British Academy Games Award for Family

The British Academy Video Games Award for Family is an award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It is given in honor to "the best game experience for a family audience, whether played as individuals or as a group", the category is open for games with a PEGI age rating of 12 or under.[1]

British Academy Games Award for Family
Awarded forThe best game targeted to young audiences
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts
Currently held bySuper Mario Bros. Wonder
Websitewww.bafta.org/games

The category was first presented in 2004 at the 1st British Academy Games Awards under the name Children's Game to EyeToy: Play. The category has gone through several name changes since its inception, being known as Casual at the 4th and 5th British Academy Games Awards, while for the 6th edition, it was presented as Family & Social. Since the 7th British Academy Games Awards in 2008, it has been awarded under its current name. As developers, Nintendo EAD have received the most nominations in the category, with fourteen and are tied with Media Molecule for most wins, with two each. Ubisoft hold the record for most nominations without a win, with five. For publishers, Sony Interactive Entertainment leads the nominations with twenty five, while Nintendo leads the wins with seven. Activision have the most nominations without a win, with eight.

The current holder of the award is Super Mario Bros. Wonder by Nintendo EPD and Nintendo, which won at the 20th British Academy Games Awards in 2024.

Winners and nominees

In the following table, the years are listed as per BAFTA convention, and generally correspond to the year of game release in the United Kingdom.

Table key
Indicates the winner
YearGameDeveloper(s)Publisher(s)Ref.
2002/03
(1st)
EyeToy: PlayLondon StudioSony Computer Entertainment[2]
Disney Sports SoccerKonami
Dog's LifeFrontier DevelopmentsSony Computer Entertainment
Sly Cooper and the Thievius RaccoonusSucker Punch Productions
Pokémon Ruby and SapphireGame FreakThe Pokémon Company
Wallace & Gromit in Project ZooFrontier DevelopmentsBAM! Entertainment
2003/04
(2nd)
Donkey KongaNamcoNintendo[3]
EyeToy: GrooveLondon StudioSony Computer Entertainment
EyeToy: Play 2
SingStar / SingStar Party
Sly 2: Band of ThievesSucker Punch Productions
Shrek 2LuxofluxActivision
2005/06
(3rd)
LocoRocoJapan StudioSony Computer Entertainment[4]
Ice Age II: The MeltdownEurocomSierra Entertainment, Fox Interactive and Vivendi Universal Games
DaxterReady at DawnSony Computer Entertainment
Lego Star Wars II: The Original TrilogyTraveller's TalesLucasArts
New Super Mario Bros.Nintendo EADNintendo
We Love KatamariNamco
2006/07
(4th)
Wii SportsNintendo EADNintendo[5]
Cake ManiaSandlot Games
Big Brain Academy for WiiNintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development Group No. 4Nintendo
Guitar Hero IIHarmonixActivision
More Brain TrainingNintendo SPDNintendo
SingStarLondon StudioSony Computer Entertainment
2007/08
(5th)
Boom BloxEA Los Angeles and Amblin InteractiveElectronic Arts[6][7]
Buzz!: Quiz TVRelentless SoftwareSony Computer Entertainment Europe
Guitar Hero World TourNeversoftActivision
LittleBigPlanetMedia MoleculeSony Computer Entertainment
SingStar Vol. 2London Studio
Wii FitNintendo EAD Group No. 5Nintendo
2009
(6th)
Wii Sports ResortNintendo EAD Group No. 2Nintendo[8]
The Beatles: Rock BandHarmonixMTV Games
Buzz! Quiz WorldRelentless SoftwareSony Computer Entertainment Europe
EyePetLondon Studio and Playlogic Game FactorySony Computer Entertainment
Guitar Hero 5NeversoftActivision
New Super Mario Bros. WiiNintendo EADNintendo
2010
(7th)
Kinect SportsRareMicrosoft Game Studios[9]
Dance CentralHarmonixMTV Games
Kinect Adventures!Good Science StudioMicrosoft Game Studios
KinectimalsFrontier Developments
Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4Traveller's TalesWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Toy Story 3: The Video GameAvalanche SoftwareDisney Interactive Studios
2011
(8th)
LittleBigPlanet 2Media MoleculeSony Computer Entertainment Europe[10]
Dance Central 2HarmonixMicrosoft Game Studios
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video GameTraveller's TalesDisney Interactive Studios
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone WarsLucasArts
Kinect Sports: Season TwoRare and BigParkMicrosoft Studios
Mario Kart 7Nintendo EAD Group No. 1 and Retro StudiosNintendo
2012
(9th)
Lego Batman 2: DC Super HeroesTraveller's TalesWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment[11]
Minecraft: Xbox 360 EditionMojangMicrosoft Studios
Just Dance 4Ubisoft
Skylanders: GiantsToys for BobActivision and Vivendi Games
Clay JamFat PebbleZynga
Lego The Lord of the RingsTraveller's TalesWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
2013
(10th)
TerawayTarsier Studios and Media MoleculeSony Computer Entertainment Europe[12]
Animal Crossing: New LeafNintendo EADNintendo
Super Mario 3D WorldNintendo EAD Tokyo and 1-Up StudioNintendo
Skylanders: Swap ForceVicarious VisionsActivision
Rayman LegendsMichel Ancel, Christophe Heral and Jean-Christophe Alessandri, UbisoftUbisoft
Brothers: A Tale of Two SonsStarbreeze Studios505 Games
2014
(11th)
Minecraft: Console EditionsMojang and 4J StudiosMicrosoft Studios[13][14]
The Lego Movie VideogameTT GamesWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
LittleBigPlanet 3Pete Smith, Paul Porter and Darius Sardeghian, Sumo Digital and XDev Studios EuropeSony Computer Entertainment Europe
Mario Kart 8Nintendo
Skylanders: Trap TeamToys for Bob and Vicarious VisionsActivision
Twelve a DozenBossa Studios
2015
(12th)
Rocket LeaguePsyonix[15][16]
Disney Infinity 3.0John Blackburn, John Vignocchi and Bob Lowe, Avalanche SoftwareDisney Interactive Studios
FIFA 16EA CanadaEA Sports
Guitar Hero LiveFreeStyleGamesActivision
Lego DimensionsJon Burton, James McLoughlin and Nick Ricks, TT GamesWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Super Mario MakerNintendo EADNintendo
2016
(13th)
OvercookedGhost Town GamesTeam17[17][18]
Lego Star Wars: The Force AwakensMike Taylor, Jamie Eden and James Norton, TT GamesWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
The Playroom VRJapan StudioSony Interactive Entertainment
Ratchet and ClankInsomniac Games
Pokémon GoNiantic
Toca Hair Salon 3Toca Boca
2017

