Inside the Jury Room: Ahmad Al-Natsheh on Recognizing Exceptional Gameplay

My biggest motivation comes from my own experience participating in award competitions and serving on judging panels over the years. I've learned how much time, care, and respect every entry deserves during the evaluation process, and I wanted to bring that same standard to my role as a judge.

Developers pour everything into their games, and they deserve a judge who approaches their work with the same level of dedication. My motivation is not to decide a winner or a loser. It is to provide hardworking developers with valuable feedback that helps them grow and continue pushing their craft forward.

What stood out to me was seeing more titles from the Middle East participating over the years. Of course, I evaluated them by the same standards as every other entry, but it was especially rewarding to see fellow developers from the region bringing their work to the international stage.

I do not research a developer's background, previous titles, connections, or country of origin before the judging process is complete. My full attention is dedicated to the project itself, ensuring that every entry is evaluated solely on its own merits.

I also make sure I am in the right frame of mind before judging each game, giving every submission the time, focus, and consideration it deserves.

My most important criterion is playability. At the end of the day, it's all about the game. No matter how impressive the visuals or technology may be, a game should first and foremost be enjoyable to play.

Absolutely. From the latest VR trends related to my work to the creative marketing strategies emerging from innovative studios, there's always something new to discover. That's what makes this industry so exciting.

I simply show up to the studio every day and get to work. By doing so, I experience new technologies firsthand and gain a genuine understanding of how they shape both development and the player experience.

It's all about the right mindset. I never judge on a bad day. My full focus is always on the project and the facts: Does the game work? Does it perform as intended? Then I apply my own perspective: Does the game feel engaging? Does it flow naturally? Does it leave a lasting impression when I play it?

One of my biggest challenges was balancing judging responsibilities while launching our own titles. When you're deeply focused on your own projects, it can be difficult to give other entries the attention they deserve.

In those situations, I would rather abstain from judging certain entries than risk evaluating them without the focus and fairness they require.

If I follow those principles, the process flows naturally. It starts with the right mindset, followed by an objective evaluation of the facts, and finally my personal perspective.

Most importantly, I never judge entries outside my area of expertise. I leave those to fellow judges who have deeper knowledge and experience in their respective fields.

In my opinion, the greatest strength an entry can have is playability, even if it's only a small demo.

As a developer, I can easily look beyond placeholders and unfinished features, but without something playable, it becomes much more difficult to evaluate the project fairly.

My broad background has allowed me to explore many disciplines in depth, giving me a wider perspective during the judging process rather than limiting my focus to a single specialty.

It helps me evaluate entries more objectively while ensuring I have the knowledge needed to assess them fairly.