There may be a stigma that film and television awards don’t care about gaming as an artistic medium at all, but the BAFTAs have been consistently giving credence to game designers and developers of many budgets and sizes since 2004. The fairly early representation in gaming awards has given the ceremonies legitimate weight and the voting committee chose era-defining games like the original Halo and Metroid Prime during the Xbox and Gamecube console wars to award that year. For 2022, each category has tough competition given the great choices made for this year’s ceremony.
The BAFTAs are a recognition that gaming can be equal to film and television by a committee that has understood its importance since the early 2000’s. Even in 2004, three years before the first iPhone was released, the BAFTAs were ahead of their time and had a mobile game category. With the rise of the independent game development scene in the mid-2010’s, the British Academy has started to recognize titles made by small teams that have gone above and beyond what AAA titles have been able to accomplish.
In the past, best game has gone to Hades (2021), What Remains of Edith Finch, Luigi’s Mansion 3, God of War and more games from across a wide range of genres and production studios. The 2022 BAFTA Game Awards for categories like best game, best narrative, and even audience favorite are no pushovers this year either – choices like Inscryption, Unpacking, It Takes Two, Deathloop, and Halo Infinite show that the British Academy knows many of the games worth rewarding this year with nominations. With multiple categories singling out accomplishment in game design, narrative, artistic achievement, and audio achievement, the awards are looking to honor many individuals and development teams that made 2021 a great year for gaming.
The 2022 BAFTA Nominees For Best Game
DEATHLOOP
Forza Horizon 5
Inscryption
It Takes Two
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
The BAFTA Nominees For Best British Game
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
Death’s Door
Fights in Tight Spaces
Forza Horizon 5
Overboard!
Sable
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Debut Game
Eastward
Genesis Noir
Maquette
The Artful Escape
The Forgotten City
TOEM
The BAFTA Nominees For Best EE Game Of The Year
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
DEATHLOOP
It Takes Two
Metroid Dread
The Forgotten City
Unpacking
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Evolving Game In 2022
Among Us
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Apex Legends
Disco Elysium – The Final Cut
Fortnite
No Man’s Sky
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Family Game
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Forza Horizon 5
Mario Party Superstars
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Unpacking
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Game Beyond Entertainment
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
Before Your Eyes
Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Game Builder Garage
It Takes Two
Psychonauts 2
The BAFTA Nominees for Best Game Design
DEATHLOOP
Forza Horizon 5
Inscryption
It Takes Two
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Returnal
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Multiplayer
Back 4 Blood
Call of Duty: Vanguard
Forza Horizon 5
Halo Infinite
Hell Let Loose
It Takes Two
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Music
DEATHLOOP
Far Cry 6
Halo Infinite
Psychonauts 2
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Returnal
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Narrative
It Takes Two
Life is Strange: True Colors
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Psychonauts 2
Returnal
Unpacking
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Original Property
DEATHLOOP
Death’s Door
Inscryption
It Takes Two
Returnal
Unpacking
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Animation In Games
Call of Duty: Vanguard
It Takes Two
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Life is Strange: True Colors
Psychonauts 2
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
The BAFTA Nominees For Artistic Achievement In Games
It Takes Two
Psychonauts 2
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Resident Evil Village
Returnal
The Artful Escape
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Audio Achievement In Games
Call of Duty: Vanguard
DEATHLOOP
Halo Infinite
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Returnal
The Artful Escape
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Performer In A Leading Role
Erika Mori as Alex Chen in Life is Strange: True Colors
Jason E. Kelley as Colt Vahn “The Captain” in DEATHLOOP
Ozioma Akagha as Julianna Blake in DEATHLOOP
Jennifer Hale as Rivet in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Jane Perry as Selene Vassos in Returnal
Jon McLaren as Star-Lord in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Performer In A Supporting Role
Jason Cavalier as Drax in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Han Soto as Gabe Chen in Life is Strange: True Colors
Kimberly Brooks as Hollis Forsythe in Psychonauts 2
Maggie Robertson as Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil: Village
Laura Bailey as Polina Petrova in Call of Duty: Vanguard
Alex Weiner as Rocket in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
The BAFTA Nominees For Best Technical Achievement In Games
Forza Horizon 5
Hitman 3
Psychonauts 2
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Resident Evil Village
Returnal
The ceremonies for 2022 will be held on March 25 and will be livestreamed on Twitch. Even if the BAFTAs don’t hold the same weight as the Oscars or Golden Globes, or perhaps even The Game Awards GOTY considerations when it comes to marketability, the institution does confer a deep respect to the art form, and the opportunities that can come from an award are not to be understated. Awards open up doors to collaborations and can bring notoriety to the studio that developed the game, the individuals who led art direction and programming, and the voice actors who brought the characters to life.
The BAFTAs have a long-running history with games and have awarded great titles before. Many of the games from previous years are considered modern classics and the voters definitely have more know-how than the average film-only awards ceremony regarding video games, if the choice of categories are anything to go by. A professional celebration like the BAFTAs is also fun for gaming fans, as there are great lesser-known indie games from 2021 that have still been nominated that people might want to check out, regardless of what pulls away the top honors. The British Academy’s picks for all these categories are guaranteed to be fun games that should be recognized for their achievement. The list of nominees has done a great job of representing a variety of developers from different backgrounds, and whatever wins will have beaten out a field of worthwhile games.
