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Selection Cinekid Game Award 2024 announced
News

Selection Cinekid Game Award 2024 announced

For the past few weeks, the jury has been dodging lasers, catching ghosts and climbing mountains - all digitally! Which game maker will win this year's award for the best new game for children? The 10 games with a chance of winning the Cinekid Game Award 2024 have been announced!

Selection Cinekid Game Award 2024 announced

This year, more games were submitted than ever before and twice as many as last year: in total, there were 44 entries from 26 countries, out of which 10 were (partly) produced in the Netherlands. There is no shortage of diversity and creativity; the games are bursting with beautiful artworks and experiments with alternative controllers (instead of e.g. classic PC or Nintendo Switch games). The creators show how being headstrong contributes to the most original works.

Selection & winner

A jury of three gaming professionals made the selection: Martine Spaans from Dutch Game Garden, 2D game artist and art director Sonja van Vuure and Aran Koning from game maker collective Sokpop. They used three selection criteria to determine their top 10 from all the entries:  

1) the game excels in creativity, storytelling, design and/or interaction;  
2) the game was released no more than two years ago or is yet to be released;   
3) and, of course, the game must be fun to play. 

The Junior Crew, a group of children between 7 and 12 years old who contribute ideas to Cinekid Festival, will choose the final winner. The maker of the winning game will receive the Cinekid Game Award on 31 October 2024 and receives a Cinekid Lion and a cash prize worth €2,500.  

All 10 of the selected games are part of Cinekid Festival 2024's MediaLab at Pathé Noord in Amsterdam. Come and play them yourself between 26 October and 1 November!   

From Monday 30 September, you can order tickets for the MediaLab. Wondering which awards selections you can already buy tickets for?  

Go to pre-sale

The 10 nominated games are (in no particular order):

Surmount: Little Climbers on a Big Adventure

Surmount: Little Climbers on a Big Adventure

Age 8+Makers: Jasper Oprel, Indiana-JonasNetherlands / Sweden
Surmount is a fun and challenging game in which you try to climb a mountain. You will go through all kinds of exciting and funny adventures as you climb to the top of Mount Om. Along the way, you will meet special people and have to get through all kinds of obstacles that are made especially for you or that appear out of the blue. To be played at the MediaLab during Cinekid Festival in Amsterdam and on PC, Nintendo and via Steam Deck.
More info
SCHiM

SCHiM

Age 8+Makers: Ewoud van der Werf & Nils SlijkermanNetherlands
SCHiM is a game in which you jump from shadow to shadow in a relaxed and lively environment. This 3D platformer combines elements of light, shadow and animation, and integrates them directly into the gameplay, making for a unique experience. SCHiM can be played at various locations of Cinekid Festival in the autumn holidays: at Lux Nijmegen, Filmhuis Alkmaar, MIMIK Deventer, Pathé Noord in Amsterdam and LantarenVenster in Rotterdam. Also playable on: PC, Mac, Linux, Playstation, Nintendo Switch and Xbox.
More info
Curiosmos

Curiosmos

All agesMakers: Céline & the Silly StarsNetherlands / Belgium
Curiosmos is a playful, cosmic sandbox game (a game with an open world you can play freely in, i.e. without a specific path or route to move along) in which you build your own solar system by creating planets, moons, gravity, atmosphere and even life! Go on an adventure to discover the secrets of the universe. To be played at the MediaLab during Cinekid Festival in Amsterdam and from 2025 also at home.
More info
A Tiny Sticker Tale

A Tiny Sticker Tale

All agesMakers: Ogre PixelMexico
Step into the colourful little boots of Flynn the donkey and use your magic sticker book to change the world during your adventures. To be played at the MediaLab during Cinekid Festival in Amsterdam and via Nintendo Switch, Steam and the app on your mobile phone.
More info
WHAT THE CAR?

WHAT THE CAR?

All agesMaker: TribandDenmark
An absurd, funny adventure full of races, laughs and unexpected surprises. Roll, sprint, jump, fly and sneeze your way to victory on the race track and beyond! To be played at the MediaLab during Cinekid Festival in Amsterdam and via Apple Arcade. The game is yet to be released on Steam.
Meer info
Henry Halfhead

Henry Halfhead

Age 7+Makers: Lululu Entertainment: Aaron Abt, Leander Schneeberger and Tim BürgeSwitzerland
Henry Halfhead is a quirky sandbox adventure game about a strange little character with the peculiar ability to possess and control any object within his reach. Discover the unique properties and abilities of each object and cleverly combine them to progress in Henry's not-quite-ordinary life. To be played at the MediaLab during Cinekid Festival in Amsterdam.
More info
Hyper Wobbler

Hyper Wobbler

Age 5+Makers: Robin Baumgarten & Philipp HelldorferGermany
Hyper Wobbler is an interactive multi-player art installation. In this game, three players together control special creatures to solve puzzles and complete challenges. They use special joysticks with springs and a sphere with lights and mirrors, making it seem like an endless sea of light. Players must try to make sense of this magical universe and achieve their goals. To be played at the MediaLab during Cinekid Festival in Amsterdam.
More info
Toasterball

Toasterball

All agesMaker: Studio Les CrafteursFrance
One ball, two goals and... toasters! Welcome to Toasterball. Play against your friends in this funny sports game with real movements, in which toasters are the athletes, bread flies through the air and the game changes every time you score a goal! To be played at the MediaLab during Cinekid Festival in Amsterdam (with your feet!) and on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.
More info
Laser Dance

Laser Dance

Age 8+Maker: Thomas van BouwelBelgium
Laser Dance is a mixed reality game that turns your living room into a laser obstacle course. Dance, dodge and crawl to victory in this intuitive party game that is perfect for beginners and experienced gamers alike. To be played at the MediaLab during Cinekid Festival in Amsterdam and from 2025 also at home.
More info
Non-Virtual Reality Games: Ghost Hunter

Non-Virtual Reality Games: Ghost Hunter

Age 6+Makers: David Vath, Lukas Hort, Bent NühlenGermany
VR without a headset! You play this game with VR controllers only. Instead of visuals, these games use vibrations and sound to convey the game, while you play in the real world. Find the ghosts in your surroundings and make sure you catch them all together. This game can only be played at the MediaLab during Cinekid Festival in Amsterdam. The game was created by students of the Games Master at HAW Hamburg.
More info

About Cinekid Festival and the MediaLab

Cinekid is the world’s largest festival for children’s film and media. The 38th edition of the festival will take place from 19 October to 3 November 2024. During the festival, Cinekid presents the MediaLab, an exhibition of interactive and immersive installations, workshops and games in Amsterdam and at more than 10 other film theatres in the Netherlands.

More MediaLab

Open Call Cinekid Game Award

Game makers, artists, studios and designers were invited to submit their game via an Open Call at the beginning of this year. Follow Cinekid on socials or subscribe to the newsletter at the bottom of this page to stay informed about the new Open Call for the Cinekid Game Award 2025.

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