Meet the host: Elle Osili-Wood

Host of the BAFTA Games Awards and more, Elle Osili-Wood has done everything from interviewing Hideo Kojima to undergoing Viking training. When she’s not presenting games, she can often be found inside them, voicing characters from Paradise Killer, Pandora, Yes, Your Grace, and more. Join Osili-Wood as she shares her gaming journey and her favorite Play titles made and played by women.

Elle Osili-Wood: To me, International Women’s Day is a chance for everyone to celebrate how far the fight for equality has come, but also look ahead at how far we still have left to go. I think of it as a day of action, organization, and renewed focus, particularly in the games industry. We need studios to take serious action to combat online toxicity and systemic sexism.

I’m particularly proud of communicating the power of games to a more mainstream audience. From the BBC documentaries celebrating games, the content I presented about the intersection of games and the wider arts, and the work I’ve done with artistic organizations like BAFTA, I’m proud to promote the cultural significance of games.

I’m lucky to come from a huge family where everyone played games, so they’ve always been a big part of my life. When I began working in television, I sought opportunities to cover a subject I was passionate about, particularly given how poor games coverage can be. It was a chance to do something I loved, as well as bring new audiences to a world that means so much to me.

My next goal is to bring more innovative, creative games content to television. I want to write and present shows that celebrate and explore games in the same way we do for film and TV, especially since we’re the world’s largest entertainment industry. I also want to build on the technical work I do by diving into game development. The more we share behind the scenes, the more accessible our industry will be.

Created by female designer Ida Hartmann, Stilsand is one of those games you can’t stop thinking about. From its strikingly unique art style to the dark, humorous tone, it’s unlike any mobile game I’ve played before. Part graphic novel, part puzzle game, it beautifully portrays modern life, tackling loneliness and anxiety in a way that feels oddly uplifting.

Every Pokémon fan has secretly wished they could catch one for real. When Pokémon GO arrived, that dream came true. Using AR to track down Pokémon is so much fun, especially when live events bring the welcoming community of all genders together in real life.

A quietly ambitious title written by Jennie Kong, I love how Sky: Children of the Light reimagines the multiplayer RPG as a social adventure that shifts through seasons. Set across seven beautiful realms, it’s a relaxing, peaceful world to explore, teaming up with other players to guide lost spirits home.

An incredibly clever game by the female-founded French studio Accidental Queens, Alt-Frequencies tasks you with uncovering the cause of a time loop by piecing together information from radio stations. Excellent voice acting brings the world to life, and its time-bending storytelling mechanics drop you into an alternate reality.