We are continuing a games programme entitled the ‘Aware Game Awards’ (AGA). This programme is dedicated to celebrating those games that strive to raise awareness about a range of topics, from personal experiences to global or social issues – games that focus on immersion and empathy, helping us to better understand each other and the world around us. We aim to show our audiences a completely different and unexpected side of gaming, while also inspiring and involving local creative communities.
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2023 / Lithuania 5 Letters is a computer game about the multiculturalism of the city of Vilnius. Vilnius is a city where people of different origins and different beliefs find their place. Since ancient times, poles, lithuanians, russians, belarusians, jews and karaites have lived together. The game takes the viewer to the interwar streets of Vilnius, filled with mystical stories, authentic music and the strangest inhabitants. All you have is a notebook with five undelivered letters left by a dead postman. The goal of the game is to help the player get to know the deep history of the city and the personalities who shaped the rich and diverse culture of the city. Created by Laura Bielskutė.
2024 / Greece PLACEGROUND is a building spaces simulation game with a focus on architectural design and comics aesthetics. Players can create and decorate both interior and exterior spaces, while NPCs interact with their creations based on design choices, crafting unique and abstract narratives. Created by beyondthosehills.
2023 / Japan SOLASTALGIA is a short interactive visual poem about loss, longing, and dislocation. The word solastalgia was coined by philosopher Glenn Albrecht in his 2003 paper Solastalgia: A new concept in human health and identity. It describes it as the pain experienced when there is recognition that the place where one resides and that one loves is under immediate assault. It is manifest in an attack on one’s sense of place, in the erosion of the sense of belonging to a particular place and a feeling of distress about its transformation. Created by Farfama.
2023 / Lithuania Experience the UFO abduction in first person and take a trip to meet the keeper. Explore layers of reality and learn what is concealed behind the modern Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon (UAP) in this esthetic and eerie interactive experience. Created by CHARK Studio.
2023 / Switzerland Dissecting Love is an autopsy of a queer relationship. Dissect the couple’s fused body to start arguments between them and shape the story and its outcome. With a focus on queer issues, the game delves into the complexities of the characters’ relationship, addressing themes such as family dynamics, external pressures, and personal identity. Created by Noe Mael Arnold
2024 / Czechia What would you do if the world suddenly stopped making sense? Playing Kafka is a surreal adventure game based on the work of Franz Kafka, commemorating the centenary of the writer’s death, blurring the line between dream and reality with a unique drag-a-character gameplay. Created by Charles Games.
2024 / Germany You work for the Ministry Europaem Veritatis to decide which articles the populace will read. Will you maintain the status quo, or risk your freedom for the greater good? Each article rated affects an ongoing simulation where the outcome is determined by the decisions of every player. Created by Grunamm Games: Trey Ramm, Simon Thomas Grunwald, Enrico Dal Bosco, Friedrich Grattenthaler
2024 / Estonia Souptown Matty is a story-based mystery-solving dog simulator. Around the time when spirits linger, an unexpected visitor comes and steals your owner's beloved necklace. It's time to take action on your own and start investigating. Also you can discover the weird and quirky aspects of a authentic wooden part of Tartu called Souptown. Created by Tartu Multifilm.
2023 / Latvia Peresvet is an attempt to look at the genocide and the "art" built upon it. If someone is in denial about the connection between their creation and the suffering it is built upon, does the process of working on the "art" feel like a game by itself? How can one be detached from the things happening before and around them? Does this happen intentionally? Created by Vladimir Slav.
2024 / Finland Tomorrow Island is a turn-based climate change puzzle game, in which you play as Tip, the last tip of the icebergs. The goal of each level is to plant trees on an island to prevent it from getting submerged under constantly rising water level. Completing levels gives resources that allow the player to see memories of Tip and the surrounding world. Created by Black Moss Games: Miro Aurela, Camilla Pentti, sound design by Olga Tasanko.