I recently attended this year’s edition of DevGamm in Lisbon, my lovely hometown. Hosted in the lavish Myriad hotel, this was a dev-centric conference with a lot of talks and even more games.
Expect a piece covering the event as a whole in the next few days, but I want to start by highlighting the event’s grand finale: the DevGamm Awards.
This is a competition split in two: $35k USD from various sponsors, and a whopping $100k USD from Scorewarrior, the event’s main sponsor. The awards are split into a ton of categories with a boatload of nominees— this year there were 610 game submissions.
Winners are selected by a panel of 150 jury members, ranging from developers to voice actors and other gaming-related talent. Let’s get into the nominees and winners, which are sure give you some new additions to your wishlists.
The show kicked off with the various sponsored awards distributing a $35k USD prize-pool. We’ll go one award at a time, highlighting the nominees, the winner, and the prize.
Acts of Blood- “Beat ‘em up, Action, 3rd person game which focuses on fast-paced, brutal hand-to-hand combat. Set in dystopian city of Bandung, Indonesia.” Demo available now.
Cosmic Race: Galactic Showdown- “Sci-fi Combat Racing game inspired by retro arcade racers. Race across vibrant alien worlds, defeat opponents in destruction-rich environments, and become the Cosmic Champion.” Demo available now.
DDOD- “Single-player and co-op tactical roguelite shooter set in the near future, deep inside an abandoned industrial zone. Explore, fight, and mutate your way to the source of a semi-sentient biological AI anomaly.” The devs told me that the demo I played at DevGamm would go live on Steam soon.
Glintseeker Island- “Descend into mysterious caves with countless treasures to excavate in a mining exploration adventure. Upgrade your gear, fight bosses, uncover secrets and save the island from an ancient threat below!”
Lost in the Roots- “A 2D adventure with psychological thriller elements exploring guilt and fear. A young girl wakes in a stranger’s attic, lost in the middle of nowhere. Who took her—and why? With no way out and something lurking in the shadows, escape may be just an illusion.” Playtest available now.
DDOD won this award, getting $2000 USD and “extensive consultation” directly from TinyBuild.
Crowded: A Crow Citybuilder- “Strategically design a nest-city to support and shelter your flock. Engineer, scavenge and explore your way to a self-sustaining society in the sky!”
Dead In Antares- “A turn-based survival management game with RPG elements, set on an alien planet. Lead a crew of survivors sent on a mission to save humanity. Manage their needs, strengthen their teamwork, and explore this mysterious world to find a way back home.” Demo available now.
Die In The Dungeon- “Fight your way through a mysterious dungeon in this deck-building, turn-based roguelike game where you don’t use cards, but dice! Deal with enemies by combining powerful dice on your board, boost their effects with magical relics, and risk it all hoping for a good roll on unexpected encounters.” Early Access available now.
Drop Duchy- “Build your duchy piece by piece in this refreshing hybrid rogue-lite game. Use block-dropping mechanics to collect resources, recruit troops to fight against belligerent armies, and let every block shape your realm, leading your path to victory!” Full game out now.
Oddsparks: An Automation Adventure- “A blend of automation and real-time strategy for both the die-hard fans of the automation genre and the automation-curious. Explore a strange fantasy world, uncover the mysteries of the past, automate your workshops, and go on adventures with your odd & adorable Sparks!” Full game out now.
Crowded: A Crow Citybuilder took this crown and got $2000 USD home. This title is the studio’s first game and actually started off as a student project!
Battle Cars: Nitro PvP Shooter- “This is more than just a racing or fighting game. It’s Battle Cars, a car realtime competitive multiplayer shooter where your skills behind the wheel and in combat are put to the ultimate test in a cyberpunk post-apocalyptic MOBA action game with a unique 3D graphic style.” Mobile game out now.
Greak: Memories Of Azur- “A single-player puzzle platformer adventure. Azur is under threat from an enemy attack who have control of strange creatures infecting the land. Take on the role of three siblings: Greak, Adara and Raydel and utilize their unique abilities to escape the invasion together.” Available on Steam and mobile.
MicroMacro: Downtown Detective- “Investigate crimes on a huge city map, jam-packed with hidden details, challenging puzzles, weird folks—and lots of crimes. Search for clues, follow suspects and make clever deductions to solve twisted, yet witty criminal cases.” Available on mobile platforms now.
Rail Rescue: Puzzle Lines- “Draw tracks, dodge crashes, and rescue lost buddies in Rail Rescue: Puzzle Lines—a colorful brain‑teasing railroad builder with 100+ handcrafted levels.” Available now on mobile platforms.
