Young Scots reach Bafta game design finals

Gamers from Scotland have been shortlisted as finalists for the Bafta Young Game Designers Award.

They are Vaida Plankyte, 16, from Edinburgh, Calum McCartan, 18, of Ardrishaig, Argyll, and Jordan Han, 16, of Dundee.

Also Jordan Power, 17, Joseph Reynolds, 16, and Karl McRae, 17, all from Kilwinning, North Ayrshire.

They are among 50 finalists behind 40 computer game concepts designed as an individual or team entry.

The winners will be announced on 23 July.

One-third of the finalists are female, including Vaida.

Her concept Ow is a multi-player cuddling game where players are challenged to match the cuddling positions demonstrated by moving the limbs of the game's characters faster than their opponent.

She said: "Making games is something that I really enjoy, but I am even more excited about the social impact which games that create empathy in the players can have on the world.

"As a finalist, I hope that I can encourage people to make small creations, even people who might have never thought about making games."

Vaida added: "Designing games is really not an obscure, complicated art, and we should encourage each other to try it out and expand what we define as being a 'game'."

Calum McCartan has been selected for his game concept Space Drifter, an adventure game where players can pilot a spaceship through an asteroid field with an objective to defeat waves of enemies as they attack.

Kilwinning trio Jordan, Joseph and Karl have designed an adventure game called Abandoned Mine in which players must defeat enemies to win.

Jordan has been shortlisted for his game design The Ashes Call My Name.