Hastings girl wins prestigious game design award

The Whispering Wilds is set in a world of ancient magic

A 17-year-old game designer from East Sussex has won a prestigious competition.

Tallulah Martinez, from Hastings, was awarded a top prize at Bafta's 2024 Young Game Designers competition.

Her design for The Whispering Wilds took the Game Concept Award for 15-18 year olds.

She said: "It was really brilliant to have won and was amazing to get the recognition."

The winning game concept is "set in a world of ancient magic, exploring the open world and discovering the four covens - dusk, dawn, day and night".

The college student said she designed the game "for all people of all ages".

She said: "It was something I knew that I would enjoy playing and I hoped that other people would too."

Tallulah said she hopes playing The Whispering Wilds "will feel like you’re playing through an art piece or painting with your environment”.

She said: "I hope I can manage to get a career in game design. That would be ideal."

Tallulah Martinez won Bafta's Game Concept Award for 15 to 18-year-olds

The online award ceremony was streamed on Bafta's YouTube channel.

A Bafta spokesperson said: "We are committed to supporting children who are interested in games, providing them with hands-on experience in the field and creating accessible pathways into games careers."

The winning games, designs and artwork will be displayed at the Science Museum in London and the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester.

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