2019 marked Playcrafting’s 3rd annual Bit Awards here in New York City. The awards ceremony is meant to celebrate the achievements of the city’s smaller indie devs, more specifically those who are a part of the Playcrafting communities stable of students. This year’s awards opened with a rad number by live band Zac Zinger and The Bits set against a fun little video montage in the background showcasing various game projects both big and small. This year’s host was Carolina Ravassa, a prominent TV and voice actress, perhaps best known recently for her work as Sombra in Overwatch. She was also in GTA V, Red Dead Redemption 2, Just Cause 4, and more.
Student Game of the Year
WINNER: King of the Hat
NOMINEES
XR Game of the Year
WINNER: The Take
NOMINEES
Best Style Award Nominees
WINNER: Hamsterdam
NOMINEES
Player’s Choice Award
WINNER: Swimsanity
NOMINEES
Mobile Game of the Year
WINNER: Into The Dark: Narkan
NOMINEES
PC/Console Game of the Year
WINNER: Swimsanity
NOMINEES
Tabletop Game of the Year
WINNER: Gladius
NOMINEES
Rising Pixel Boston Honoree
Caroline Murphy
Caroline Murphy is a game designer, producer, and community organizer that lives and works in the Greater Boston Area. She received her MBA from Babson in 2011, and has passionately focused on building games and game communities. She is co-founder and CEO of BostonFIG, a non-profit organization that dedicates itself to cultivating the next generation of game creators. BostonFIG’s annual flagship event, BostonFIG Fest, now in its 8th year, draws an audience of nearly 5000 attendees. Caroline also acts as Chief Creative Officer of Incantrix Productions, a game company that specializes in interactive theater events. She teaches in the graduate games science program at Northeastern University, co-manages the Boston Indies community group, is on the Board of Directors for Be Epic, and sits on the game review committees for AIAS and Intercon.
Rising Pixel Award NYC Honoree
Sam Eng
Sam Eng is a Unity3D developer and long-time Playcrafting instructor. In 2018, Sam released the acclaimed hit game Zarvot on the Nintendo Switch. He is also the lead developer on AVARIAvs (avariavs.com), a lightning fast turn-based RPG due for release in 2019. Sam’s commitment to his own craft as well as nurturing the talent of those around him makes him a community leader in New York and for developers the world over.
Rising Pixel San Francisco Honoree
Don Bellenger
Don Bellenger is a lifelong creative who works out of Oakland, CA, where he lives with his wife and daughter. He is the lead developer of Black Future ’88, coming soon to multiple platforms. A staple of the Bay Area community, Don leads both through the example of his work and his commitment to helping inspire and connect his fellow game developers.
The Game Changer Award Honoree
Jen Maclean
