All games that are part of the UCSC Games showcase are playtested by our judges, and students receive feedback from each judge that plays their game. Games may also receive recognition in our Sammy Awards categories.
All games that are part of the 2021 UCSC Games Showcase will receive a commemorative graphic that they can use to promote their game in whatever way they wish. Awarded games will receive separate commemorative graphics unique to their awards. These special 2021 Games Showcase Award images will be announced on July 1, 2021.
2021 Award Categories and Winners
Design Innovation Award
Recognition for most creative or innovative desing elements
Amorphous
Ape Ship
Bomblebees
Homerun Miko
Invicta Vitae
Orbital Descent
Skynet: ReUploaded
Audio Award
Most impactful sound design and/or music
Knights
Last Lunar Air
Love Heist Romeo
Uncanny Valley
Trail Mix
Welcome to Lakewood
Visual Art Award
Excellence in visual art
Ape Ship
Bìxié
Bond: Wish of the Forest
The Collector
Comet
Dream Delivery
Mocha Magic
Shine
Impact Award
Recognizes socially engaged work
Al Cielo
Bound 2 You
Honey Bear
violeta
World Building Award
Excellence in written, interactive, or environmental story telling
Al Cielo
Love Heist Romeo
Origin Story
Room 4
Scroggin
Vulpecula
Welcome to Lakewood
Zeitgeist Award
Games that speak to the current cultural moment
Honey Bear
Just Focus
Together in Spirit
violeta
Capstone Production Award
Excellence in production, teambuilding, and collaboration
Alone, Not Lonely
Bomblebees
Homerun Miko
Love Heist Romeo
B-A-N-A-N-A-S Award
Amazing, unexpected, weird games that may not fit into other categories but deserve recognition
Fish n Ships
Gremlin Garden
Just Focus
Magic Mouster
Seventino Midnight Cafe
Capstone Technical Innovation Award
Excellence in technical execution and innovation
Bond: Wish of the Forest
Bound 2 You
Knights
Last Lunar Air
Origin Story
Peer Choice Awards
Outstanding games and team members as nominated by their fellow students
Peer Choice Games
Bomblebees
Bond: Wish of the Forest
Secret Bonus
These students quietly made a large impact on their team’s game
Maddie Glenn
Mia Kennedy
Erica Li
Daniel Liao
Eric Long
Herman Wu
Force Multiplier
These students went out of their way to help other teams in addition to their own
Eric Long
Daniel Nguyen
Niko Sanchez
Kaylin Wang
Herman Wu
Extra Life
This student helped keep their peers in the 170 series in good spirits and feeling positive
Eric Long
Hunter Lynch
Brian Quintero
Niko Sanchez
Multi-Class
This student delivered stellar work doing multiple jobs on their team
Jameson Danning
Maddie Glenn
Daniel Liao
Eric Long
Warner Scheibe
Angel Tan
Herman Wu
Nominate Your Favorite Showcase Game for Peer Choice!
We will be accepting nominations until further notice. That give you plenty of time to check out some of the games you may’ve missed.
The Peer Choice award is anonymous and only open to UCSC students (you’ll need to be logged into Google with your UCSC account), and each student can nominate one game from the showcase.
The games that gets the most nominations from fellow students will be added to our awards page and will receive a special Peer Choice graphic to use as they wish in promoting their games online.
Nominate your favorite game here.