On Thursday 7th March, professionals across the UK games industry gathered for a glitzy ceremony at Birmingham’s Library Rotunda to celebrate the companies and individuals that made an incredible impact in games throughout 2023.
On the night, Rockwater Games, our new development studio, was in the running for the “UK Mobile Game of the Year” for their work on The Queen’s Gambit Chess.
Celebrating The Queen’s Gambit Chess in Style
Released last July in partnership with Netflix Games, The Queen’s Gambit Chess is Rockwater Games’ debut title.
Both a celebration of chess and a “love letter to the show” our teams put a whole lot of heart into it, and so when they were nominated by Ukie we knew we had to send a squad to attend!
Reflecting on the nomination, Simone McDermott, Rockwater Games Lead Game Designer said “It felt and still feels so amazing to be nominated for UK Mobile Game of the Year, I feel like that will forever be a top achievement for me! The nomination alone is a testament to how hard our team worked to make it. It’s the first time a game I have worked on has been nominated and I truly was overjoyed about that.”
She added “The Ukie event was amazing! There were lots of great and inspiring speeches by the winners and it was good to see so many great games and companies get recognised for their passions. I certainly noted a few games I want to play!”
Matt Thorpe, Rockwater Senior Programmer, expressed “Pardon the pun, but it’s been very rewarding. Working on The Queen’s Gambit Chess was a genuine labour of love so it’s incredibly gratifying to have been nominated, never mind making it to the top three!”
A Night of Firsts
For a handful of our Rockwater representatives, the occasion was made extra special as it marked recognition of not only the studio’s first title but also their first credits on a video game.
Simeon Lewis, Rockwater Senior QA said “This is an industry I’ve always wanted to work in, so to see my first game credit get nominated as one of Ukie’s best mobile games feels so surreal. I’m so proud of everyone.”
Paul Fiddler, Rockwater Games Producer, previously worked on Ripstone’s Poker Club but The Queen’s Gambit Chess marked his first start-to-finish production in the games industry.
Paul expressed “I’m immensely proud of our Rockwater Games team and the passion they poured into TQGC to create a true love letter to the show. As my first full production title, I feel privileged to have helped deliver it and work with such an insanely talented team.
To be shortlisted by our industry peers at Ukie as one of the best UK mobile games is a very proud moment and a true reflection of all the hard work invested to deliver such a high-quality game on a mobile platform.”
In Amongst It!
On the night, the award went to a fellow Netflix Games title, Desta: The Memories Between by ustwo Games.
Desta and our fellow finalist, Football Manager Touch 2024, have been office favourites this year, and it’s been a thrill for our teams to be recognised among them!
Here’s to next year’s Ukie Video Game Awards!