Independent Games Festival

Annual video games festival From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Independent Games Festival (IGF) is an annual festival at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), the largest annual gathering of the independent video game industry.[1] Originally founded in 1998 to promote independent video game developers, and innovation in video game development by CMP Media,[2] later known as UBM Technology Group, IGF is now owned by Informa after UBM's acquisition.[3]

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FTL: Faster Than Light developer Subset Games at the IGF 2013
Fez developers with the IGF prize 2012
Aquaria voice actor Jenna Sharpe and developers Alec Holowka and Derek Yu on the reception of the IGF prize 2007

The IGF competition awards a total of approximately $28,000 in prizes to independent developers in Main Competition and Student Competition categories and held around the same time as the Game Developers Choice Awards event.

From 2007 to 2010, there was a separate event called IGF Mobile for mobile phone games.[4]

Competition Structure

As of 2026, there are ten award categories:[5]

  • Seumas McNally Grand Prize ($10,000)
  • Excellence In Visual Art ($2,000)
  • Excellence In Audio ($2,000)
  • Excellence in Design ($2,000)
  • Excellence in Narrative ($2,000)
  • Nuovo Award ($2,000)
  • Best Student Game ($2000)
  • Audience Award ($2,000)
  • WINGS Awards (€2,000)

An additional award, "Excellent in Narrative", was added for the 2013 IGF and the "WINGS Award" was added for the 2026 IGF.[5]

Prior to the Festival, developers have the opportunity to submit their game in a playable state to the IGF organization committee for a small fee. These titles are then sent to approximately 250-300 game industry representatives on the Nominating Committee; these representatives include both indie developers and more mainstream developers and publishers. Each Committee member can nominate any of the provided games to one or more of the categories. Then, for each award category, a pre-selected jury of between seven and ten members reviews the nominations and makes a final selection of six finalists (eight for the Nuovo award) and a number of honorable mentions.

The selected finalists are expected to present their games at the IGF during the Games Developers Conference; the show provides them a booth space and access to the convention, but finalists either must secure their own travel and lodgings, or name a proxy to demonstrate their games. During the convention, a separate jury selected by the IGF organization committee will review each game, and just prior to the awards, vote for one game in each category. The only exception is the Audience Award, which is voted through online forms by anyone interested.[6]

IGF Competition award history

Years given below indicate the year when the award was given, with the games or developers being recognized from the previous year.

(Main) IGF Competition

Seumas McNally Grand Prize ($10,000)

Main article: Seumas McNally Grand Prize

Nuovo (Innovation) Award ($2,000)

Main article: Nuovo Award

Excellence In Visual Art ($2,000)

Excellence In Audio ($2,000)

Excellence in Design ($2,000)

Excellence in Narrative ($2,000)

Audience Award ($2,000)

WINGS Award (€2,000)

  • 2026: 13Z: The Zodiac Trials

alt.ctrl.GDC Award

For games that feature unusual controls or user interactions.

  • 2025: ChromaCorp[8]
  • 2024: Chú Mó[9]
  • 2020: None. Due to the cancellation of the physical GDC conference as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, this award wasn't given in 2020; the other IGF awards were given in a virtual presentation.[16]
  • 2019: Hot Swap[14]
  • 2018: Puppet Pandemonium
  • 2017: Fear Sphere

Retired awards

Technical Excellence ($3,000)

This award was retired starting from the 2014 competition onward.

Best Mobile Game ($3,000)

Best Web Browser Game (2006-2008)

  • 2008: Iron Dukes ($2,500)
  • 2007: Samorost 2 ($2,500)
  • 2006: Dad 'N Me ($2,500)
  • This category replaced the separate prizes for Web/Downloadable games awarded in 2004 & 2005.

