Last week, the inaugural Gamescom Latam event took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, aiming to showcase the burgeoning gaming scene in Latin America while celebrating the global industry. The event, in partnership with the BIG Festival, hosted a series of game awards that were announced during a glamorous presentation.

The awards featured 13 categories, with finalists selected by a panel of 49 judges. Attendees at the Sao Paulo Expo had the opportunity to play all the nominees at a prominent booth, where mobile and PC games were seamlessly integrated. This inclusive approach highlighted the significance of mobile gaming on an equal footing with PC titles.

Among the categories, the "Best Mobile Game" award was of particular interest, and it was clinched by Triband ApS' What the Car? This game, previously praised by Jupiter Hadley in an article showcasing ten lesser-known gems, received well-deserved recognition. With this win, What the Car? may soon become a household name, potentially warranting an update to Hadley's list.

While What the Car? took home the top prize, it's important to acknowledge the other nominees, who also offered high-quality gaming experiences:

• Junkworld – Ironhide Game Studio
• Bella Pelo Mundo – Plot Kids
• An Elmwood Trail – Techyonic
• Sibel's Journey – Food for Thought Media
• Residuum Tales of Coral – Iron Games
• SPHEX – VitalN

In addition to the Best Mobile Game category, other notable winners included:

• Game of the Year – Chants of Sennar - Rundisc
• Best Game from Latin America – Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure – Furniture & Mattress
• Best Brazilian Game – Momodora: Moonlit Farewell - Bombservice
• Best Casual Game – Station to Station – Galaxy Groove Studios
• Best Audio – Dordogne - UMANIMATION and UN JE NE SAIS QUOI
• Best Art – Harold Halibut – Slow Bros. UG.
• Best Multiplayer – Extremely Powerful Capybaras – Studio Bravarda and PM Studios
• Best Narrative – Once Upon A Jester – Bonte Avond
• Best XR/VR – Sky Climb - VRMonkey
• Best Gameplay – Pacific Drive – Ironwood Studios
• Best Pitch from Regional Game Development Associations – Dark Crown – Hyper Dive Game Studio

For those eager to experience the award-winning What the Car?, it is available on the App Store through Apple Arcade, a subscription service priced at $6.99 (or the local equivalent) per month. You can download it using the link provided below.