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Abertay's games community was recognised across multiple categories at the prestigious industry awards
Abertay University secured award wins and finalist places across multiple categories at the TIGA UK Games Education Awards 2026, recognising the achievements of its students, graduates and staff.
The annual awards celebrate outstanding students, exemplary lecturers, excellent education providers and best practice across the UK games sector and are delivered by TIGA, trade association for the UK video games industry.
The University's leading success came in the Best Student Game category, where Loose Juice took the top prize. Developed by student team Finch Outside the Box, the game also won Abertay's DARE Academy competition earlier in 2026.
Loose Juice is a co-operative treasure-hunting adventure in which two players work together to steer a caravan through a desert filled with obstacles, traps and hidden riches.
Team leader Ellis Ingram said:
I'm incredibly proud of the Finch Outside the Box team - it's immensely difficult to convey what an honour and privilege it is to have Loose Juice named TIGA Best Student Game! We were up against some fantastic competition, and we couldn't be more thrilled with the result.
The University also celebrated individual success as Holly Gilles, a BA (Hons) Game Design and Production graduate, won the Most Outstanding Graduate of the Year: Production/Enterprise category.
Holly said:
I’m honoured to receive such a prestigious award and would like to express my gratitude to the course staff for their guidance over the years. Special thanks go to Martin Lynagh, my honours project supervisor, for his support throughout my final term in developing my concept development framework, Conceptualisation by Design.
Two recent graduates were also shortlisted for individual awards. BA (Hons) Game Development and Production graduate Finn Link was shortlisted in the Outstanding Graduate of the Year: Designer category, while BSc (Hons) Computer Games Technology graduate Jack Briggs was a finalist in the Outstanding Graduate of the Year: Programmer category.
Abertay was also a finalist in the Innovative Teaching: Team category, adding further recognition for the University's games education staff.
The TIGA success caps a strong period for games education at Abertay. Earlier this year, the University achieved its highest-ever position in the Princeton Review's global rankings for video games education, placing as the top international school for video games design and the number one institution in Europe.
In the 2026 rankings, Abertay's undergraduate games programmes were placed fifth in the world, while its postgraduate programmes ranked seventh globally.
Ryan Locke, Head of the Centre for Excellence in Computer Games Education, said:
Huge congratulations to all our winners and finalists. The level of creativity, technical skill and ambition shown by our students and recent graduates is incredibly impressive, and it is wonderful to see their achievements recognised by the industry. Recognition for our teaching team also makes this a particularly proud moment for Abertay’s games community.
The TIGA UK Games Education Awards celebrate the students, graduates, educators and institutions driving excellence across the UK's games industry.
