British Academy Games Award for Intellectual Property

The British Academy Video Games Award for New Intellectual Property is an award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). It is given in honor to "the best game which is not part of an established series and represents a new intellectual property".[1]

British Academy Games Award for New Intellectual Property
Awarded forThe best game from a new intellectual property
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts
Currently held byElden Ring
Websitewww.bafta.org/games

The award was first presented at the 2nd British Academy Games Awards as Originality, after which the category was discontinued. It was revived in 2015 at the 11th edition, when it was presented as Original Property. The category received its current name at the 20th British Academy Games Awards.[2]:

To date, no developer has won this award more that once. Nintendo EAD are the only developers with two nominations in the category and therefore have the most nominations without a win. Among publishers, Sony Interactive Entertainment has a leading eight nominations and two wins, tied with Annapurna Interactive for most wins. Devolver Digital has the most nominations without a win, with five.

The current holder of the award is Elden Ring by FromSoftware and Bandai Namco Studios, which won at the 19th British Academy Games Awards in 2023.

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
Originality
YearGameDeveloper(s)Publisher(s)Ref.
2003/04
(2nd)
SingStar / SingStar PartyLondon StudioSony Computer Entertainment[3]
Animal CrossingNintendo EADNintendo
Donkey KongaNamco
FableBig Blue Box Studios and Lionhead StudiosMicrosoft Game Studios
Second SightFree Radical DesignCodemasters
Sid Meier's Pirates!Firaxis GamesAtari
Original Property
YearGameDeveloper(s)Publisher(s)Ref.
2014
(11th)
Valiant Hearts: The Great WarUbisoft MontpellierUbisoft[4][5]
KalimbaPress PlayMicrosoft Studios
Sunset OverdriveInsomniac Games
Monument Valleyustwo Games
TitanfallRespawn EntertainmentElectronic Arts
The Vanishing of Ethan CarterThe Astronauts
2015
(12th)
Until DawnSupermassive GamesSony Computer Entertainment[6][7]
Everybody's Gone to the RaptureThe Chinese Room and Santa Monica StudioSony Computer Entertainment
Her StorySam Barlow
Life Is StrangeDontnod EntertainmentSquare Enix
Ori and the Blind ForestMoon StudiosMicrosoft Studios
SplatoonNintendo EADNintendo
2016
(13th)
InsidePlaydead[8][9]
FirewatchCampo SantoPanic
The Last GuardianJapan StudioSony Interactive Entertainment
OverwatchBlizzard Entertainment
UnravelColdwood InteractiveElectronic Arts
The WitnessThekla, Inc.
2017

(14th)

Horizon Zero DawnGuerrilla GamesSony Interactive Entertainment Europe[10]
CupheadStudio MDHR
GorogoaJason RobertsAnnapurna Interactive
What Remains of Edith FinchGiant Sparrow
Night in the WoodsInfiniteFallFinji
PlayerUnknown's BattlegroundsPUBG CorpBluehole, Inc.
2018

(15th)

Into the BreachSubset Games[11]
Dead CellsMotion Twin
FlorenceMountainsAnnapurna Interactive
MossPolyarc
Return of the Obra DinnLucas Pope3909
SubnauticaUnknown Worlds Entertainment
2019

(16th)

Outer WildsMobius DigitalAnnapurna Interactive[12][13]
Baba Is YouHempuli
ControlRemedy Entertainment505 Games
Death StrandingKojima ProductionsSony Interactive Entertainment
Disco ElysiumZA/UM
Untitled Goose GameHouse HousePanic
2020

(17th)

Kentucky Route Zero: TV EditionCardboard ComputerAnnapurna Interactive[14][15]
CarrionPhobia Game StudioDevolver Digital
Fall GuysMediatonic
Ghost of TsushimaSucker Punch ProductionsSony Interactive Entertainment
HadesSupergiant Games
SpiritfarerThunder LotusKowloon Nights
2021

(18th)

It Takes TwoHazelight StudiosElectronic Arts[16][17]
DeathloopArkane StudiosBethesda Softworks
Death's DoorAcid NerveDevolver Digital
InscryptionDaniel Mullins Games
ReturnalHousemarqueSony Interactive Entertainment
UnpackingWitch BeamHumble Bundle
2022

(19th)

Elden RingFromSoftwareBandai Namco[18][19]
Cult of the LambMassive MonsterDevolver Digital
Citizen SleeperJump Over the AgeFellow Traveller
SifuSloclap
StrayBlueTwelveAnnapurna Interactive
Vampire SurvivorsPoncle

Multiple nominations and wins

Developers

DeveloperNominationsWins
Nintendo EAD20

Publishers

DeveloperNominationsWins
Sony Computer/Interactive Entertainment82
Annapurna Interactive62
Devolver Digital50
Microsoft/Xbox Game Studios40
Electronic Arts31
Nintendo30
Panic20

References

External links