About the Develop:Star Awards
Bringing together the game dev community to celebrate the very best games and talent.
The Develop:Star Awards recognise the very best games and talent within the industry with categories that enable studios of every size to shine. These awards are all about the game dev community celebrating the creative excellence of the game makers behind the best games of the previous 12 months.
The Develop:Star Awards winners will be announced during Develop:Brighton at a ceremony at The Dome on the evening of Wednesday 9 July.
ENTRY FOR THIS YEAR'S AWARDS IS NOW CLOSED.
The Stars Schedule
- 3 February - Nominations open
- 4 April - Entry deadline
- 7 April to 2 May - Judging for the shortlist
- W/c 12 May - Shortlist announced and online voting for the winners opens
- 30 May - Voting closes
- 4 June - Early Bird Deadline
- 9 July - Winners announced at the Awards ceremony
Develop:Star Awards Party
The Develop:Star Awards winners will be announced at a ceremony on the evening of Wednesday 9 July during Develop:Brighton.
Venue:
Brighton Dome
New Road
Brighton
BN1 1UG
Party Timings:
- 19:00 Drinks
- 19:45 Awards Presentation
- 20:30 Dinner
- 21.45 Awards Presentation
- 22.30 After Party
Develop:Star Awards Tickets
Premium Table of 10
Ticket includes access to the pre-dinner drinks reception, prime table location, your logo displayed on your table, dinner and access to the after party.
- Early Bird Rate (by 4 June): £3,350 (+ VAT)
- Full Rate (after 4 June): £3,750 (+ VAT)
Standard Table of 10
Ticket includes access to the pre-dinner drinks reception, dinner and access to the after party.
- Early Bird Rate (by 4 June): £3,000 (+ VAT)
- Full Rate (after 4 June): £3,400 (+ VAT)
Single Seat at a Table
Ticket includes access to the pre-dinner drinks reception, dinner and access to the after party.
- Early Bird Rate (by 4 June): £300 (+VAT)
- Full Rate (after 4 June): £340 (+VAT)
Single Seat at a Table Micro Indie Rate
(Dev studios with 4 or fewer employees only)
Ticket includes access to the pre-dinner drinks reception, dinner and access to the after party.
- Early Bird Rate (by 4 June): £190 (+VAT)
- Full Rate (after 4 June): £235 (+VAT)
Please note: If you've booked a ticket for the Awards you'll need a wristband to get in, which you can collect from the Develop:Brighton Registration desk in the lobby of the Hilton Metropole Hotel between 2pm and 6.30pm on that Wednesday.
Booking opens soon!
Develop:Star Awards Categories
Recognising a team that has achieved exceptional game design that exhibits innovation, creativity and technical achievement in a specific game.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Only significant expansions and DLC for existing games will be considered for this category.
Recognising a team that has demonstrated distinction in the use of sound and/or music to improve or enhance the player experience for a specific game.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Only significant expansions and DLC for existing games will be considered for this category.
Recognising a team that has achieved exceptional creative, commercial and critical results with a brand-new intellectual property.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Recognising a team that has demonstrated exceptional achievement in visual art and animation in a specific game.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Only significant expansions and DLC for existing games will be considered for this category.
Recognising a team that has demonstrated exceptional achievement in storytelling to create an outstanding player experience – through innovative or ground-breaking writing.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Only significant expansions and DLC for existing games will be considered for this category.
Recognising an exceptional technical innovation across video game software, hardware and engines, that demonstrates a fresh approach, unique thinking and/or addresses a particular need in the market.
Entries must be for a specific software or hardware innovation, the creation of which can be attributed to a company or companies.
Qualifying entries must have come to market in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Recognising an exceptional initiative that has had a positive impact on equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within a video game company or the wider industry.
Qualifying initiatives must have launched or shown demonstrable results during the qualifying period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Recognising an exceptional marketing campaign for a video game or video game hardware that has demonstrated outstanding results during the qualifying period.
Campaigns must have been activated in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Qualifying campaigns can be in support of products released outside of the qualifying period but must support new content or a significant new update to that product.
Recognising the outstanding work of a company supporting the game development community, including providers of creative audio-visual assets, QA and localisation, law, accountancy and production, but not recruitment.
Qualifying entries must include evidence of success that first occurred during the qualifying period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Recognising an in-house team or external company or agency for exceptional work in the fields of talent acquisition, retention and development.
Qualifying companies must be able to provide evidence of outstanding approaches, practices and results that fall within the qualifying period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Recognising outstanding new and emerging talent within the games industry.
Qualifying entrants must be in a position below senior management or director level at the time the submission is made.
All supporting evidence for the entry must fall within the qualifying period - 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Recognising outstanding achievement in the development and application of accessibility features that are wide-ranging, impactful and show exceptional craft.
Qualifying entries must be for accessibility features in specific games released in the UK during the qualifying period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Recognising an organisation that has shown outstanding support helping developers get their game published. This can include via funding, discoverability, research or anything else that helped secure a successful route to market for new games.
Qualifying publishers must have published at least one game or significant content update for a game during the qualifying period - 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025 in the UK.
Recognising the stand-out game available on mobile phone or tablet devices that has excelled in all aspects of game development to achieve creative, commercial and critical success.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period - 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Only significant expansions and DLC for existing games will be considered for this category.
Recognising the game on any platform that stands out above all others, excelling in all aspects of game development to achieve creative, commercial and critical success.
Qualifying games must have been released in the UK during the qualifying period - 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Only significant expansions and DLC for existing games will be considered for this category.
Recognising a studio with ten or fewer employees that has achieved exceptional critical and commercial success during the qualifying period - 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Entrants must have released a game or significant content update for a game in the UK and during that period.
Recognising a studio with eleven or more full-time employees that has achieved exceptional critical and commercial success during the qualifying period - 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025.
Entrants must have released a game or significant content update for a game in the UK and during that period.
The Develop:Star Award 2025 - Sam Lake, Remedy Entertainment

Sam Lake has been a key creative force in dreaming up Remedy’s acclaimed catalogue of games: Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break, and Control. Lake famously even provided the likeness for the title character in the first Max Payne game. His passion lies in deep, layered storytelling and melding together different mediums to create unique interactive experiences.
Sponsorship
The Develop:Star Awards offer a range of sponsorship opportunities to help you achieve your marketing & promotional goals. Whatever your aims, there’s something to suit every pocket - all designed to maximise your exposure.
To find out how you can get involved contact us at:
E: [email protected]
T: +44 (0)20 3927 6440