Vampire Survivors took home the top honour at the BAFTA Games Awards, in what could be called the most shocking moment at the ceremony. The indie title won two trophies — Best Game Design and the coveted Best Game prize — beating out God of War Ragnarök, which was leading with six awards. Even developer Poncle confessed on-stage that they weren’t expecting to win. The ceremony was streamed live on Twitch early Friday, and saw God of War Ragnarök dominating the lineup with a record-breaking 14 nominations, though six of them were acting nominations for its stellar cast. The Santa Monica Studio-developed sequel, however, secured the EE Game of the Year, which is a publicly voted award that isn’t officially part of BAFTA.
After an early access launch for PC in December 2021, Vampire Survivors almost instantly became a hit, throwing players into pixelated dungeons to mow down thousands of night creatures, while stacking up on perks such as bibles and garlic to keep them away. Funnily enough, despite the game’s key art and title mentioning them, none of the monsters or playable characters are actually vampires.
Continuing his run from The Game Awards 2022, Christopher Judge secured another Best Performer win at the BAFTA Games Awards 2023, for his role as Kratos in God of War Ragnarök. Meanwhile, Laya Deleon Hayes, who played Angrboda the Jötunn, secured one for Best Performer in a Supporting Role.
Surprisingly, God of War Ragnarök also stole the award for Audio Achievement from Metal: Hellsinger, the rhythm-based FPS where you lay waste to demonic enemies while rock music blasts in the background. Critical darling Elden Ring won two awards — Original Property and Multiplayer — besting nominees such as FIFA 23 and Splatoon 3. The FromSoftware-developed title previously lifted the Game of the Year trophy at The Game Awards 2022 and at the DICE Awards, last month.
With that, here’s the entire list of winners from this year’s BAFTA Games Awards:
BAFTA Games Awards 2023 winners — the full list
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Best Game
Vampire Survivors — WINNER
Cult of the Lamb
Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarök
Marvel Snap
Stray
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Narrative
Immortality — WINNER
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Citizen Sleeper
God of War Ragnarök
Pentiment
Stray
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Artistic Achievement
Tunic — WINNER
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Elden Ring
God of War Ragnarök
Immortality
Pentiment
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Music
God of War Ragnarök — WINNER
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
Elden Ring
Stray
Tunic
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Audio Achievement
God of War Ragnarök — WINNER
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Horizon Forbidden West
Metal: Hellsinger
Stray
Tunic
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Performer in a Leading Role
Christopher Judge as Kratos, God of War Ragnarök — WINNER
Alain Mesa as Alejandro Vargas, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Charlotte McBurney as Amicia, A Plague Tale: Requiem
Manon Gage as Marissa Marcel, Immortality
Siobhan Williams as Laura, The Quarry
Sunny Suljic as Atreus, God of War Ragnarök
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Performer in a Supporting Role
Laya Deleon Hayes as Angrboda, God of War Ragnarök — WINNER
Adam J. Harrington as Sindri, God of War Ragnarök
Alison Jaye as Alva, Horizon Forbidden West
Charlotta Mohlin as The One, Immortality
Danielle Bisutti as Freya, God of War Ragnarök
Ryan Hurst as Thor God of War Ragnarök
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Original Property
Elden Ring — WINNER
Citizen Sleeper
Cult of the Lamb
Sifu
Stray
Vampire Survivors
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Game Design
Vampire Survivors — WINNER
Cult Of The Lamb
Elden Ring
God Of War Ragnarök
Horizon Forbidden West
Tunic
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Animation
God of War Ragnarök — WINNER
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Horizon Forbidden West
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Sifu
Stray
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Multiplayer
Elden Ring — WINNER
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
EA Sports FIFA 23
Overwatch 2
Splatoon 3
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Technical Achievement
Horizon Forbidden West — WINNER
Elden Ring
God of War Ragnarök
Immortality
The Last of Us Part I
Stray
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Debut Game
Tunic — WINNER
As Dusk Falls
The Case of the Golden Idol
Stray
Trombone Champ
Vampire Survivors
2023 BAFTA Games Award for British Game
Rollerdrome — WINNER
Citizen Sleeper
OlliOlli World
Total War: Warhammer III
Two Point Campus
Vampire Survivors
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Family Game
Kirby and the Forgotten Land — WINNER
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
Nintendo Switch Sports
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Evolving Game
Final Fantasy XIV Online — WINNER
Apex Legends
Dreams
The Elder Scrolls Online
Forza Horizon 5
No Man’s Sky
2023 BAFTA Games Award for Game Beyond Entertainment
Endling – Extinction Is Forever — WINNER
Citizen Sleeper
Gibbon: Beyond The Trees
I Was A Teenage Exocolonist
Not For Broadcast
We’ll Always Have Paris
2023 BAFTA Games Award for EE Game Of The Year (voted for by the public)
God of War Ragnarök — WINNER
Elden Ring
Horizon Forbidden West
Immortality
Marvel Snap
Stray
