Small Company Wins Big Award

Doughnut thieves dash to the finish in the family and education board game awards.

The Dark Imp, a small independent board game publishing company, has won the Best Imagination Gaming Game of the Year (BIGGY) Award for their game Doughnut Dash.

The Imagination Gaming Awards recognises games for families and education. Their aim is to identify more tabletop games that are not only great fun, but crucial in helping to develop key life skills.

Ellie Dix, the inventor of Doughnut Dash and the brains behind The Dark Imp says, ‘I’m absolutely thrilled. There were a huge number of games submitted this year and most from established publishers with big teams. As a one-man-band I didn’t for a minute think I’d win a category, let alone Game of the Year!’

Chris Standley from Imagination Gaming says, ‘Referred to more popularly as the IGGY’s (Imagination Gaming Games of the Year), the awards are solely funded by Imagination Gaming and independently assessed by panels of experienced educational professionals and family game enthusiasts, the awards now cover 10 specific categories to recognise the benefits all ages can get from combining learning, fun and education.’

In Doughnut Dash – this year’s big winner – you must manoeuvre your gang of two thieves to steal doughnuts from the factory floor and from other thieves. The player who has the most valuable stack of doughnuts at the end of the game wins. Actions are programmed in and movement around the factory gets increasingly bizarre. And who doesn’t love a doughnut?

Chris Standley says, ‘Imagination Gaming’s most prestigious award is the BIGGY Award! All games submitted into the awards were in the running and only one of the submissions received claimed this award.’ He goes on to say that Doughnut Dash won the award because, ‘It’s a little bit ‘different’. It’s a game which proved popular, not only with the families that made up our judging panel, but with Imagination Gaming ourselves. It’s a deceptively simple and colourful game with hidden strategies, ideal for families new to modern board games and experienced gamers alike!’

Ellie designs and publishes all The Dark Imp games herself, she also designs and develops board games for other companies. The BIGGY isn’t her only award. She’s also been successful in Theo Paphitis’ Small Business Sunday Competition, the Best Business Women Awards, Independent Toy Awards, Cardboard Edison Awards and the Board Game Workshop Contest.

‘I have two teenage boys and test all my games out on them first. They are very harsh critics, so if they like it, I know I’m on to a winner!’ says Ellie.

For more information visit www.TheDarkImp.com.