The Sacramento Developer Collective closed out Capital Creative Showcase 2026 with an awards ceremony celebrating the creativity, dedication, and talent behind the local game development scene. Hosted by SDC President Thomas Ruiz, the ceremony highlighted not just the award winners, but every developer, student, exhibitor, and attendee who helped make this year’s event special.
Before announcing the winners, Thomas took a moment to recognize how much work goes into making a game. Game development pulls together programming, animation, art, design, writing, sound, music, production, and countless hours of testing, problem-solving, and persistence. Every project on the show floor represented a major achievement, whether it walked away with an award or not.
That spirit is what Capital Creative Showcase is all about. The event gives Sacramento’s creators a place to share their work, connect with players, meet other developers, and celebrate the growing game development community in the region.
The first award of the night was Outstanding Student Project, recognizing the impressive work being done by young developers. After a strong showing from the student projects, Bear With Me took home the award.
Next up was the Exhibitor Choice Award, voted on by the developers and exhibitors at the event. Thomas noted that developers often see games through a unique lens, noticing systems, mechanics, and design choices that might stand out differently to fellow creators. The nominees were The Lost Frog, Blocks for Babies, and Giga Turtles, with Blocks for Babies winning the award.
The final award of the night was the People’s Choice Award, voted on by attendees. This category was especially competitive, showing just how much the crowd connected with the games on display. The nominees included My Wizard Doesn’t Feed Me So I Tarnish His Room, Now He’s Sending Buckets of Water on My Head, Cardboard Cowboy, and Goat Game. Goat Game took home the People’s Choice Award, earning the top audience honor of the night.
Thomas closed the ceremony by thanking everyone who helped make CCS 2026 possible, calling it the biggest and most successful Capital Creative Showcase in SDC’s ten-year history. For Sacramento’s game development community, the night was more than an awards ceremony. It was a reminder of how much creative work is happening locally, and how important it is to give developers a space to be seen, supported, and celebrated.
Capital Creative Showcase continues to grow as a home for Sacramento’s game creators, and CCS 2026 made one thing clear: this community has a lot to be proud of.