Awaken tells the story of Hope Richmond, a woman who has woken up in a house with no recollection of what happened, what brought her to this place or what to do. The game focuses on environmental exploration, with the goal of learning who you are, where you are, and what your purpose is, with nothing other than a phantom voice revealing truths you’d rather not hear.
Brock University took home this award for their comprehensive effort on AWAKEN, as well as being able to tie it up into a well-presented package to the player. The game also gives the player the choice in how the story plays out, striving to create a unique experience each time it is played, the aftermath of which is only seen later on after those same decisions are made. Considering the size of the team, amount of time involved, resources available to the design team, as well as the polish and emotions, ranging from a sense of wonder to terror, AWAKEN reaches a level of quality that any game designer should aspire to achieve.
