Elizabeth Orji-Smith picks up prize at BAFTA young designers competition

An Ealing teenager has won a prestigious games design award.

17-year-old Elizabeth Orji-Smith has picked up the prize at the 2019 BAFTA Young Game Designers (YGD) competition

Elizabeth’s wining concept ‘Creatively Bankrupt' which was awarded for 'Game Concept; is an action role player game about a small animation crew turned part-time robin hood heist group! Can they unlock the vault that holds the creative bounty?

Elizabeth said, “It is exciting, surprising, and I’m ecstatic to be a BAFTA Young Games Designer winner. My game concept came from a lot of different sources including friends and podcasts and I had had the idea of a heist game in my mind for a while. Three days before the competition deadline I saw an advert for YGD and decided to go for it! For anyone who wants to enter next year I’d say come at it from the heart, understand what you love about games and spring ideas off other people as they can bring out the best in you. Just submitting an entry is so valuable. The whole experience has been so fun, making new friends, meeting amazing people from the industry and seeing what you can aim towards.”

The BAFTA YGD competition, now in its ninth year, presents awards in two main categories: The Game Concept Award, for a written idea for a new game; and the Game Making Award, for a game made using computer software. The 2019 winners, chosen by a jury of industry experts, are:

• Jesse Waymont (Crawley) for ‘I Seek Death’ – Game Concept Award (10-14 years)
• Elizabeth Orji-Smith (Ealing) for ‘Creatively Bankrupt’ – Game Concept Award (15-18 years)
• Maximillian Robinson (Acton) for ‘LASERASE: Demolition in the future’ – Game Making Award (10-14 years)
• Adam Pace for ‘Wip’ (Sunderland) – Game Making Award (15-18 years)

Matthew Applegate, founder of the Creative Computing Club, was awarded the YGD Mentor Award. This Award is presented to an individual nominated by the public for their involvement in the education of young game designers.

In a written message to attendees and the young finalists, HRH The Duke of Cambridge and President of BAFTA, said: “This year the entries have an overwhelming social purpose to them, focusing on issues including mental health, climate change, conservation, disability, bereavement, and transgender rights. Many of the game ideas strive to educate players of all ages on the social issues they address, hoping to prompt real change in people’s lives. I think it is fantastic to see young people using games to express themselves and purposes that they identify with.”

The ceremony was hosted by Alysia Judge (games journalist and presenter) and Aoife Wilson (writer, presenter and video producer for Eurogamer), with notable industry figures presenting the awards to the winners, including YouTuber Dean Dobbs, game developer and co-founder of Media Molecule Siobhan Reddy, and BAFTA Games Vice President David Gardner. BAFTA-winning game designer Mike Bithell delivered the closing speech for the ceremony, praising the young designers’ creativity and talent.

The annual YGD competition, which began in 2010, aims to demonstrate the creativity that goes in to game design and give young people, and their teachers, an understanding of the rewarding careers available within the industry. The four winners, chosen from 53 finalists, received a host of prizes, including tours of games studios, software licenses, games and a mentor from the games industry to help them develop their skills further.

Previous winners have gone on to have successful careers within the industry. Dan Pearce was part of BAFTA’s flagship new talent scheme ‘Breakthrough Brits’, before becoming BAFTA nominated for his work. Dan Smith released his game The Spectrum Retreat with Ripstone Games Publishers last year. The game went on to be nominated at the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Awards.

Dr. Jo Twist OBE, Chair of Games Committee at BAFTA, said: “It is fantastic to see such a high calibre of games from upcoming creative talent being rewarded. It’s been another great year for the competition, and with previous winners having gone on to be BAFTA nominated, I can’t wait to see this year’s winners go out and make their own mark on the industry.”

Supporting partners of BAFTA Young Game Designers include: Creative Assembly (SEGA), Criterion (EA), Jagex, King, PlayStation, Ubisoft, and WB Games.

For more information visit ygd.bafta.org

1 July 2019