By Sagar V. Mankar 
Barcelona-based game studio Nomada Studio has secured a significant victory at the 52nd Annie Awards, winning the Best Character Animation award in the video game category for their latest release, Neva.
Competing against notable titles like #BLUD, Asgard’s Wrath 2, Diesel Legacy, and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Neva stood out for its unique “hand-drawn animation.”
Released on October 15, Neva follows the journey of Alba, a young protagonist navigating a dangerous world alongside a wolf. The game explores complex themes of parent-child relationships while delivering an innovative gameplay experience that blends puzzle-solving with combat mechanics. The game took four-year for development, involving a dedicated team of 20 professionals.
Neva has received generally positive reviews from both critics and players. On Metacritic, it holds a strong 89 score for the Nintendo Switch version, where critics praised it for its emotional storytelling, beautiful art style, and engaging gameplay. Neva has also received very positive reviews on Steam, with 94.5% of the 6k user reviews being positive.
Earlier, the game secured the Games for Impact prize at the prestigious The Game Awards and was further nominated for the same category at the upcoming 25th Game Developers Choice Awards.
Nomada Studio’s approach to “drawing every pixel by hand” is a labor-intensive process that showcases their commitment to artistic excellence. This meticulous attention to detail appears to have captured the jury’s appreciation. Interestingly, the studio also won the Annie Award for their debut game, Gris, in 2018.
In addition to Neva’s success, the event also honored “Arcane Season 2,” a series based on the League of Legends universe, which secured seven awards, including Best Direction, Music, and Storytelling.