THREE Kilwinning teens have been shortlisted for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Young Game Designer (YGD) Award.

Jordan Power and Karl McCrae, both 17, and Joseph Reynolds, 16, were shortlisted for their challenging adventure game, Abandoned Mine.

Jordan said: “It’s unbelievable to be in the finals. It’s nice knowing that I have at least a slight chance of being a successful games programmer in the future.

“The fact that I’ve programmed a game which others find fun – that I’ve helped make others happier – makes me feel valued.”

Joseph was also honoured to be shortlisted.

He said: “I am very proud to be a finalist to make it to this year’s BAFTA YGD awards. I really believe that the game has the potential to win and I am excited to go but I couldn’t have made it this far without my teammates Karl and Jordan.”

Karl added: “I can honestly say that being in the top 10 in all of the UK still sounds absolutely crazy and the fact that it was us three guys from North Ayrshire is amazing in itself.

“I honestly don’t know what we done right to get here but I’m sure I couldn’t of done it without Jordan and Joseph.”

The BAFTA YGD awards, in association with Nominet Trust, is a nationwide game design competition for 10-18 year-olds.

It aims to inspire the game designers and game-makers of the future by giving young people the chance to design and create their own game and develop it with industry professionals.

The winners will be revealed at a special awards ceremony held at BAFTA’s headquarters, 195 Piccadilly in London on Saturday, July 23.

It will be attended by the 50 finalists from across the UK, representing 40 games as individuals or team entries.

Harvey Elliott, chairman of the BAFTA Games Committee, said: “Each year we are overwhelmed by the calibre of talent identified in this competition, and this year is no exception, with our finalists clearly among the most promising young games designers in the country.

“We look forward to celebrating their achievements at the ceremony in July.”
Edward Evans, Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Nominet Trust, said:

“Year on year, the Young Game Designers competition offers young people a unique opportunity to focus their passions and talents on creating imaginative games.

“Through our partnership with BAFTA, we are proud to offer young people from all backgrounds a platform to develop their digital skills and make the industry connections they need to become the game makers and designers of the future.

“The programme is a great way to encourage more young women to pursue careers in game design, helping to address the gender gap in the UK’s digital industry.

“We’re excited to see the creativity and originality in this year’s entries and wish all the finalists the best of luck.”

See next week’s Irvine Times to find out the result.