Bye Sweet Carole, the video game from Italian artist, writer, and director Chris Darril, has received six nominations at the 23rd NAVGTR (National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers) Awards, marking the highest number of NAVGTR nominations ever received by an Italian video game.
The nominations span multiple categories, including Animation, Artistic, Original Light Mix Score, New IP, Performance in a Drama (Lead and Supporting), Writing in a Drama, and Game, Original Adventure, highlighting the project’s strength across animation, narrative, performance, and overall design.
These nominations follow another recent milestone for Bye Sweet Carole. Just weeks ago, the title made history as the first and only Italian video game ever nominated at the Annie Awards, receiving a nomination for Best Character Animation in a Video Game. The game has also earned a Gamescom Award nomination for Best Visuals, further underscoring its artistic and technical achievements.
Everything that appears on screen in Bye Sweet Carole is created using traditional hand-drawn, frame-by-frame animation, including particles and visual effects, set against painted environments. The entire production has been accomplished by a very small team of artists.
Darril, the creator of both Bye Sweet Carole and the Remothered IPs, is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in the Italian video game scene. He is a nominated BAFTA member, a juror, and a committee member at SIG-IGDA. Over his career, he has collaborated with renowned creators including Takashi Shimizu (Ju-On/The Grudge), Nobuko Toda (Metal Gear Solid IV, Halo V), and Kiyoshi Arai (Final Fantasy), earning praise from industry figures such as Keiichiro Toyama (Silent Hill) and Hidetaka “Swery65” Suehiro (Deadly Premonition).
“I am deeply honored to receive these nominations,” said Darril. “Bye Sweet Carole represents a lifelong dream to push narrative, performance, and animation in video games, and to share Italian creativity on the global stage.”
Darril’s work has been celebrated for bridging the gap between video games and cinematic storytelling, earning top industry accolades, including the DStars Award and Game World Observer’s highest recognition.
