveted Best Indie Game Made in The North award at the Game Republic Awards ceremony held at WX Wakefield in Yorkshire, which drew over 500 games industry professionals and was hosted by Game Republic Managing Director Jamie Sefton. The award was determined by a public vote, with 15 nominees competing, including The Siege and the Sandfox by Cardboard Sword and Starship Troopers Continuum by XR Games. The remaining categories were judged by Keith Stuart, a games journalist for The Guardian, who provided a pre-recorded introduction. Ian Stewart, the founder of Sheffield-based Gremlin Graphics, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the industry. Gremlin Graphics, founded in 1984, was known for titles such as Zool and Premier Manager before being acquired by Infogrames in 1999 and eventually closing in 2003. The event also featured showcases of over 60 games from northern game developers, including ten from Scotland, thanks to a partnership between Game Republic and the Scottish Game Developers Association. The full list of Game Republic Awards winners includes: Best Small Studio, sponsored by Yogscast Games, which went to Dink; Best Mid-Sized Studio, sponsored by Other Things, awarded to Tanglewood Games; Best Large Studio, sponsored by Eaton Smith Solicitors, won by D3T; the Studio Hero Award, sponsored by Plus Accounting, given to Natasha Vincent of EA Playdemic; the Inclusivity Award, presented to Safe In Our World; the Inspiring Course Leader award, sponsored by Double Eleven, awarded to Rob Charlish of Wakefield College; the Innovative Use of Technology Award, sponsored by HP, AMD, and Escape Technology, won by Reflex Arc; the Community Manager Award, given to Pedro Silva of Double Eleven; the Martyn Brown Rising Star Award, presented to Sarah York of Panda Cat Games; the Best Game-Related Research award, won by Francesca Foffano of IGGI; the Games Legend Award, sponsored by Red Kite Games, awarded to Darren Falcus; the Lifetime Achievement Award, also sponsored by Red Kite Games, presented to Ian Stewart; and finally, the Best Indie Game Made in The North award, sponsored by Xsolla, which Empyreal by Silent Games won.