Appliv Best Mobile Game Award 2026 Announces Appointment of 4 Special Judges

Nyle Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Hisho Takahashi; hereinafter "Nyle"), which operates the smartphone app introduction media "Appliv," announces that four special judges have been appointed for the "Appliv Best Mobile Game Award 2026," scheduled to be announced in late May 2026.

In conjunction with this, a collaboration has been decided with "GAME FUTURE SUMMIT 2026" (to be held on June 3, 2026), one of the industry's largest business events, gathering over 1,500 game industry professionals. Special content for this award is planned to be implemented at the event. Further details will be announced as soon as they are decided.

About the Judging System

For the "Appliv Best Mobile Game Award 2026," the winning works will be decided through a deliberation process involving four external special judges, after an initial selection by Appliv Games.

We have invited judges who have covered the industry for many years from the perspective of game media, and those who have deeply analyzed the game market from a business and marketing perspective. We have established a judging system that embodies the philosophy of this award, which is to evaluate not only product quality but also operational capabilities, community building, and marketing strategies from multiple angles, even during the selection process.

Judge Introductions (in alphabetical order)

Yasuki Isobe

Appliv Games Editorial Department

Began working as a writer for Game Deets (now Appliv Games) in 2015. Primarily writes strategy guides for smartphone games, and is responsible for operating and verifying multiple titles. Through participation in industry events such as Tokyo Game Show and interviews with publishers, he has continuously observed the changes in the smartphone game market from the field. In recent years, he has also been involved in community management using Discord, understanding the value of games from both player and operator perspectives. https://games.app-liv.jp/

Motoi Sato

CEO of MOTTO Inc. / Marketer

Joined DeNA Co., Ltd. in 2011 and was in charge of marketing for mobile businesses. After serving as head of the marketing department, he established MOTTO Inc. in 2018. He supports the planning and execution of marketing strategies for game and app businesses and provides solutions such as the community marketing service "Rooot." He has 15 years of experience in smartphone game marketing from its early days to the present, and has been involved in marketing for over 100 titles, including "Gyakuten Othellonia." Organizer of "GAME FUTURE SUMMIT."https://game-future-summit.jp/

Yoshitaka Tatsukawa

gamebiz Producer

At Enterbrain (now KADOKAWA Game Linkage), he was involved in planning and sales for in-house media. At COLOPL, he served as Alliance Director, and then as business unit manager and executive for SocialGameInfo (now gamebiz), which was a subsidiary at the time. He is now independent and involved in PR, recruitment support, and event planning for game companies as TeeL LLC. He serves as a producer for gamebiz.https://gamebiz.jp/

Kosuke Miyazaki

Manager, Game Business Division / Anime Business Division, Media Business Headquarters, IID, Inc.

Serves as manager of both the Anime Business Division and Game Business Division. 38 years old, from Tokyo. His favorite game is "Megabonk." He is not good at shooter games because they make him dizzy. Influenced by his father playing Super Famicom, he used to play games with friends instead of going out when he was a child.

https://www.gamebusiness.jp/

Shuka Yamada

Freelance Writer

After working as an editor and writer for children's game magazines, she now primarily writes articles about movies and games. In addition to reviews, columns, and video appearances for web media such as IGN JAPAN, she also contributes to game features in several culture magazines. She has also worked on scenarios for smartphone games for over 10 years. She also has a history of working as a professional wrestler, and actively analyzes and critiques games from multiple perspectives.

About the Selection Process

The selection process will be conducted in two stages: an initial selection by the Appliv Games editorial department, and a final selection involving special judges. Each judge will evaluate based on their specialized knowledge, and the winning works will be decided through deliberation.

The award categories are as follows (all 4 categories):

・ Gameplay & Innovation Category

・ Story & Narrative Category

・ Community & Engagement Category

・ Marketing & Promotion Category

Implementation of Special Content at "GAME FUTURE SUMMIT 2026"

In conjunction with the announcement of the winners of this award, special content is planned to be implemented at "GAME FUTURE SUMMIT 2026."

"GAME FUTURE SUMMIT" is one of the largest business events in the game industry, with a main theme of production and marketing. At this event, which gathers over 1,500 game industry professionals, the award-winning works and the wisdom and strategies behind them will be widely disseminated. Details of the content will be announced as soon as they are decided.

＜Event Overview＞

Name: GAME FUTURE SUMMIT 2026

Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 Venue: Belle Salle Shibuya Garden Official Website: https://game-future-summit.jp/ Official X:https://twitter.com/Game_F_S

What is "Appliv Best Mobile Game Award"?

Appliv, one of Japan's largest app introduction media, has honored excellent products through the "Appliv Best App Award," which covered all genres.

Smartphone games have the scale and depth to be evaluated as an independent genre due to their artistry, community enthusiasm, and sophisticated marketing strategies. To properly evaluate and commend their diverse appeal from a specialized perspective, this award, specializing in the game domain, was established in 2026. By evaluating operational capabilities, innovation, and marketing methods from multiple angles, we aim to contribute to the development of the entire game industry.

＜Award Overview＞

Name: Appliv Best Mobile Game Award 2026

Organizer: Appliv Games Editorial Department

Announcement Period: Late May 2026

Announcement Method: Special LP (to be released later) and various news media

Award Categories (all 4 categories): Gameplay & Innovation Category

Story & Narrative Category

Community & Engagement Category

Marketing & Promotion Category

Future Developments

The award-winning works are scheduled to be announced in late May 2026.

In conjunction with this, details will be announced sequentially as they are decided for the implementation of special content at "GAME FUTURE SUMMIT 2026" on June 3. Appliv Games will celebrate and promote the future of smartphone games together with publishers, marketers, and all developers.

About Appliv Games

As a specialized game media, we provide the latest news, reviews, and strategy information that everyone wants to know, focusing on new game information. https://games.app-liv.jp/

About Appliv

Since its service launch in 2012, it has reviewed approximately 70,000 apps and grown into one of Japan's largest app-specialized media. We widely provide various information about apps to help all smartphone users live a more comfortable and enjoyable life. https://app-liv.jp

About Nyle Co., Ltd.

Business Overview: Automotive Industry DX Business, Horizontal DX Business

Established: January 15, 2007

Location: JRE Higashi-Gotanda 1-chome Building 7F, 1-24-2 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

Representative: Hisho Takahashi, Representative Director and President

Securities Code: 5618 (Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market)

URL: https://nyle.co.jp