The nominees for the first inaugural Emotional Game Awards have been announced. These awards are intended to highlight games which engender emotions in players, both positive and negative.



For the most part, the categories make sense, though given that most if not all of the nominees are indie games, it’s a little odd that they have a specific indie category. Hopefully that’s just a first-year kink to be worked out for future iterations.

Best Emotional Game Nominees

Beyond Eyes (Tiger&Squid – Team 17 Digital Ltd)

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture (The Chinese Room – Sony)

Her Story (Sam Barlow)

Life Is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment – Square Enix Limited)

Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) (E-line media)

Ori And The Blind Forest (Moon Studios – Microsoft)

Best Emotional Artistic Game Achievement Nominees

Beyond Eyes (Tiger&Squid – Team 17 Digital Ltd)

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture (The Chinese Room – Sony)

MIND: Path to Thalamus Enhanced Edition (Mind Dev Team – Talking about Media)

Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) (E-line media)

Ori And The Blind Forest (Moon Studios – Microsoft)

Sunless Sea ( Failbetter Games)

Best Emotional Game Design Nominees

Emily is Away (Kyle Seeley)

Her Story (Sam Barlow)

Life Is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment – Square Enix Limited)

Out of sight (ISART Digital)

Papo & Yo (OS X & Linux) (Minority Media Inc)

Star Sky (JMJ Interactive)

Best Emotional VR Game Nominees

Home is Where One Starts…(David Wehle)

MIND: Path to Thalamus Enhanced Edition (Mind Dev Team – Talking about Media)

Sens (Red Corner)

The Unknown Photographer (Turbulent – The National FIlm Board of Canada)

Best Emotional Mobile & Handheld Nominees

Cloud Chasers – Journey of Hope (Blindflug Studios)

Discouraged Workers (Yggdrasil Studio)

Her Story (Sam Barlow)

Lost in Harmony (Digixart)

Out there (Mi-Clos Studio)

Spirits of Spring (Minority Media Inc)

Best Emotional Music Nominees

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture (The Chinese Room – Sony)

Life Is Strange (Dontnod Entertainment – Square Enix Limited)

Lost in Harmony (Digixart)

Lumini (Speelbars – Rising star games)

Ori And The Blind Forest (Moon Studios – Microsoft)

Void and Meddler (No CVT- Mi-Clos)

Best Emotional Indie Game Nominees

Among the Sleep (Krillbite Studio)

Emily is Away (Kyle Seeley)

Sunless Sea ( Failbetter Games)

That Dragon, Cancer (Numinous Games)

Venti Mesi (We are Müesli)

Wheels of Aurelia (Santa Ragione)