Who will win “Yugo Game of the Year”?
MonteGames, the conference that gathers the brightest minds in gaming from across the region and Europe, returns this autumn on October 17 & 18 to Porto Montenegro with a spectacular opening for the Balkan game-dev community – a majestic red-carpet moment. This year, MonteGames will host the first-ever Yugo Game Awards, the “Oscars” for the best games from the ex-Yugoslav region released over the past year.
After a successful premiere last year that brought together more than 500 participants, this year’s MonteGames marks its most exciting leap yet – introducing the Yugo Game Awards, a prestigious accolade that celebrates creativity and achievements in game development across the former Yugoslavia for the first time. As the region’s very own “Oscars,” the Yugo Game Awards will recognise the most creative and innovative titles across eight categories: Game of the Year, Best Art Direction, Best Narrative, Best Music, Best Solo Dev, Best AR/VR Experience, and the Most Anticipated Game.
All games released in the previous twelve months are eligible, and developers and studios from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Montenegro are invited to apply. Nominations will be officially announced on September 17th on the official website of the conference.
The founder of MonteGames, Miloš Šćepanović, points out: “The game development industry is undergoing a tectonic shift – the creative epicentre is slowly moving from traditional Western gaming metropolises toward our region, while players’ attention is increasingly shifting from big corporate studios to indie teams and solo developers. My mission is to channel that energy and unite the entire region through a celebration of our shared love for games, with the constant reminder of why we started this journey in the first place.”
This year’s edition is expected to bring together more than 500 developers, publishers, investors, and game creatives from all over Europe. Over two days, participants will experience the grand Yugo Game Awards ceremony and exclusive premieres of new games, inspiring keynotes from local, regional, and global experts sharing insights and trends shaping the future of the industry, and the Indie Arena, where indie teams can showcase their games for free, gather direct feedback, and connect with publishers and potential investors.
As a nonprofit initiative dedicated to strengthening Montenegro’s gaming industry, MonteGames provides free tickets for all participants. Registration is required.
To sign up for MonteGames 2025 and for more details on the program, visit the official website: https://www.montegames.me/.
