Last week marked the debut of Gamescom Latam in Sao Paulo, Brazil, a vibrant event celebrating the burgeoning gaming scene in Latin America and the global industry at large. A highlight of the event was the game awards, organized in partnership with the BIG Festival, culminating in a glamorous awards ceremony.
The awards featured 13 distinct categories, with finalists selected by a distinguished panel of 49 judges. A unique aspect of the event was the integration of mobile games alongside PC titles on the show floor at the Sao Paulo Expo, emphasizing the equal importance of mobile gaming in today's industry.
The spotlight shone brightest on the "Best Mobile Game" category, where Triband ApS's What the Car? emerged as the winner. This accolade further cements its reputation, as previously noted by Jupiter Hadley in her list of ten lesser-known yet remarkable games. With this recognition, What the Car? is poised to become a household name.
While What the Car? took home the top prize, it's important to acknowledge the other strong contenders in the category, each showcasing high-quality gameplay:
- Junkworld – Ironhide Game Studio
- Bella Pelo Mundo – Plot Kids
- An Elmwood Trail – Techyonic
- Sibel's Journey – Food for Thought Media
- Residuum Tales of Coral – Iron Games
- SPHEX – VitalN
In addition to the mobile game category, other notable winners across various categories included:
- Game of the Year – Chants of Sennar - Rundisc
- Best Game from Latin America – Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure – Furniture & Mattress
- Best Brazilian Game – Momodora: Moonlit Farewell - Bombservice
- Best Casual Game – Station to Station – Galaxy Groove Studios
- Best Audio – Dordogne - UMANIMATION and UN JE NE SAIS QUOI
- Best Art – Harold Halibut – Slow Bros. UG.
- Best Multiplayer – Extremely Powerful Capybaras – Studio Bravarda and PM Studios
- Best Narrative – Once Upon A Jester – Bonte Avond
- Best XR/VR – Sky Climb - VRMonkey
- Best Gameplay – Pacific Drive – Ironwood Studios
- Best Pitch from Regional Game Development Associations – Dark Crown – Hyper Dive Game Studio
For those eager to experience the award-winning What the Car?, it's readily available on the App Store via Apple Arcade, a subscription service priced at $6.99 per month (or the equivalent in your local currency). You can start playing by clicking the download button below.