Realms of Conquest: Rapture- “Choose your Champion, summon your Companions, and unleash Crests of power—only the smartest, fastest, and boldest will ascend.” Available now on mobile platforms.
The winner of this award was Battle Cars: Nitro PVP Shooter, taking home $5000 USD and becoming featured in the Aptoide App Store.
Go Home Annie- “A twisted psychological thriller and an original story set in the SCP universe. As an employee of the SCP Foundation, test artificially created paranormal events, solve puzzles, interact with anomalies, and uncover the secrets of the Replication Division.” Available now.
Mark of The Deep- “An epic pirate-themed adventure with a strong narrative and a thrilling mix of Metroidvania and Souls-Like elements. Embark on this journey, explore the mysteries of a cursed island and find your missing pirate crew!” Availalbe now.
Kletka- “A co-op (up to 6 players) horror game about going down in an elevator that is trying to eat you. Feed the elevator, explore deadly floors and descend deeper.” Available now in Early Access.
VisceraFest- “A Sci-Fi Fantasy Singleplayer Arena FPS with minor Collectathon elements. Fight through hordes of aliens and eldritch monstrosities wielding a slew of powerful weapons, juggling your resources, and exploring over 23 intricately designed hand-crafted levels.” Available now.
Promise Mascot Agency- “Explore a cursed Japanese town! Recruit mascot friends and come to the rescue when disaster strikes! Solve the mystery of your exile! Help a living finger work through her many anger issues! Turn Promise Mascot Agency into the best agency in Japan in this open-world narrative adventure!” Available now.
The biggest single prize of the night, $25k USD, went to the wonderfully silly Promise Mascot Agency.
The remainder of the awards were all sponsored by Scorewarrior, DevGamm’s main sponsor. There were 11 categories in total, but before we get into those, let’s highlight the Hidden Gems, the most interesting games that barely missed being nominees.
Goeland- “You’re a seagull. The island is your playground. Adventure awaits, if you’re not too busy being a menace.” Demo available now.
Mexican Ninja- “A frantic fast-paced beat ‘em up roguelike full of crass, brass and incredibly badass. Become THE Mexican Ninja as you slice your way through the streets of Nuevo Tokyo in this retro 2.5D arcade throwback. So what’chu waiting for? Show me your skills pinche ninja!” Demo available now.
Tokyo’s Neon Monsters- “Embark on an electrifying journey through the neon-lit streets of Tokyo– an adrenaline-pumping fusion of real-time strategy and tower defence like you’ve never experienced before!”
Lost In Art: a Mniniature Realm- “Explore the miniature universe filled with Eastern mythology, forgotten folk tales and surprising historical events in this puzzle adventure game. Step into real artworks, reveal mysteries by solving unique puzzles, and be the hero of the miniature folk.” Demo available now.
Retro Gadgets- “A sandbox where you build, code, and customize gadgets inspired by old-school electronics.” Out in Early Access.
Dungeon Rampage- “Battle your way to victory in this 1-4 player co-op hack-n-slash dungeon crawler. Play as a dynamic cast of heroes slicing their way through dungeons, earning weapons and loot. Rampage past a gauntlet of enemies and destruction to end the evil Lord Dinglepus’ reign!”
Misery- “A 1–5 player co-op survival game set in a nuclear disaster zone. Here, every day is a struggle: search radioactive ruins for resources.” The Steam page is gone due to a GSC DMCA complaint. There seem to be a lot of problematic content in the game’s Discord related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, so don’t take hasty conclusion on this one.
Outbond- “Build your own home on wheels and live sustainably off-grid. Craft workstations and power supplies, source energy from the sun, wind, or water, upgrade and customize your vehicle, grow crops, and explore a colorful world with up to 4 players.”
Heroes Of Might And Magic: Olden Era- “The official prequel hailing back to the origins of the genre-defining, critically acclaimed series of turn-based strategy games. Raise grand armies and wield devastating spells to overcome your foes in both solo and multiplayer.” Demo available now.
Popucom- “Venture together with your friends on an unknown planet. Use color switching, match-3 shooting, and artifact powers to overcome challenges and keep advancing. What lies ahead of you is an adventure filled with wonder, hope, and much more to discover!”
Misery was the most voted game with close to 2000 votes. It won $2000 USD.
#Drive Rally- “An arcade-inspired rally-driving experience set in the golden racing era of the ‘90s. Grab your co-driver and burn some rubber on iconic race-winning cars across a variety of terrains in some of the most iconic rallying locations in the world!” Out now.
