It's a real pleasure to be a judge for the Independent Games Festival, and it’s remained a high point since I started looking at games for the IGF a few years back. Some of my very favorite games are usually part of the IGF lineup, and without getting ahead of myself, that’s looking likely for 2012, as well.
The finalists for the 15th annual IGF have been announced, and while it’s a bit of a lengthy list of games, many of which you have probably never heard of, every single one of them is worth paying attention to. These are some of the games that will be talked to death before 2012 has been put to bed (assuming most of them come out this year, I suppose!), and if you’re the type of person looking to play something different, here you go.
The final awards will be handed out at the Games Developers Conference in March.
Seumas McNally Grand Prize:
- Dear Esther
- FEZ
- Frozen Synapse
- Johann Sebastian Joust
- Spelunky
Excellence In Visual Art
- Botanicula
- Dear Esther
- Lume
- Mirage
- Wonderputt
Technical Excellence
- Antichamber
- Fez
- Prom Week
- Realm of the Mad God
- Spelunky
Excellence In Design:
- Atom Zombie Smasher
- English Country Tune
- Frozen Synapse
- Gunpoint
- Spelunky
Excellence in Audio:
- Botanicula
- Dear Esther
- Pugs Luv Beats
- To the Moon
- Waking Mars
Best Mobile Game:
- ASYNC Corp.
- Beat Sneak Bandit
- Faraway
- Ridiculous Fishing
- Waking Mars
Nuovo Award Finalists:
- At a Distance
- Dear Esther
- Fingle
- GIRP
- Johann Sebastian Joust
- Proteus
- Storyteller
- WAY