UK indie Fourth State wins big at Game Connection Awards

British developer Fourth State triumphed at today’s Game Connection Development Awards, receiving three of the 12 awards.

The studio’s narrative adventure The Last Word won the Best Story/Storytelling, Most Creative & Original and Best Indie Game awards. The title was put together by a team of five, and sees players guiding a character through a platforming title set in the pages of a diary.

The other big winner was Square Enix Montreal, which took home Best Mobile/Tablets Game and Best Casual Game for Lara Croft Go during the awards ceremony in San Francisco’s AT&T Park.

A representative of the studio reiterated that the game was only developed by 10 people, up from the six that built Hitman Go, and thanked Crystal Dynamics for allowing Square Enix Montreal to “go-ify” the Tomb Raider franchise.

The People’s Choice award, which is voted for by the public rather than a panel of judges, went to Landlord Real Estate Tycoon by Reality Games.

More than 170 games were nominated for the 12 categories, with 23 making the final shortlist. As a Game Connection media partner, Develop was on the jury selecting winners for these awards.

The winners in full are:

• Best Console/PC Hardcore: Crossout, by Gaijin Entertainment
• Best Desktop/Downloadable: Sequenced: Episode 1 by Apelab
• Best Mobile/Tablets: Lara Croft Go, by Square Enix Montreal
• Best Casual Game: Lara Croft Go, by Square Enix Montreal
• Best Hardcore Game: Planetoid Pioneers by Data Realms
• Best Social Game: Heroes of Paragon by Everydayiplay
• Most Promising IP: The Sandbox 2 by Pixowl
• Best Story/Storytelling: The Last Word by Fourth State
• Most Creative & Original: The Last Word by Fourth State
• Best Quality of Art: Project Amy by Stage Clear Studios
• Best Indie Game: The Last Word by Fourth State
• People’s Choice: Landlord Real Estate Tycoon by Reality Games