Light Odyssey- “A soulslike boss rush where every battle is a test of mastery. Play as Bandi and fight to restore light to a world consumed by shadows. Face off against towering colossi in three deadly phases that demand precision, patience, and adaptation.” Demo available.
Monowave- “A whimsical puzzle-adventure platformer about the humane power of emotions. Explore beautiful landscapes and empathize with their quirky denizens to restore harmony in an emotionally turbulent universe.” Demo available.
Glasshouse- “Feudalpunk Turn-Based-CRPG set in a lockdown apartment block at the dawn of a world war. Investigate the mysterious triple murder next door, fight the Political Conspiracy, and make terrible choices before the flatmates do it for you!”
Map Map: A Game About Maps- “In this game YOU make the maps! Embark on a treasure hunt as cartographer of an adventure crew. Orientate yourself on uncharted islands and measure distances to mark locations as accurately as possible.” Demo available.
Glasshouse won $3000 USD. The game does not have a release date yet, but it had a playable demo available at DevGamm that looked quite polished already. Unfortunately, I did not have time to test it.
A Webbing Journey- “Adorable spider chaos! Swing around the house, weave crazy structures, play with physics-based objects, and pull off chores with nothing but your webs and your wits in this madcap sandbox adventure.” Available in Early Access.
Stretchmancer- “STRETCH THE WORLD! In this comedic first-person puzzle adventure, you are The Stretchmancer. Squash and stretch everything around you to solve fiendish puzzles, defeat the Claustro Empire, and save the galaxy!”
9 Kings- “A fast-paced roguelike kingdom builder. Grow your empire and fight massive battles against powerful rival kings. Break the game with thousands of insane builds to become the King of Kings.” Demo available.
Compress(space)- “A mind and space-bending puzzle game where you fold space to cheat your way through puzzles. Master space manipulation and reach beyond the stars to uncover the mystery at the end of the universe.”
Xenopurge- “A tactical auto-battler where you are a Commander tasked with purging the Xenos threat. Operate from a remote command center, issuing indirect orders via multi-screen interfaces. Plan routes, set priorities, and adapt as missions escalate and feel the true weight of being in command.” Demo available.
Stretchmancer, the game in which you complete puzzles by stretching the world, took home the prize of $5000 USD. The wonderfully bizarre concept of the game apparently came to one of the creator’s when he dropped an apple and though “what if I could pull the world toward me to catch it?”. It must’ve been a pretty special apple.
Beyond The Board- “THIS IS (NOT) A CHESS GAME - A single-player puzzle game that transforms traditional chess into a minimal, immersive journey. Every move is a step deeper into the world Beyond the Board, where shifting tiles and puzzles reveal the hidden fractures within the game’s very foundations.” Demo available.
Rail Rescue: Puzzle Lines- “Draw tracks, dodge crashes, and rescue lost buddies in Rail Rescue: Puzzle Lines—a colorful brain‑teasing railroad builder with 100+ handcrafted levels.” Available now on mobile platforms.
Hell Maiden- “Traverse the depths of Hell and beat its toughest demons on your way to Heaven in this horde survival deck-building game inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy.” Demo available.
Mirai #167- “A 2D pixel-art runner where you control two characters at once, rewinding time and jumping through portals. Embark on a frantic adventure to save humanity in a world where AI surpasses human control - upgrade your characters, break records and rewrite history before it’s too late!” Demo will be live later this year.
Despite being such a small country in the south-western corner of Europe, Portugal is creating excellent pieces of art in the gaming space— reminder that as a Portuguese person, I am completely biased, but try them if you don’t trust me! Hell Maiden was crowned the winner of this award, earning the small studio the massive sum of $10k USD.
Is This Seat Taken?- “A logic puzzle game where you play matchmaker for groups of hilariously particular people. Each character has pet peeves that make seating them a delightful challenge. Find the perfect spot for each person to unlock new levels in this cozy, silly, and relatable experience.” Available now on Steam and mobile.
Greak: Memories Of Azur- “A single-player puzzle platformer adventure. Azur is under threat from an enemy attack who have control of strange creatures infecting the land. Take on the role of three siblings: Greak, Adara and Raydel and utilize their unique abilities to escape the invasion together.” Available on Steam and mobile.
MicroMacro: Downtown Detective- “Investigate crimes on a huge city map, jam-packed with hidden details, challenging puzzles, weird folks—and lots of crimes. Search for clues, follow suspects and make clever deductions to solve twisted, yet witty criminal cases.” Available on mobile platforms now.
