Young game developers win at BAFTA

Two teenagers from Sheffield have won awards at the BAFTA Young Game Designers Competition.

Erin Goddard, 17, won the Game Concept Award for the most original game idea, and 14-year-old former finalist Thiago Van Vlerken Rene won the Game Making Award.

The competition looks for the next generation of game developers and designers, and this year 50% of the winners are from Yorkshire.

Winning games will be showcased at the Science Museum in London, the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester, and the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford as part of the Power Up experience, featuring computer games from the last 50 years.

Chair of the BAFTA Games Committee Tara Saunders said "It's brilliant to play a role in connecting these talented young game creators with experts in the industry and each other.

"We're excited to see where their passion takes them next."

The competition process supports young gamers by providing a way into the industry.

BAFTA also runs schemes to engage young people directly through school roadshows, and game-making workshops.

Erin, who would like to study concept art when she is older, said she was "immensely grateful" for the opportunity.

Her game TailBreak us a co-operative puzzle game about a group of city animals teaming up to use their unique talents to break their friends out of apest control situation.

Fellow award winner Thiago has been a competition finalist on four occasions and won the 2025 Game Concept Award winner.

This year he turned to his Norwegian roots to create Yggdrasil.

The game is based on Norse mythology and players battle trolls, ravens and a dragon called Nidhogg to recover a stolen amulet.

He said being part of the competition again had been "a moment to realise how much I've grown through making the game".

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