Tue, Mar 12, 2013 | 15:15 GMT

Journey walks home with five BAFTA awards

The British Academy Games Awards happened this evening, and Journey took home five awards. That’s not all: we’ll be posting video updates throughout the night, courtesy of Sam Clay.

Speaking of Sam, he was in the audience, and spoke with tonight’s winners for reactions and chatter.

Dishonored took top honours with the award for Best Game, and Journey -nominated in eight categories – walked away with five awards.

BAFTA recognized 53 games across 17 categories this year, and while thatgamecompany’s PSN game had the most nods, The Walking Dead wasn’t far behind with seven, and left the event with two.

Far Cry 3 had six nominations, but scored just one gong, for Best Action.

Valve founder Gabe Newell was also on-hand to receive a BAFTA fellowship this evening, and walked on stage to a standing ovation, and gave a very short acceptance speech with loads of glowing thanks and praise for his team at Valve.

Tonight’s show was hosted by comedian Dara O’Briain and the ceremony was streamed live on Twitch TV.

The full list of nominees and winners are at the bottom of the post. Sam spoke with some of the winners and cruised the red carpet; check out the videos below.

Red carpet chatter

The Walking Dead takes best story

All Star Soccer wins Sports/Fitness

XCOM: Enemy Unknown scores best strategy

Far Cry 3 honoured with Best Action

Journey wins quite a lot of things, actually

Danny Wallace named Best Performer

Here’s a full list of nominees with winners in bold and italics:

Action
Borderlands 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Far Cry 3
Halo 4
Hitman: Absolution
Mass Effect 3

Artistic Achievement
Borderlands 2
Dear Esther
Far Cry 3
Halo 4
Journey
The Room

Audio Achievement
Assassin’s Creed 3
Beat Sneak Bandit
Dear Esther
Far Cry 3
Halo 4
Journey

Best Game
Dishonored
Far Cry 3
FIFA 13
Journey
Mass Effect 3
The Walking Dead

British Game
Dear Esther
Forza Horizon
LEGO: The Lord of the Rings
Need for Speed Most Wanted
The Room
Super Hexagon

Debut Game
Deadlight
Dear Esther
Forza Horizon
Proteus
The Room
The Unfinished Swan

Game Design
Borderlands 2
Dishonored
Far Cry 3
Journey
The Walking Dead
XCOM: Enemy Unknown

Family
Clay Jam
Just Dance 4
LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
LEGO the Lord of the Rings
Minecraft: XBOX 360 Edition
Skylanders Giants

Game Innovation
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Fez
Journey
Kinect Sesame Street TV
The Unfinished Swan
Wonderbook: Books of Spells

Mobile & Handheld
Incoboto
LittleBigPlanet (Vita)
New Star Soccer
The Room
Super Monsters Ate My Condo
The Walking Dead

Online – Browser
Amateur Surgeon Hospital
Dick and Dom’s HOOPLA!
Merlin: The Game
Runescape
The Settlers Online
SongPop

Online-Multiplayer
Assassin’s Creed 3
Borderlands 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Halo 4
Journey
Need For Speed Most Wanted

Original Music
Assassin’s Creed 3
Diablo 3
Journey
Thomas Was Alone
The Unfinished Swan
The Walking Dead

Performer
Adrian Hough (Haytham) – Assassin’s Creed 3
Danny Wallace (The Narrator) – Thomas Was Alone
Dave Fennoy (Lee Everett) – The Walking Dead
Melissa Hutchinson (Clementine) – The Walking Dead
Nigel Carrington (The Narrator) – Dear Esther
Nolan North (Nathan Drake) – Uncharted: Golden Abyss

Sports/Fitness
FIFA 13
F1 2012
Forza Horizon
New Star Soccer
Nike+ Kinect Training
Trials Evolution

Story
Dishonored
Far Cry 3
Journey
Mass Effect 3
Thomas was Alone
The Walking Dead
Development Team

Strategy
Dark Souls: Prepare To Die
Diablo 3
Football Manager 2013
Great Big War Game
Total War Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai
XCOM: Enemy Unknown

BAFTA Ones to Watch Award in association with Dare to Be Digital
Pixel Story
Project Thanatos
Starcrossed

Watch live video from bafta on www.twitch.tv

21 comments

Hcw87
05/03/13, 8:26 pm

Dear Esther has a fantastic atmosphere. I suggest anyone who haven’t played it yet to check it out. Just don’t go into it suggesting an action game or anything.

Walter
05/03/13, 8:38 pm

I laughed so much at Call of Duty: Black Ops II being nominated for “Game Innovation”.

Also, Fifa 13 for “Best Game”? Really?

manamana
05/03/13, 8:39 pm

Hcw87 – yes man! Headphones mandatory.

manamana
05/03/13, 8:41 pm

Dark Souls = strategy.

I thought of so many kinds of genres for this superb game but strategy? Okay!

And I’m really glad, that this piece of mediocre sound crap from Halo4 wasn’t even on the list.

YoungZer0
05/03/13, 8:42 pm

@1: I rather listen to an audiobook, which is essential what Dear Esther is.

manamana
05/03/13, 8:43 pm

YoungZero – definitely to young for this.

YoungZer0
05/03/13, 8:47 pm

DSB
05/03/13, 8:53 pm

I think Dear Esther is an experience more than anything.

manamana
05/03/13, 8:54 pm

Well, you could listen to an audiobook, while walking alone on an isolated island, fealing the breeze, watching the sun setting and listening to the surge of waves too. Or you can walk Dear Esther as an audiovisual experience …

Matter of taste, defenitely.

Edit: DSB beat me too it

#10

Stephany Nunneley
05/03/13, 8:58 pm

Hey all! Our first video is in there now with Sam harassing attendees on the red carpet. Keep checking back for winner reaction videos.

#11

YoungZer0
05/03/13, 9:00 pm

@9: I’m not feeling the breeze when I play the game. I could also just lie on my bed, listen to the audiobook and use my dirty imagination.

#12

Stephany Nunneley
05/03/13, 9:07 pm

Does Dara O’Briain keep calling it Far Cry 2 on purpose instead of Far Cry 3? Or did I miss something?

#13

No_PUDding
05/03/13, 11:04 pm

Only downloaded Journey this weekend!

I really liked it. And having been on a bit of an indie binge recently, I see why it’s held in such high regard. Not everything is quite as polished. It hardly feels indie actually.

#14

Hunam
05/03/13, 11:12 pm

Booooo! No BAFTA for me this year

I also maintain the sound one meant nothing this year as Ghost Recon Future Soldier wasn’t nominated, which is a joke as it is the best sounding game since Bad Company 2.

#15

Eddie Rodrigues
05/03/13, 11:12 pm

@4 Boss-hunting (RPG or not) is a genre with very few titles to represent it, at least in modern times. I feel bad calling it a strategy game, though it is a very important thing to be done within the game.

#16

Gnosis
06/03/13, 9:11 am

Thatgamecompany must be drowning in prizes by now.

#17

Beta
06/03/13, 11:40 am

How many awards has Journey won in total now? XD

#18

Gnosis
06/03/13, 12:05 pm

@18: There’s a list on their homepage, but from what I see BAFTA’s still missing.
http://thatgamecompany.com/games/journey/

#19

Beta
06/03/13, 12:33 pm

@19 Ta very much