the pavs are nz and australia's own
cake cabinet of excellence in game development
Every year, NZGF runs The Pavs as a celebration of ANZ’s best and boldest game development achievements. From digital to tabletop, we aim to the put a spotlight on local games that have gone the extra mile to immerse, entertain and tantalise. The Pavs finalists go in the running for a coveted trophy and are featured in NZGF’s week-long games exhibition.
Of course, any event named after a dessert wouldn’t be complete without a selection of tongue-in-cheek award titles and a cheeky few at our official ceremony.
award categories
► The ‘Slice of Heaven’ Grand Prize
► The Guest Plate
► The Student’s Slice
► The Composed Segment: Excellence in Audio
► The Decorative Piece: Excellence in Visual Art
► The Perfect Recipe: Excellence in Design
► The Poetic Serving: Excellence in Narrative
► The Diverse Delight: Excellence in Representation
► The Accessible Ambrosia: Excellence in Accessibility
► The Tactile Taste: Excellence in Physical Games
► Te Maunga Kai Kapua (Teina): Unsung Hero
► Te Maunga Kai Kapua (Tuakana): Industry Pillar
past winners
The Pavs have been running since 2016 – when they were known as the Play by Play awards.
Throughout the years there’s been amazingly tight competition and fantastic entrants.
We’d like to continue to showcase those games – click through below to see winners from previous years.
The Pavs: NZ Game Awards judging is carried out independently from the festival committee. Please read our full transparency statement for an explanation of our judging processes.