On November 13, Busan hosted an award ceremony for the winners of the Korea Game Awards 2024. The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea and was dedicated to Korean games released over the past year. A total of 16 awards were presented, including “Best Game Project”, “Indie Game of the Year” and a special award for contribution to the development of the industry.
The main award, the so-called “Presidential Award,” went to the mobile action game Solo Leveling:ARISE from Netmarble. The game, based on the popular manhwa, was released on May 8, 2024 and became a real phenomenon, winning the attention of players around the world. The game currently has over 50 million registered accounts, which impressed the jury at the 2024 Korea Game Awards.
The console action game Stellar Blade collected as many as 7 awards, including the second most important “Prime Minister’s Award”, as well as “Best Sound”, “Best Story”, “Best Graphics”, “Best Character”, “Best Sound”. Kim Hyun Tae, CEO of Shift Up and head of the game’s development, received a special “Outstanding Developer” award.
Mobile MMORPG Lord Nine, looter shooter The First Descendant and mobile collectible RPG trickle revive received an award for “outstanding achievements.” Detective game Uncover the Smoking Gun, developed by ReLU Games, received a Good Game award for its innovative use of artificial intelligence.
The project Terminus: Zombie Survivors from Longplay Studios was recognized as the best indie game. The game was praised for its unconventional combination of mechanics and original approach to the zombie survival genre.