(14th)

Super Mario OdysseyNintendo EDPNintendo[19]
Just Dance 2018Ubisoft ParisUbisoft
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom BattleUbisoft Milan
Lego WorldsTT GamesWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Monument Valley 2ustwo games
SnipperclipsSFB GamesNintendo
2018

(15th)

Nintendo LaboNintendo EDPNintendo[20]
Lego Disney Pixar's The IncrediblesTT GamesWB Games
Super Mario PartyNDCubeNintendo
Overcooked 2Ghost Town Games and Team17Team17
Yoku's Island ExpressVilla Gorilla
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!Game FreakThe Pokémon Company and Nintendo
2019

(16th)

Untitled Goose GameHouse HousePanic[21][22]
Concrete GeniePixelopusSony Interactive Entertainment
Knights and BikesRex Crowle, Moo Yu, Kenneth C M Young (Foam Sword)Double Fine Presents
Luigi's Mansion 3Next Level GamesNintendo
Vacation SimulatorOwlchemy Labs
WattamFunomenaAnnapurna Interactive
2020

(17th)

Sackboy: A Big AdventureSumo DigitalSony Interactive Entertainment[23][24]
Animal Crossing: New HorizonsNintendo EPDNintendo
Astro's PlayroomJapan StudioSony Interactive Entertainment
DreamsMedia Molecule
Fall GuysMediatonicDevolver Digital
Minecraft DungeonsMojang StudiosDouble Eleven
2021

(18th)

Chicory: A Colorful TaleGreg LobanovFinji[25][26]
Alba: A Wildlife Adventureustwo games
Forza Horizon 5Playground GamesXbox Game Studios
Mario Party SuperstarsNDcubeNintendo
Ratchet & Clank: Rift ApartInsomniac GamesSony Interactive Entertainment
UnpackingWitch BeamHumble Bundle
2022

(19th)

Kirby and the Forgotten LandHAL LaboratoryNintendo[27][28]
Disney Dreamlight ValleyGameloft
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaTT GamesWarner Bros Interactive
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of HopeUbisoft
Nintendo Switch SportsNintendo EPD
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's RevengeTribute GamesDotemu
2023

(20th)

Super Mario Bros. WonderNintendo EPDNintendo[29][30]
CocoonGeometric InteractiveAnnapurna Interactive
Dave the DiverMintrocket
Disney Illusion IslandDlala StudiosDisney
Hi-Fi RushTango GameworksBethesda Softworks
Hogwarts LegacyAvalanche SoftwareWarner Bros. Games

Multiple nominations and wins

Developers

DeveloperNominationsWins
Nintendo EAD142
London Studio71
Traveller's Tales61
Ubisoft50
Harmonix40
Media Molecule42
Frontier Developments30
Japan Studio31
Mojang31
Avalanche Software20
Game Freak20
Ghost Town Games21
Insomniac Games20
Namco21
NDcube20
Neversoft20
Rare21
Relentless Software20
Sucker Punch Productions20
Sumo Digital21
Toys for Bob20
Ustwo Games20
Vicarious Visions20

Publishers

DeveloperNominationsWins
Sony Computer/Interactive Entertainment255
Nintendo237
Activision80
Microsoft/Xbox Game Studios82
Warner Bros Interactive91
Ubisoft50
Disney Interactive Studios30
Team1731
Annapurna Interactive20
LucasArts20
MTV Games20
The Pokémon Company20
Ustwo Games20
Vivendi Games20

References

External links