Bafta Games Awards 2024: Longlist published for first time

14 December 2023

Bafta Awards

A man with white hair, pointed ears and unusually pale skin puts his hand to his chin, apparently deep in thought. He wears a high-necked, elaborate green jacket, with golden patterning on the shoulders. The Medieval garment has deep purple sleeves. He's in what appears to be a forested area. It's night-time, and two flaming torches attached to rocks in the background illuminate the scene — Image caption,
Baldur's Gate 3 will be among 60 titles juries and Bafta members have to consider as they cast their votes

By Tom Richardson

BBC Newsbeat

The Bafta Games Awards has published its list of potential nominees for the first time.

Sixty games appear across 17 different categories in the longlist, which will be narrowed down to a final shortlist for the 2024 event.

The prizes include best game, best British game, best narrative and awards for best lead and supporting performances.

Baldur's Gate 3 is longlisted 15 times, while Alan Wake 2 appears 14 times.

The epic RPG based on Dungeons and Dragons and the survival horror were the big winners at last week's Game Awards in Los Angeles.

Spider-Man 2, which did not win any prizes at the industry bash hosted by US journalist Geoff Keighley, appears 10 times on Bafta's longlist.

And Hogwarts Legacy, which wasn't nominated at all at the Game Awards, features in nine categories.

Appearing on the longlist does not guarantee a game will be up for an award on the night - but gives a good indication of potential frontrunners.

Best Game and Best British Game are voted on by about 1,000 Bafta members, while the other awards are decided by specially selected juries.

A man in glasses, black tuxedo with a white shirt and red bow tie stands with his hands at his sides, palms up, as he speaks into a microphone on the Bafta lectern. The lectern bears the golden mask of the Bafta Academy - a male face with carved features. Behind him, a woman with red hair, woman with black hair, man with shoulder-length black hair in a tuxedo and a man holding the award at waist height stand in a row behind him. They're all smiling, joining in the joy of winning an award.

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Sam McGarry accepted Vampire Survivors' best game award

Unlike the Game Awards, which has separate categories for independent games and bigger budget titles, Bafta's Best Game prize includes both.

This year it resulted in a surprise win for 2D monster slayer Vampire Survivors over favourite God of War: Ragnarok.

And 2024's longlist includes titles such as Cocoon, Dave the Diver and Dredge alongside triple-A hits.

The Best British Game longlist also includes a wide range of titles, from turn-based monster battler Cassette Beasts, to Football Manager 2024 and photography-themed puzzler Viewfinder.

Bafta Games committee boss Tara Saunders previously spoke to website GamesIndustry.biz, external about the decision to publish the longlist this year.

She said it was an attempt to "shine a light on a wider selection of games ahead of the jury and round two vote stages".

The nominations will be announced on 7 March 2024, with the awards taking place on 11 April.

Bafta has published the full longlist on its website, external.

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Bafta Games Awards 2024: Longlist published for first time

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