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Nominate a game through Pocket Gamer’s official Pocket Gamer Awards 2027 – Nominate now! page. Select the category in the embedded form, enter the mobile game’s official name, and submit it before 15 November 2026. You can nominate more than one entry.
Most categories are for games released between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026. Six categories—Best Character, Best Game We’re Still Playing, Best Community, Best Webshop, Best Game Update and Best In-Game Collab—do not use that launch-date rule. Nominations are counted into a shortlist, followed by public voting through 20 December 2026; winners are expected to be announced in January or early 2027.
What you need to do
The nomination is a free web submission intended for players and readers. Pocket Gamer’s official page describes the process as inviting readers to nominate their favourites from the previous year, then using those nominations to highlight the most important mobile interactive entertainment.
- Open the official Pocket Gamer Awards 2027 nomination page. Use the page titled Pocket Gamer Awards 2027 – Nominate now! rather than an unrelated awards page.
- Choose the category. The embedded form presents the available categories. Pick the one that matches what you are nominating: a game, a character, a community, an update, an in-game collaboration, a webshop, or a developer or publisher.
- Enter the game’s official name. Type the name used by the game’s publisher or developer so the nomination can be identified accurately. The published instructions do not state that you must attach evidence, pay a fee, or prove that you work for the developer.
- Submit the form. The public nomination period runs from 15 October through 15 November 2026. Pocket Gamer says fans may nominate multiple entries, so you can put forward more than one game when several deserve consideration.
There is no separate published developer-only route in the nomination instructions. If you are a player, the same public form is the route to use.
#1 Best Overall
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“Across a number of key categories, we invite YOU to nominate your favourites from the last year, so that we can highlight and celebrate the most important mobile interactive entertainment.”
Which games are eligible for the 2027 awards?
Eligibility depends on the category. For most categories, the relevant launch window is 1 October 2025 through 30 September 2026. That means a newly released game generally needs to have launched during that period to fit a standard release-based category.
Categories with no launch-date rule
The official eligibility pages specifically exempt six categories from the launch-date requirement:
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- Best Character
- Best Game We’re Still Playing
- Best Community
- Best Webshop
- Best Game Update
- Best In-Game Collab
These categories can therefore recognise an older game, a continuing service, a particular character, or activity that falls outside the normal release window. The exemption does not mean every possible entry will be shortlisted; it means the standard launch-date test is not the rule used for those categories.
Rank #2
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- 5M-Cycle Lifespan & Zero Drift: MC1 mobile gaming controller features a Hall-effect joystick with a 5M cycle lifespan, 2.5x longer than standard carbon-film sticks. Its innovative electromagnetic induction technology ensures drift-free operation, enabling precise character control in intense games and significantly extending this phone game controller durability
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How updates fit the dates
For an update-related nomination, the official guidance says updates should fall within the eligibility period where possible. A game may be older than the standard window while still being relevant to Best Game Update or another exempt category, but the update itself should be considered against the 1 October 2025–30 September 2026 period when you decide whether it is a strong fit.
Developer, publisher and indie-developer awards
Developer, publisher and indie-developer awards are judged with the nominee’s catalogue in mind rather than only one launch. Recent releases should still be considered, but the category is about the wider body of work represented by the nominee. When entering one of these categories, make sure the form is asking for the company or studio rather than the title of an individual game.
How to choose the right category
The nomination form is easier to use when you decide what you are putting forward before opening it. Use four questions: when was the relevant release or update, what exactly are you praising, is the nomination for a game or an organisation, and does the category’s subject match your reason for nominating?
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| If you want to recognise… | Look for a category focused on… | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| The complete mobile game | A game award | Whether its launch falls between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026, unless the category is exempt |
| A memorable character | Best Character | This category is exempt from the launch-date rule |
| A continuing favourite | Best Game We’re Still Playing | This category is exempt from the launch-date rule and is suited to ongoing player interest |
| Players, events or social activity around a title | Best Community | This category is exempt from the launch-date rule |
| An in-game store or buying experience | Best Webshop | This category is exempt from the launch-date rule |
| A substantial patch or improvement | Best Game Update | Consider whether the update occurred during the eligibility period where possible |
| A collaboration inside a game | Best In-Game Collab | This category is exempt from the launch-date rule |
| The work of a studio or company | Developer, publisher or indie-developer award | Consider the nominee’s catalogue, while giving appropriate weight to recent releases |
Do not treat the categories as a published scoring system
Pocket Gamer’s official pages explain the eligibility windows and category exceptions, but they do not publish a numerical scoring rubric. There is no stated points system for downloads, revenue, ratings, player count or review scores. Choose the category that best describes your reason for nominating instead of trying to calculate an unpublished score.
Rank #3
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When a game seems to fit more than one category
A single game can be relevant to several categories for different reasons. For example, you might nominate the title itself in a game category, its community in Best Community, and a major patch in Best Game Update. Keep the subject of each submission clear: a game nomination should name the game, while an organisation award should identify the developer or publisher. The published announcement allows multiple entries, but it does not state a maximum number or require a fixed number of nominations.
