2011 Independent Games Festival Finalists Announced

by Justin Lacey on January 3, 2011 at 5:47pm

Bit.Trip Runner

Great indie games are always a welcome surprise when you find them, but it’s always nicer when they find you. The Independent Games Festival (IGF) celebrates the most influential indie games in the industry and has narrowed down the finalists (from over 400 entries) for their main competition. Now in it’s 13th year, the IGF has expanded their nominations to include honorable mentions in hopes of generating attention for a wider list of games.

Past finalists that the IGF has helped in promoting include such standout titles as Braid, World of Goo, and Limbo.

This awards list along with descriptions of the awards are available on the IGF website.

Seumas McNally Grand Prize:

Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
SpyParty (Chris Hecker)
Desktop Dungeons (QCF Design)
Minecraft (Mojang)
Nidhogg (Messhof)

Honorable mentions: Neptune’s Pride (Iron Helmet Games); Super Crate Box(Vlambeer); Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale (Carpe Fulgur); Bit.Trip Runner (Gaijin Games); Retro City Rampage (Vblank Entertainment).

Excellence In Visual Art

Bastion (Supergiant Games)
The Dream Machine (Cockroach)
Cave Story (2010 Edition) (Nicalis)
Bit.Trip Runner (Gaijin Games)
Hohokum (Honeyslug & Richard Hogg)

Honorable mentions: Retro City Rampage (Vblank Entertainment); Cobalt (Oxeye Game Studio); Faraway (Steph Thirion); Helsing’s Fire (Ratloop); Flotilla (Blendo Games).

Technical Excellence

Minecraft (Mojang)
Confetti Carnival (SpikySnail Games)
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
Neverdaunt:8Bit (Robot Loves Kitty)
Miegakure (Marc Ten Bosch)

Honorable mentions: Cobalt (Oxeye Game Studio); Achron (Hazardous Software);Hazard: The Journey Of Life (Demruth); Overgrowth (Wolfire Games); Swimming Under Clouds (Piece Of Pie Studios)

Excellence In Design

Desktop Dungeons (QCF Design)
Super Crate Box (Vlambeer)
Nidhogg (Messhof)
Faraway (Steph Thirion)
Minecraft (Mojang)

Honorable mentions: Helsing’s Fire (Ratloop); Recettear: An Item Shop’s Tale (Carpe Fulgur); Flotilla (Blendo Games); Bo (Mahdi Bahrami); Brutally Unfair Tactics Totally OK Now [B.U.T.T.O.N.] (Copenhagen Game Collective)

Excellence In Audio

Bastion (Supergiant Games)
Retro City Rampage (Vblank Entertainment)
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
Bit.Trip Beat (Gaijin Games)
Cobalt (Oxeye Game Studio)

Honorable mentions: Bit.Trip Runner (Gaijin Games); Cave Story (2010 Edition)(Nicalis); Jamestown (Final Form Games); NightSky (Nicalis); Planck (Shadegrown Games)

Best Mobile Game
Shot Shot Shoot (Erik Svedang)
Colorbind (Nonverbal)
Helsing’s Fire (Ratloop)
Solipskier (Mikengreg)
Halcyon (Stfj)

Honorable mentions: Flick Kick Football (PikPok); Shibuya (Nevercenter); Spirits(Spaces Of Play); Tentacles (Press Play); Trainyard (Matt Rix)