The UK’s next big game designer may just be a 13-year-old girl from Croydon.

When the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) announced the finalists for its nationwide competition to find the game designers of the future, Javarshini Sankaran was among those chosen.

Javarshini fought off hundreds of other hopefuls with her creation of ‘Henna Station’, a 15-level game in which gamers create and trace intricate Henna designs.

The Old Palace of John Whitgift student was in disbelief when she heard the news.

“I wanted to create a game that celebrated this beautiful art and that recognised creativity,” she said.

“I can’t quite believe that I’m a finalist.

“It’s a huge honour to have my game recognised and to be attending a BAFTA ceremony.

“I love how imaginative you can be using games as a platform and this has inspired me to carry on creating more concepts in the future.”

Javarshini will have to wait until July 8 to find out if she’s taken out the top honour in the Games Concept (10-14 years) category.

The winners, chosen by a panel of games professionals, will be revealed at a special awards ceremony at BAFTA’s headquarters.

Chair of the BAFTA Games Committee Nick Button-Brown said it was inspiring to see such young talent at work.

“I never fail to be humbled by how much better their work is than what I could do at their age,” he said.

“The entrants to this competition will help to define the future of the games industry, and I for one look forward to seeing what they come up with and playing their games.

“The awards ceremony in July is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate with all the winners and finalists.”