Organisers behind Game Connection America 2013, which took place last week alongside the hustle and bustle of GDC, have revealed the event attracted attendees in record-breaking numbers.

More than 1,650 people converged on San Francisco's Sir Francis Drake Hotel, making it the most popular Game Connection to date. 

In total, there were 206 exhibitors present and 240 certified buyers on hand for a schedule of networking, panel discussions and awards.

Selecta

On that front, Connection Events has announced that Compulsion Games' puzzle-platformer Contrast took home the Best Project award in the Selected Projects indie game contest.

But while it was a PC game that took home the silverware, mobile and handheld games were well-represented among the nominees.

Eleven of the fifteen selected projects are scheduled for release on a mobile, tablet, handheld or unconsole platform.

Award season

The event also hosted the Game Connection and [a]list daily Marketing Awards, which set out to recognise the finest campaigns in games marketing.

California-based Midnight Oil Creative was honoured with the Best Marketing Team of the Year award.

But it's also worth noting that TBWA/Gamelab was presented the Best Digital Campaign award for its work with McDonald's China and Angry Birds Magic.

"We've seen a tremendous amount of growth year over year, and Game Connection America was no exception," explained Connection Events CEO Pierre Carde, CEO.

"As we conclude another successful show, we look forward to continuing the tradition with more events scheduled in Asia (May 28-29) and Europe (December 3-5)."