The Storyteller- “A fire in the hearth, cozy armchairs, a window to the world and little creatures that seem to be waiting for something... All the conditions are there for a gentle evening story. Welcome to Omu’s hut and the interactive storytelling game The Storyteller.”
What The Clash?- “Play solo or challenge friends to on-on-one battles in this hilarious party game! Hundreds of silly mini games through endless absurd (and very stupid) card combos!” Available now as an Apple Arcade exclusive.
Best Mobile Game and the $10K USD prize went to What The Clash?.
13Z: The Zodiac Trials- “Fight through shifting realms in this solo and co-op roguelike hack-and-slash inspired by Eastern mythology. Experiment with divine powers, overcome deadly trials, and rise again after each fall to become the 13th Zodiac Guardian.” Demo available now.
Sacrifire- “RPG boasting a unique combat system, elaborate pixel art, and music by genre legend Motoi Sakuraba. Ezekiel Ridan, a young priest, struggles to keep his faith as the world he loves is threatened by a war between gods and demons. The adventure begins!”
BreathEdge 2- “Sent on a reckless mission, you find yourself in outer space filled with numerous dangers and things to explore. Build, craft, manage your crew, look after the chicken, and defeat the evil space corporation in this new breathtaking survival game.” Demo available now.
Lou’s Lagoon- “Traverse the vibrant Limbo Archipelago in search of your Uncle Lou, who mysteriously disappeared and left you his seaplane delivery service. Explore the islands, harvest resources, and hone your crafting skills to complete jobs and grow your business!”
Berlin Apartment- “One apartment, many stories: Witness turning points in the lives of the inhabitants of an apartment in Berlin over the course of a whole century.” Demo available now.
BreathEdge 2 took home the $10k USD and the coveted crown of Most Anticipated Game with a promise of bringing a sequel that aims to be better than the original in as many ways as possible.
Arctic Awakening- “A first-person narrative adventure set in the unforgiving Arctic. Your plane crashed in a storm, leaving only your court-mandated therapy bot for company as you journey to find your co-pilot and uncover the mysteries buried beneath the ice.” Full game available now.
Despelote- “A slice-of-life adventure about childhood and the magical grip soccer held over the people of Quito, Ecuador in 2001.” Full game available now.
New Arc Line- “Take a stand in the eternal conflict between Arcane Magic and Steampunk Revolution and tip the uneasy balance between sorcery, elves, dwarves and mysterious monsters on one side and steampunk gadgets, zeppelins, and tesla guns on the other in this single-player, party-based, story-rich RPG.” Available now in Early Access.
Davy X Jones- “Ascend to the highest fathom of a pirate underworld with the infamous Davy Jones on this action-adventure, revenge-driven journey. Control the captain’s headless body, stay on pace with his autonomous skull and keep his legend alive.” Available now in Early Access.
Hell is Us- “If war is the closest we get to hell on earth, it’s because Earth harbours the worst of demons: humankind. In an isolated country ravaged by infighting, discover the secrets of your past and deal with the repercussions of a mysterious calamity.” Full game available now.
Although Julián Cordero, Despelote’s main creator, couldn’t attend the event in person, his cousin accepted the award and the $10k USD prize with some heartfelt words, highlighting how they were proud to have won an award for the country of Ecuador.
JDM: Japanese Drift Master- “Discover Japan’s legendary car culture in JDM! Take on challenging mountain roads, visit Japanese legendary drifting spots in licensed JDM cars and immerse in the story about second chances told through manga pages. Explore an open world where every turn invites you to master the art of drift.” Full game available now.
Koira- “Save a puppy and embark on a heartwarming, hand-drawn adventure together. Journey to the heart of an enchanted forest, solving puzzles and avoiding hunters to protect your newfound friend.” Full game available now.
Rockbeasts- “Lead a band of misfits on a roller-coaster ride to stardom in the age of MTV, rock anthems, and bad haircuts. ROCKBEASTS is a story-driven, role-playing management game that puts you in the shoes of a manager of an up-and-coming rock band. Your job – take them to the top.”
Keep Driving- “An atmospheric management RPG about life on the open road. Pick up hitchhikers, work odd jobs, customize and repair your car, and map your route across the country. Use upgrades, skills and items to overcome challenges. And remember to take it easy. You’re young. You have time.” Full game available now.
PBJ: The Musical- “Imagine Romeo and Juliet… but it’s Peanut Butter and Jelly? This handcrafted musical game tells the badly research story of the iconic sandwich’s tragic origins.” Available now on App Store.
Rockbeasts, the only unreleased game in the nominees, won the award and the $10k USD prize. There was a demo playable at DevGamm, but the game does not have a release date yet.
