The Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2021 finalists

Shortlist unveiled progressively, with winners revealed during central London ceremony on July 20th

• Best Publisher

  

  Any company that has supported another developer in releasing a game on mobile devices during 2020, whether through publishing support, marketing, co-development or investment.

  • Annapurna Interactive
  • Kwalee
  • My.Games
  • NetEase
  • Netmarble
  • Scopely
  • Supersonic
  • Tencent
  • Tilting Point
  • Zynga

  
  

• Best Live Ops

  

  This award recognises the impact of significant updates, in-game events or excellent community management over the last year for games released in 2020 or before, that have helped take a game to the next level and sustain a title’s life.

  • Clash Royale
  • Empires & Puzzles
  • FarmVille 2: Tropic Escape (Mega Cruise)
  • Hill Climb Racing 2
  • Jurassic World Alive
  • Marvel Contest of Champions
  • Sonic Forces
  • Star Trek: Fleet Command
  • Subway Surfers
  • Summoners War: Sky Arena
  • The Tribez

  
  

• Best Analytics/Data Tool

  

  Any company that supports developers and publishers develop their games and run marketing campaigns through analytics tools and/or providing data on market performance.

  • Alison by yellowHead
  • AppsFlyer
  • Askblu.ai
  • DeltaDNA / Unity
  • Dive
  • Game IQ by App Annie
  • GameAnalytics
  • GameRefinery by Vungle
  • Sensor Tower
  • Tilting Point Analytics Platform

  
  

• Best Game Engine

  

  This award is open to third-party tech companies that provide game engines that help power mobile games development.

  • Buildbox
  • Cocos Creator / Cocos2d-x
  • Construct 3
  • Gideros Mobile
  • Pearl Abyss's Proprietary Game Engine
  • Roblox (Lua)
  • Unity
  • Unreal Engine

  
  

• Best Innovation

  

  Any developer, or technology company that is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on mobile devices through a new technology, be it hardware or software. This can be an innovative tool or unique use of technology that benefits the industry as a whole.

  • Huawei Ads Platform
  • Ludo.ai
  • M.A.D tronics underwater AR mobile headgear
  • Niantic (Pokémon Go lockdown reworking)
  • The Complex (Wales Interactive / Good Gate)
  • Upland – A Virtual Property Trading Game
  • WAM.app

  
  

• Game of the Year

  

  This award recognises the best mobile game released during the last year based on creativity, innovation and success. 

  • Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
  • Among Us
  • Bird Alone
  • Dead Cells
  • Garena Free Fire
  • Genshin Impact
  • Gumslinger
  • Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells
  • Hitchhiker – A mystery game
  • Marvel Realm of Champions
  • Northgard
  • Pokémon GO (2020 lockdown reworking)
  • Roundguard
  • Shadow Fight Arena
  • Songbringer
  • Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic ll – The Sith Lords
  • The First Tree
  • The Pathless
  • Through the Darkest of Times
  • Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower

  
  

• Best Advertising & UA Service

  

  This accolade is for companies that support the ecosystem through enabling user acquisition or monetisation through advertising and are helping to drive this fast-growing business in games and developers to acquire more users.

  • AdInMo
  • AdMix
  • AudioMob
  • Bidease
  • Bidstack
  • Facebook
  • Luna Labs
  • Tapjoy
  • Unity Ads
  • Zorka.Agency

  
  

• Best Audio/Visual Accomplishment

  

  This accolade is for any game pushing the boundaries of the medium through audio and/or visual accomplishments. To be eligible for this award, games must have been given a full release (or received a significant expansion) during 2020.

  • Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
  • CSR Racing 2 (Elite Tuners expansion)
  • Far: Lone Sails
  • Genshin Impact
  • Gumslinger
  • Recontact London: Cyber Puzzle
  • Shadow Fight Arena
  • The BTS Universe Story
  • The First Tree
  • The Pathless

  
  

• Best Influencer Marketing Agency

  

  Successfully connecting brands with their target audience in an age of increased digital noise is no mean feat. This new award recognises and celebrates the team that has managed its influencer outreach better than its competitors.

  • Game Influencer
  • Matchmade
  • Opera Event
  • PocketWhale
  • Viral Nation
  • Wehype
  • WeQ
  • Zorka.mobi

  
  

• Best Tools Provider

  

  This award is open to any company providing tools for developers to help make games for mobile platforms. This does not include game engines.

  • Anzu.io
  • AppOnboard
  • Bigabid
  • Escape Team
  • Game UI Database
  • Gridly
  • modl.ai
  • PickFu
  • TentuPlay
  • Wappier

  
  

• Best Indie Developer

  

  This accolade recognises the achievements of a team of up to 10 developers that have released a game, or successfully grown an existing game, during the last year.

