Today at the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona the the winners of the 8th Annual International Mobile Games Awards were announced. These apps represent the cream of the crop from every corner of the globe, so rest assured that when you download these you’re getting only the best of the best. Also, 148Apps has a special connection to the awards as our owner, the ruggedly handsome Jeff Scott, is a member of the judges panel (hi boss!). So without further ado, here are your winners.

Best Casual Game
Sprinkle
MediocreAB
Sweden

Best mobile social game
Charadium 2
On5
Lithuania

Best Real World Game
Meatspace Invasion (France iTunes Store only)
C4M and Mekensleep
France

Best Sports Game
Touchgrind BMX
IllusionLabs
Sweden

Excellence in Gameplay
Infinity Blade 2
Chair
USA

Most Innovative Game
Superbrothers : Sword and Sworcery EP
Capy
Canada

Grand Prix (Best Overall)
Infinity Blade 2
Chair
USA

People’s choice
Flick Tennis: College Wars
Rolocule Games
India

Contre jour
Mokus Games
Ukraine

At this year’s E3 Chillingo had a very diverse offering including everything from zany fun to the downright visually striking. While there was plenty of the former on display, the upcoming Contre Jour definitely falls into the later category.  This unique and aesthetically pleasing platformer was just the tip of the iceberg for their 2011 lineup, but at the same time was one of their standout new titles.  The artistic and haunting visuals are very reminiscent of a hit or two from Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE Arcade, but more about that in a minute…

Taking place a world masked in shadows and darkness Contre Jour is the definition of an “artsy-fartsy” game.  Every bit as much about the gameplay as the aesthetic appeal, at it’s core, the game is primarily about getting the main character/blob/eyeball thingy from point A to point B.  Borrowing from a style that was proven successful in 2010 in Limbo on XBLA, this interested presentation is melded with a awesome navigation mechanic to create something truly special.

Utilizing a geographic manipulation control scheme that allow players to lift and kneed the ground under their character, they attempt to move their eyeball blob towards an exit portal, while trying to gather light orbs in the process.  Along the way several other obstacles come into the picture such as tentacles and warp zones, which are all key in the pursuit of the ultimate goal of escape.

Probably the feature that I enjoyed most was the zen-like soundtrack that lingers in the background.  This relaxing mix helps ease the frustration of trial and error, while still urging players to progress forward in the campaign.  While on its own the game may not sound like anything overly impresive it is very much a sum of its parts that we will keep our eyes peeled for when it hits the App Store soon.