Truckful- “Drive your pickup truck through seemingly peaceful countryside valleys, deliver much-needed goods to local townsfolk and unravel the small town mystery. Beware, the old forest is watching.” Demo available now.
Hotel Galactic- “Combines cozy management with a heartfelt tale. Build and decorate your dream tourist getaway, aid Gustav in his search for redemption, and explore a nostalgic world where bonds with creatures and serene gardens sustain a thriving colony.” Available now in Early Access.
Sacrifire- “RPG boasting a unique combat system, elaborate pixel art, and music by genre legend Motoi Sakuraba. Ezekiel Ridan, a young priest, struggles to keep his faith as the world he loves is threatened by a war between gods and demons. The adventure begins!”
Tukoni: Forest Keepers- “A cute & cozy puzzle adventure. Play as the forest spirit Tukoni as you meet unique characters, solve captivating puzzles, brew fragrant tea and explore a magical world filled with kindness.” Demo available now.
Winter Burrow- “A cozy woodland survival game about a mouse returning home to restore their childhood burrow. Explore, gather resources, craft, knit warm sweaters, bake pies and meet the locals.” Demo available now.
With its fantastic children storybook aesthetic, Tukoni: Forest Keepers took the $10k USD prize and the award home. The game is coming out sometime in 2026.
Compress(space)- “A mind and space-bending puzzle game where you fold space to cheat your way through puzzles. Master space manipulation and reach beyond the stars to uncover the mystery at the end of the universe.”
Drop Duchy- “Build your duchy piece by piece in this refreshing hybrid rogue-lite game. Use block-dropping mechanics to collect resources, recruit troops to fight against belligerent armies, and let every block shape your realm, leading your path to victory!” Full game out now.
Stretchmancer- “STRETCH THE WORLD! In this comedic first-person puzzle adventure, you are The Stretchmancer. Squash and stretch everything around you to solve fiendish puzzles, defeat the Claustro Empire, and save the galaxy!”
Is This Seat Taken?- “A logic puzzle game where you play matchmaker for groups of hilariously particular people. Each character has pet peeves that make seating them a delightful challenge. Find the perfect spot for each person to unlock new levels in this cozy, silly, and relatable experience.” Available now on Steam and mobile.
Jump Space- “A mission based co-op PvE for 1-4 players, where you are the crew of a spaceship. Transition seamlessly from crewing the ship to on-foot exploration and space walks. Explore, upgrade, and survive intense encounters in deep space together.” Available now in Early Access.
Despite being one of the smallest projects in the nominee list, Drop Duchy won the award and the $10k USD prize with its unique take on the roguelite genre.
Hell is Us- “If war is the closest we get to hell on earth, it’s because Earth harbours the worst of demons: humankind. In an isolated country ravaged by infighting, discover the secrets of your past and deal with the repercussions of a mysterious calamity.” Full game available now.
Rockbeasts- “Lead a band of misfits on a roller-coaster ride to stardom in the age of MTV, rock anthems, and bad haircuts. ROCKBEASTS is a story-driven, role-playing management game that puts you in the shoes of a manager of an up-and-coming rock band. Your job – take them to the top.”
Despelote- “A slice-of-life adventure about childhood and the magical grip soccer held over the people of Quito, Ecuador in 2001.” Full game available now.
Keep Driving- “An atmospheric management RPG about life on the open road. Pick up hitchhikers, work odd jobs, customize and repair your car, and map your route across the country. Use upgrades, skills and items to overcome challenges. And remember to take it easy. You’re young. You have time.” Full game available now.
Stretchmancer- “STRETCH THE WORLD! In this comedic first-person puzzle adventure, you are The Stretchmancer. Squash and stretch everything around you to solve fiendish puzzles, defeat the Claustro Empire, and save the galaxy!”
The second biggest check of the night ($20k USD) and the most important award of DevGamm Lisbon 2025 went to Keep Driving. Looking like a fusion between a young Liam Gallagher and games critic Tim Rogers, Y/CJ/Y’s Josef Martinosvky took the stage alongside Christopher Andreasson ecstatic.
This wonderful game was born like a lot of artworks are: reminiscing of times well spent, in this case driving through Norway with his dog and his best friend— alongside the influence of some hypothetical drugs and the classic Oregon Trail.
As Scorewarrior’s Adam Sibson so eloquently put it, Josef already is a “gaming rockstar” and “is going to be a massive legend in the industry”. I can’t wait to see what Y/CJ/Y puts out next, and neither should you.
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