  • Aconite
  • Dreamfeel
  • Drimia Interactive
  • Innersloth
  • MegaCrit
  • MiniDragon
  • Teatime Games
  • Ustwo Games
  • Wonderbelly Games
  • Xigma Games

  
  

• Best GAAS Tools & Tech

  

  This award recognises the companies that are supporting live games on the market through back-end services to ensure game servers run smoothly and help developers implement special online features.

  • Azure PlayFab
  • ChilliConnect
  • GameSparks / AWS
  • Google Cloud
  • Gridly
  • modl.ai
  • Photon Engine
  • Tenjin
  • XtraLife

  
  

• Best PR/Marketing Team

  

  This award recognises the best third-party PR agency or internal marketing team that has created campaigns fueling the growth of games over the last year. This can be through any medium, including online, TV or other.

  • Big Games Machine
  • Bytro Labs
  • Dimoso
  • Kabam
  • Scopely
  • Swipe Right
  • Sybo Games
  • Tilting Point
  • Tripledot Studios
  • Zynga

  
  

• Best Storytelling

  

  This award recognises games that show stellar writing and narrative design. To be eligible for this award, games must have been given a full release during 2020, or for titles released before this date have received significant new content in the last year.

  • Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
  • Bird Alone
  • Far: Lone Sails
  • Hitchhiker – A mystery game
  • Interrogation: Deceived
  • Orwell: Keeping An Eye On You
  • Recontact London: Cyber Puzzle
  • The Pathless
  • Through the Darkest of Times
  • Unmemory

  
  

• Best QA & Localisation Service Provider

  

  This accolade awards companies that have supported mobile games over the last year in the areas of quality assurance and localisation, ensuring that both new releases and updates go live with as few problems as possible and are localised appropriately for target markets.

  • Amber Studio
  • GameScribes
  • Keywords Studios
  • LocalizeDirect
  • MoGi Group
  • PTW
  • Saudisoft
  • Testronic
  • Universally Speaking

  
  

• Best Developer

  

  Any mobile games company with 11 or more staff that has released a game, or successfully grown an existing game, during the last year, as well as successfully expanded their business and made an impact on the industry through innovation, creativity and other initiatives.

  • East Side Games
  • Game Insight
  • Gameloft
  • Innersloth
  • Jam City
  • Kwalee
  • MiHoYo
  • Niantic
  • Pearl Abyss
  • Tilting Point
  • TiMi Studio Group

  
  

• Best Service Provider

  

  This award is for any third-party service provider or outsourcer that supports developers in making games, whether through art, audio, trailers, UX, or other services.

  • Aardvark Swift Recruitment
  • Amber
  • Amiqus
  • Keywords Studios
  • Luna Labs
  • Pollen VC
  • Puga Studios
  • SuperScale

  
  

• Best Games Industry Law Firm

  

  A brand new inclusion in this year's line-up, and one that shines the light on the legal team with the games industry's most effective, ace attorneys.

  • Field Fisher
  • Gamma Law
  • Harbottle & Lewis
  • IE Law Group
  • Osborne Clarke
  • Sheridans
  • VERSUS.legal
  • Wiggin LLP

  
  

• Investor of the Year

  

  Another new category for 2021, which aims to showcase either an investor or investment within the mobile games industry that has played a vital role in the success and growth of a company.

  • 1Up Ventures
  • Agnitio Capital
  • Bitkraft
  • Galaxy Interactive
  • Hiro Capital
  • LVP
  • Makers Fund
  • My.Games Venture Capital
  • Play Ventures

  
  

• Rising Star

  

  This special award recognises a person from any corner of the globe who has demonstrated a considerable amount of success, influence, and impact despite their relatively recent arrival within the mobile games industry.

  A new addition since 2020, this award is selected directly by the organisation committee of the Mobile Games Awards.

  
  

• Mobile Legend

  

  This special lifetime achievement award recognises a person from anywhere in the world who has achieved a considerable amount of success in their career and has acted as a pioneer in the mobile games space.

  The Mobile Legend is a special award to recognise an outstanding contribution to the mobile games industry selected directly by the organisation committee of the Mobile Games Awards.

  
  

• Pocket Gamer People's Choice

  

  This is the only award voted for by consumers and recognises the best new game that received a full release during 2020. This award is open for voting through PocketGamer.com, with the winner revealed on the night of the ceremony.

  • Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
  • Aztec Ride
  • Beyond a Steel Sky
  • Clusterduck
  • Crash Bandicoot: On the Run
  • Crying Suns
  • Dead by Daylight Mobile
  • Dungeon Dogs – Idle RPG
  • Genshin Impact
  • Guardian Tales
  • Gumslinger
  • League of Legends: Wild Rift
  • Root Board Game
  • Roundguard
  • Sid Meier’s Civilization VI
  • Slay The Spire
  • Solitaire Cruise Card Games: Classic Tripeaks Game
  • SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off
  • The Bonfire 2: Uncharted Shores
  • The Pathless