2027 Pocket Gamer Awards timeline
| Stage | Date or period | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Nominations open | 15 October 2026 | The public nomination form becomes available for entries. |
| Nominations close | 15 November 2026 | This is the deadline for submitting nominations for the 2027 awards. |
| Shortlist preparation | After nominations close | Pocket Gamer totals the nominations and creates a shortlist. |
| Fan voting | Through 20 December 2026 | Fans vote on the shortlisted entries. |
| Winners announced | January or early 2027 | The process information describes the winners stage as January; the announcement is expected early in 2027. |
As of 18 October 2026, the nomination period is open. If you are reading this after 15 November, the public nomination window has ended for this cycle; the next action would be to watch Pocket Gamer for a new awards announcement rather than submit to an expired form.
What happens after you nominate?
1. Pocket Gamer counts the nominations
Submitting the form does not immediately make a game a finalist or winner. Pocket Gamer collects the public nominations and uses the total to build a shortlist.
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After the shortlist is published, the process moves to fan voting. Voting remains open through 20 December 2026. A nomination and a vote are separate stages: nominating a game puts it forward for consideration, while voting supports an entry after the shortlist exists.
Rank #4
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3. Winners are announced
The winners stage is scheduled for January, with the broader announcement described as early 2027. The published timeline does not give a more specific day.
Requirements, costs and information the form does not state
The nomination action is a free online submission. The official instructions do not publish an entry fee, an evidence package, a word count, or a developer-only eligibility requirement. They also do not describe a scoring formula.
That does not guarantee that every technical field or validation message will look identical throughout the form’s availability. It means you should not assume that a receipt, review, screenshot, download statistic or developer authorisation is required unless the live form explicitly asks for it.
Troubleshooting a nomination
The form is unavailable
First check the date. The 2027 public window is 15 October–15 November 2026. Outside that period, the page may no longer accept entries. Use Pocket Gamer’s current awards announcement for any later cycle rather than treating an old form as a standing nomination portal.
Best Value
- Expanded Screen Compatibility: Stretchable up to 213mm, fitting iPad Mini 6/7 and Android tablets; Compatible with iPhone 15/16 and Android devices; Ultra-stable Type-C connection ensures lag-free gaming across all supported screen
- Mobile Gaming Compatibility: Lets you play most of the games you want. Supports Xbox Game Pass, Zenless Zone Zero, cloud gaming, Steam/Moonlight streaming games, and remote play
- Hall Effect Sticks: GameSir Hall Effect sensing sticks deliver 360° seamless pinpoint control, provide the precision and durability that mobile gamers demand
- Ergonomic and Lightweight Design: Stay comfortable during long gaming sessions with the X5 Lite. Weighing just 135.4g, its lightweight design and ergonomically laser-engraved textured grips ensure a secure, comfortable hold for hours of gameplay
- Cushioned and Durable Membrane: The X5 Lite is equipped with cushioned and durable membrane triggers and buttons. The cushioned feedback provides a comfortable experience while ensuring quieter operation
You are unsure which category to select
Identify the subject of your nomination before entering anything: the whole game, a character, a continuing game, a community, a webshop, an update, a collaboration, or the catalogue of a developer or publisher. Then apply the launch-date rule. If the subject is one of the six exempt categories, the standard launch window is not the deciding test.
The game name is not accepted or is ambiguous
Use the official name of the mobile game, including the wording that distinguishes it from similarly titled releases. Avoid substituting a nickname, a player-community abbreviation or the name of a publisher when the category asks for a game.
You want to nominate several games
Pocket Gamer’s announcement says the public period is designed to let fans make their voices heard and allows multiple entries. Submit each nomination through the form as directed, choosing the appropriate category for each entry. No published cap is given.
You are looking for a voting page
During the nomination period, use the nomination form. Fan voting comes later, after Pocket Gamer has created the shortlist, and runs through 20 December 2026. A nomination cannot be replaced by a vote before the shortlist stage.
How to prepare before opening the form
- Write down the game’s official title and check its release or update timing against 1 October 2025–30 September 2026.
- Decide whether you are nominating the game, a feature or activity associated with it, or the developer or publisher.
- Check whether your intended category is one of the six launch-date exemptions.
- If you are nominating an update, identify the update period and confirm that it falls within the eligibility period where possible.
- If you are nominating a developer, publisher or indie developer, consider the nominee’s catalogue rather than only one game.
- Submit before 15 November 2026; the closing date is not the fan-voting deadline.
Do not confuse these awards with another Pocket Gamer programme
The Pocket Gamer Awards are separate from the Mobile Games Awards associated with PocketGamer.biz. A page or article about that programme is not automatically the nomination form for the Pocket Gamer Awards 2027. Check the title of the official page and the award year before entering a nomination.
Key dates and rules at a glance
- Official route: Pocket Gamer’s online “Pocket Gamer Awards 2027 – Nominate now!” form.
- Nomination deadline: 15 November 2026.
- Standard eligibility window: 1 October 2025–30 September 2026.
- Launch-date exemptions: Best Character, Best Game We’re Still Playing, Best Community, Best Webshop, Best Game Update and Best In-Game Collab.
- Shortlist: created after Pocket Gamer totals nominations.
- Fan voting: runs through 20 December 2026.
- Winners: expected in January or early 2027.
The Bottom Line
Use Pocket Gamer’s official 2027 nomination form, select the category that matches what you want recognised, enter the game’s official name, and submit by 15 November 2026. Most categories cover releases from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, while six named categories are exempt from that launch-date rule.
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