Aussie-Made Word Game Gubbins Nominated At The DICE Awards

Australian-made word game Gubbins has been nominated for Mobile Game of the Year at the DICE Awards.

If you’re not familiar with the DICE Awards, they are what could be described as the real Game Awards. The ones that the games industry, the people who actually make the games we all play and enjoy, pay attention to. It’s the Oscars of video games award ceremonies, organised by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.

Gubbins made waves overseas when popular YouTuber Hank Green got involved in both the game’s funding and its marketing close to release. That has seen the game leap in popularity in connection with Green’s engaged, predominantly American, audience. Studio Folly, the small team behind Gubbins, has found such success since Gubbins‘ release that it recently expanded with the appointment of local super producer Ally McLean Hennessy.

In the Mobile Game of the Year category, Gubbins faces strong competition. It’s up against the might of Hello Kitty: Island Adventure, Terra Nil, What The Car? and Honkai: Star Rail. Mihoyo’s Honkai alone is going to be tough to beat, but don’t count Hello Kitty out. The Animal Crossing fans got around that game for a reason. Terra Nil was one of my favourite little indies of last year, and if you’ve played What The Car?, you’ll already know why it’s so good.

We believe in the raw and hilarious power of Gubbins, though. Get in there, Studio Folly. A massive result in a crowded field. Hard work paying off.

Below, you’ll find all the nominees. There’s 56 games nominated across the show’s 23 categories. Spider-Man 2 leads the pack with a whopping 9 nominations, swiftly followed by Alan Wake 2 with 8 nods. Baldur’s Gate 3 nabs 7 nominations, while the brilliant Cocoon brought in 6 nods by itself.

2024 DICE Awards Nominees

Outstanding Achievement in Animation

• Final Fantasy XVI
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Spider-Man 2
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction

• Alan Wake 2
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Starfield

Outstanding Achievement in Character

• Alan Wake 2 – Saga Anderson
• Baldur’s Gate 3 – Astarion
• Baldur’s Gate 3 – Karlach
• Spider-Man 2 – Miles Morales
• Thirsty Suitors – Jala

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition

• Alan Wake 2
• Diablo IV
• Spider-Man 2
• Planet of Lana
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design

• Alan Wake 2
• Cocoon
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Spider-Man 2
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Outstanding Achievement in Story

• Alan Wake 2
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Dave the Diver
• Thirsty Suitors
• Venba

Outstanding Technical Achievement

• Alan Wake 2
• Spider-Man 2
• Hogwarts Legacy
• The Finals
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Action Game of the Year

• Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
• Dead Space
• Hi-Fi Rush
• Spider-Man 2
• Remnant II

Adventure Game of the Year

• Alan Wake 2
• Cocoon
• Dave the Diver
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Family Game of the Year

• Disney Illusion Island
• Fae Farm
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure
• Midnight Girl
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Fighting Game of the Year

• Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising
• Mortal Kombat 1
• Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2
• Pocket Bravery
• Street Fighter 6

Racing Game of the Year

• F-Zero 99
• Forza Motorsport
• Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged
• Lego 2K Drive

Role-Playing Game of the Year

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
• Diablo IV
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Starfield

Sports Game of the Year

• EA Sports FC 24
• MLB The Show 23
• WWE 2K23

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year

• Against the Storm
• Cobalt Core
• Dune: Spice Wars
• The Last Spell
• Wartales

Immersive Reality Technical Achievement

• Asgard’s Wrath 2
• Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
• Horizon: Call of the Mountain
• Vertigo 2
• We Are One

Immersive Reality Game of the Year

• Asgard’s Wrath
• Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR
• Horizon: Call of the Mountain
• Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice
• Vertigo 2

Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game

• Cocoon
• Dredge
• El Paso, Elsewhere
• Thirsty Suitors
• Venba

Mobile Game of the Year

• Gubbins
• Hello Kitty Island Adventure
• Honka: Star Rail
• Terra Nil
• What The Car?

Online Game of the Year

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
• Diablo IV
• Omega Strikers
• Street Fighter 6
• The Finals

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Cocoon
• Dave the Diver
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction

• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Cocoon
• Spider-Man 2
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Game of the Year

• Alan Wake 2
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Cocoon
• Spider-Man 2
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

You can view the full list of nominees at Interactive.org.