Every year, the prestigious award honors outstanding games and the creative minds behind the games. Around 500 guests from the games industry, politics and society attended the big show at the Flora in the Botanical Gardens in Cologne. The evening was hosted by Daniel Budiman and Lynne Glaner. The German Developer Award is the oldest award for computer games from German-speaking countries and was presented for the 20th time this year.

The German Developer Award was presented in 14 categories this year. Mimimi Games stood at the top of the winners' podium three times and also received the redesigned trophy in the categories "Best Audio Design" and "Best Graphics". The real-time tactics game "Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew" takes game fans back to the age of pirates in the Caribbean. The tower defense game "Dome Keeper" by Studio Bippinbits from Radeberg lures players into the cold realms of space with aggressive aliens. The jury honored the game with two awards in the categories "Best Indie Game" and "Best Game Design". The "Studio of the Year" is Deck13 Interactive from Frankfurt am Main. The award was presented by the evening's guest of honor, NRW Media Minister Nathanael Liminski.

"Games development only works in multiplayer mode. The German Developer Award has been bringing together all players in the industry for 20 years and honors innovative virtual game worlds at the highest level. The state government has continuously built up funding structures in recent years and has kept games funding stable at 3.5 million euros, even in uncertain times. This is having an effect: this year, North Rhine-Westphalia was voted the leading games location by companies. The games honored with the Developer Award show that games are not only an expression of our creativity and imagination, but have long been one of the driving economic factors in our state. I congratulate all the winners," said Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the State Chancellery. The state of NRW has been one of the prize's sponsors for many years.

The winners of the German Developer Award 2023:

(in brackets: developer teams and company headquarters)

Best German Game

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew (Mimimi Games, Munich - Bavaria)

Studio of the Year

Deck13 Interactive (Frankfurt am Main - Hesse)

Best Indie Game

Dome Keeper (Bippinbits, Radeberg - Saxony)

Best Casual Game

Thronefall (Grizzly Games, Berlin)

Best Game Beyond Entertainment

Duru - About mullets and depression (Twisted Ramble Games, Berlin)

Best Game Design

Dome Keeper (Bippinbits, Radeberg - Saxony)

Best Audio Design

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew (Mimimi Games, Munich - Bavaria)

Best Graphics

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew (Mimimi Games, Munich - Bavaria)

Best Story

Fall of Porcupine (Critical Rabbit, Cologne - NRW)

Best Technical Performance

Farming Simulator 22 - Platinum Edition (GIANTS Software, Schlieren - Switzerland)

Innovation Award

Touch Type Tale - Strategic Typing (Pumpernickel Studio, Münster - NRW)

Special prize for social commitment

Loot for the World (Berlin)

Ubisoft Newcomer Award

Tiny Bookshop (neoludic Games, Cologne - NRW)