14 DAY TRIAL // The Independent Games Festival has announced a series of finalists ahead of an awards ceremony which is set for March 7, showing off the best of last year when it comes to video games that were created by indie teams, with limited resources but a lot of innovation.
Excellence In Visual Art
Botanicula - Amanita Design Dear Esther - thechineseroom Lume - State Of Play Games Mirage - Mario von Rickenbach Wonderputt - Damp Gnat
Mentions: Beat Sneak Bandit - Simogo; Dustforce - Hitbox Team; Fader - Chris Makris; Proun - Joost van Dongen; Toren - Swordtales
Technical Excellence
Antichamber - Demruth Fez - Polytron Prom Week - Expressive Intelligence Studio, UC Santa Cruz Realm of the Mad God - Wild Shadow Studios & Spry Fox Spelunky - Mossmouth
Mentions: Frozen Synapse - Mode 7 Games; Nitronic Rush - DigiPen Institute of Technology; Reflow - Xymatic; Super T.I.M.E Force - Capy; Tiny and Big – Grandpaa´s Leftovers - Black Pants
Excellence In Design
Atom Zombie Smasher - Blendo Games English Country Tune - Stephen Lavelle Frozen Synapse - Mode 7 Games Gunpoint - Tom Francis, John Roberts and Fabian van Dommelen Spelunky - Mossmouth
Mentions: Faraway - Steph Thirion; FTL - Justin Ma & Matthew Davis; Johann Sebastian Joust - Die Gute Fabrik; SpaceChem - Zachtronics Industries; Where Is My Heart - Die Gute Fabrik
Excellence In Audio
Botanicula - Amanita Design Dear Esther - thechineseroom Pugs Luv Beats - Lucky Frame To The Moon - Freebird Games Waking Mars - Tiger Style
Mentions: Beatbuddy - THREAKS; Beat Sneak Bandit - Simogo; Fez - Polytron; Proteus - Ed Key and David Kanaga; Where Is My Heart - Die Gute Fabrik
Best Mobile Game
ASYNC Corp - Powerhead Games Beat Sneak Bandit - Simogo Faraway - Steph Thirion Ridiculous Fishing - Vlambeer Waking Mars - Tiger Style
Mentions: Fingle - Game Oven Studios; Hundreds - SemiSecret and aeiowu; iBlast Moki 2 - Godzilab; Temple Run - Imangi Studios; Tentacles - Press Play ApS
Nuovo Award - honoring abstract, shortform, and unconventional game development
At a Distance - Terry Cavanagh Dear Esther - thechineseroom Fingle - Game Oven Studios GIRP - Bennett Foddy Proteus - Ed Key and David Kanaga Johann Sebastian Joust - Die Gute Fabrik Storyteller - Daniel Benmergui Way (CoCo & Co.)
Mentions: Deep Sea - WRAUGHK; Four Letter Word - Terry Cavanagh; GlitchHiker - Aardbever; Hundreds - SemiSecret and aeiowu; POP - Rob Lach
Seumas McNally Grand Prize
Dear Esther - thechineseroom Fez - Polytron Frozen Synapse - Mode 7 Games Johann Sebastian Joust - Die Gute Fabrik Spelunky - Mossmouth