IGF Mod Competition (2006–2007)

2007 Mod Awards

Best Mod ($5,000 overall): Weekday Warrior (Half-Life 2)
Best Singleplayer FPS Mod ($500): Weekday Warrior (Half-Life 2)
Best Multiplayer FPS Mod ($500): Eternal Silence (Half-Life 2)
Best RPG Mod ($500): Darkness over Daggerford (Neverwinter Nights)
Best 'Other' Mod ($500): Spawns Of Deflebub (Unreal Tournament 2004)

2006 Mod Awards

Best Mod – Doom 3 ($2,500): Last Man Standing Coop
Best Mod – Half-Life 2 ($2,500): Dystopia
Best Mod – Neverwinter Nights ($2,500): Rose Of Eternity: Chapter 1
Best Mod – Unreal Tournament 2004 ($2,500): Path Of Vengeance

IGF Student Showcase Winner

  • 2026: Poco[7]
  • 2025: Slot Waste[8]
  • 2024: Once Upon a Jester[9]
  • 2023: Slider
  • 2022: Live Adventure
  • 2021: Vessels
  • 2020: Bore Dome[13]
  • 2019: After Hours[14]
  • 2018: Baba Is You
  • 2017: Un pas fragile
  • 2016: Beglitched
  • 2015: Close Your
  • 2014: Risk of Rain
  • 2013: Zineth
  • 2012: Way
  • 2011: Fract • Octodad
  • 2010: Continuity • Dreamside Maroon • Gear • Igneous
  • 2009: Tag: The Power of Paint
  • 2008: Synaesthete
  • 2007: Toblo
  • 2006: Ballistic • Cloud • Colormental • Narbacular Drop • Ocular Ink • Orblitz • Palette • Sea of Chaos • Goliath • NERO
  • 2005: Dyadin • Intergalactic Shopping Maniacs • Mutton Mayhem • Rock Station • Scavenger Hunt • Soccer Ref • Squirrel Squabble • Stars and Stripes • Team Robot • War, Siege & Conquest: Battle for Gaia
  • 2004: Dark Archon 2 • Fatal Traction • Growbot • Hexvex • Hyperbol • Ice Wars • Kube Kombat • Scrapped • Treefort Wars • Xazzon

Ceremonies

More information Game Year, Date of ceremony ...
Game Year Date of ceremony Host Seumas McNally Grand Prize
1999 March 15, 1999 Fire and Darkness
2000 March 10, 2000 Tread Marks
2001 March 23, 2001 Shattered Galaxy
2002 March 20, 2002 Bad Milk
2003 March 6, 2003 Wild Earth
2004 March 24, 2004 (Open Category) Savage: The Battle for Newerth

(Web/Downloadable) Oasis

2005 March 9, 2005 (Open Category) Gish

(Web/Downloadable) Wik and the Fable of Souls

2006 March 22, 2006 Darwinia
2007 March 7, 2007 Andy Schatz Aquaria
2008 February 20, 2008 Andy Schatz Crayon Physics Deluxe
2009 March 25, 2009 Andy Schatz Blueberry Garden
2010 March 11, 2010 Kyle Gabler and Erin Robinson Monaco
2011 March 2, 2011 Anthony Carboni Minecraft
2012 March 8, 2012 Andy Schatz Fez
2013 March 27, 2013 Andy Schatz Cart Life
2014 March 20, 2014 Nathan Vella Papers, Please
2015 March 4, 2015 Nathan Vella Outer Wilds
2016 March 16, 2016 Nathan Vella Her Story
2017 March 1, 2017 Nina Freeman Quadrilateral Cowboy
2018 March 21, 2018 Trent Kusters Night in the Woods
2019 March 20, 2019 Meg Jayanth Return of the Obra Dinn
2020 March 18, 2020 Trent Kusters A Short Hike
2021 July 21, 2021 Victoria Tran Umurangi Generation
2022 March 23, 2022 Kelly Wallick Inscryption
2023 March 22, 2023 Marina Díez[17] Betrayal at Club Low
2024 March 29, 2024 Trinidad Hermida[18] Venba
2025 March 19, 2025 Emma Kidwell[19] Consume Me
2026 March 11, 2026 Karrie Shao[20] Titanium Court
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See also

References

External links

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