RAINDANCE IMMERSIVE awards

For the eight year in a row, Raindance has been celebrating independent XR creators, game developers, virtual world builders, performers and filmmakers with the festival’s Raindance Immersive Awards. The awards celebrate the creativity, innovation and artistry expressed in immersive storytelling, games, world building and live performances over the last year. 

The 2023 selection comprised of 40 experiences, each of which competed across eight award categories, as well as the Spirit of Raindance Award which recognises outstanding achievement for an independent project. The winners were announced at two virtual awards ceremonies in VRChat in the presence of nominees and jurors from all around the world.

BEST IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

• WINNER 🏆 Failed To Render Presents: The World of Laughter

• HONOURABLE MENTION ✨ God is a DJ

• Darkwood Manor

• Rise of Atlantis

• VR Japan Tours: Under the Autumn Moon

BEST IMMERSIVE NARRATIVE

• WINNER 🏆 Mormoverse: Under the Pillow

• 40 Days Without The Sun

• Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery VR

• Isle

• Where is Noddy

BEST IMMERSIVE GAME

• WINNER 🏆 The 7th Guest VR

• HONOURABLE MENTION ✨ Retropolis 2: Never Say Goodbye

• Tin Hearts

• Broken Spectre

• Max Mustard

BEST IMMERSIVE WORLD

• WINNER 🏆 Magnetize

• Astral Bounds: Cerulean Tide

• District Roboto: Complex 7

• Horse Canyon

• This World Will Be Deleted in 24 Hours

BEST IMMERSIVE MUSIC EXPERIENCE

• WINNER 🏆 Equilibrium

• HONOURABLE MENTION ✨ Capsule Live: Metro Pulse

• Amoka Starlight Live Show

• Iridescence

• Project Synthetica: Symmetry

BEST IMMERSIVE ART EXPERIENCE

• WINNER 🏆 Virtual Museum of Virtual Art Presents: Thickness of Calligraphy

• Beyond a bit

• Dragon Magic

• Entanglement

• Metamorphosis

BEST SHORT FILM OF VR

• WINNER 🏆 Emergence

• HONOURABLE MENTION ✨ The Painters of Virtual Reality

• A Snapshot of You

• Shiba Squad Survivor - Episode 5

• Ulterior Motives

BEST MUSIC VIDEO OF VR

• WINNER 🏆 Light and Void: EVIL

• HONOURABLE MENTION ✨ Witchcraft

• Alba

• Golden Hour

• The Adventurer

THE SPIRIT OF RAINDANCE AWARD

The award recognises outstanding achievement for an independent XR production, and a pioneering ‘punk spirit’.

• WINNER 🏆 Horse Canyon

• WINNER 🏆 Iridescence

A special thank you to our Jurors:

Andy Fidel, Carol Silverman, Deirdre V. Lyons, DrMorro, Jason Moore, Kent Bye, Lakuza, M1n0t0r, MetaRick, Mycana, Stephen Butchko and Tokkio