It is once again time for the GAconf Awards. This year brings the second edition of the awards recognizing and celebrating accessibility efforts, after last year’s inaugural GAconf Awards in 2022. GAconf is of course well known for organizing game accessibility conferences. The awards are certainly a good match to the conferences, which bring together developers, advocates, and players to share knowledge and awareness about accessibility.
Voting for the GAconf Awards 2023
Just like last year the public is invited to vote on the nominees. The nominees, which were selected by an expert panel of judges, are split across 19 categories. The categories cover development across different fields of accessibility, marketing and communication, and also includes journalism and advocacy. Aside from the link to the voting form, the official page of the GAconf Awards 2023 also includes links and motivations for each nominee. Voting is open to the public until December 3.
Categories and nominees
AAA excellence
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Forza Motorsport
- Diablo IV
Indie excellence
- Stories of Blossom
- Stray Gods
- Moving Out 2
Best Deaf/HoH accessibility
- Melatonin
- Dead by Daylight
- Hi-Fi Rush
Best physical/mobility accessibility
- Stories of Blossom
- Forza Motorsport
- Street Fighter 6
Best blind/low vision accessibility
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Forza Motorsport
- Stories of Blossom
Best cognitive accessibility
- Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
- Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- Dead Space
Best mental health accessibility
- Dead Space
- Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores
- Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
Best representation
- Moving Out 2
- Spider-Man 2
- Hi-Fi Rush
Best journalism
- Speech Accessibility in Multiplayer and Co-op as a Person Who Stutters, by Patrycja Polowczyk
- Why Gaming Is So Important to Players With Chronic Pain, by Geoffrey Bunting
- “Danger Dumplings”: How Arachnophobia Inspired a New Type of Gaming Innovation, by Grant Stoner
Most improved
- Brok the InvestiGator
- Sea of Thieves
- Dead Space remake
Best resource
- Xbox Playbook for Accessible Gaming Events
- Xbox Adaptive Controller user-guide
- Tolk for GMS (Game Maker Studio)
Hardware accessibility
- Xbox keyboard remapping
- September PS5 update
- iOS 17
Best comms/marketing
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown accessibility info & interview
- PlayStation Access Controller consultant stories
- Ubisoft Forward
Greatest accessibility innovation
- Forza Motorsport
- Sea of Thieves
- Dead Space
Most dedicated publisher
- PlayStation Studios
- Xbox Games Studios
- Ubisoft
Most dedicated studio
- Insomniac Games
- Ubisoft Kyiv
- Softleaf Studios
MVP award for unsung hero
- Topher Winward
- Sam Schaffel
- Jessica Roache
The advocacy award
- SightlessKombat
- Elisabeth “Arevya” Sivertsen
- Kolo Jones
Congratulations to all of the nominees for their well deserved nominations, which is certainly an honor in itself. To cast your own votes, go to the official page of the GAconf Awards 2023 before voting closes on December 3rd.
The winners for the GAconf Awards will once again be announced in January, in an awards ceremony hosted by Steve Saylor and special guests. This ceremony on the IGDA-GASIG YouTube channel is also set to feature audio description, ASL and BSL interpretation, and full captions. That YouTube channel also hosts all the talks of previous GAconf editions, including GAconf US 2023.
