From a magical realist gem to a environmentalist action game, the titles up for prizes at the industry’s classiest awards are a welcome reminder of its creative vivacity in tough times

It’s easy to feel a bit beset by doom these days. The other week, I watched the heinous AI-generated “Trump Gaza” video and was so appalled that I impulse-bought a kayaking guide book. It felt like the only sane response was to take to the water and paddle away.

Video games are a reliable antidote to existential doom, but layoffs, corporate homogenisation and AI slop are all encroaching on my safe haven, making it more difficult to get a brief reprieve from what’s happening in the outside world. Thank God, then, for the Bafta games awards nominations, which reliably remind me that video games are pretty great, actually.