South of Midnight has picked up Game of the Year at the Games for Change awards. The win comes just weeks after the studio behind it, Compulsion Games, went independent from Xbox as the publisher laid off hundreds of employees, cut ties with studios, and gutted others.
The Games For Change awards are a little different from standard video game award ceremonies. The titles nominated are ones that have a social, cultural, and emotional impact. South of Midnight most certainly fits the criteria, not only thanks to its backdrop - one that is rarely used in games - but also thanks to its subject matter.
Set in a fictional version of America’s Deep South, protagonist Hazel encounters well-known characters from folklore rooted in that part of the world, trying to find a new place to call home after the town where she lives is torn apart by a hurricane.
South of Midnight was up against other impactful titles from the past year like Consume Me, which uses gameplay to tackle sensitive topics like eating disorders, as well as And Roger, a visual novel from indie developer TearyHand that takes you on an incredibly emotional journey through Sophie’s life as...
