14 DAY TRIAL // The organizers of the Independent Games Festival are announcing the titles that are nominated for the awards they are giving out every year and the leading games in the race seem to be Papers, Please, Device 6 and The Stanley Parable.
The ceremony will take place on March 19 during the Game Developers Conference and the team mentions that the number of honorable mentions are higher than ever, a testament to the quality of independent games launched in 2013.
The full list of nominees, according to VG247, includes:
Seumas McNally Grand Prize
The Stanley Parable - Galactic Cafe Don’t Starve - Klei Entertainment Jazzpunk - Necrophone Games Papers, Please - Lucas Pope DEVICE 6 - Simogo Dominique Pamplemousse in “It’s All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!” - Deirdra Kiai Productions
Honorable mentions: Crypt of the NecroDancer - Brace Yourself Games; TowerFall Ascension - Matt Thorson; Kerbal Space Program - Squad; 868-HACK - Michael Brough; The Yawhg - Damian Sommer & Emily Carroll
Excellence In Visual Art
DEVICE 6 - Simogo Gorogoa - Jason Roberts The Banner Saga - Stoic Perfect Stride - Arcane Kids Samorost3 - Amanita Design Drei - Etter
Honorable mentions: Shelter - Might & Delight; Galak-Z - 17-BIT; The Swapper - Facepalm Games; The Yawhg - Damian Sommer & Emily Carroll; Don’t Starve - Klei Entertainment
Excellence In Narrative
The Yawhg - Damian Sommer & Emily Carroll Paralect - Paralect Team DEVICE 6 - Simogo Dominique Pamplemousse in “It’s All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!” - Deirdra Kiai Productions The Stanley Parable - Galactic Cafe Papers, Please - Lucas Pope
Honorable mentions: Quadrilateral Cowboy - Blendo Games; Gorogoa - Jason Roberts; Redshirt - The Tiniest Shark; Detective Grimoire - SFB Games; Monster Loves You - Radial Games Corp. & Dejobaan Games, LLC.
Excellence In Design
TowerFall Ascension - Matt Thorson 868-HACK - Michael Brough Mushroom 11 - Untame Papers, Please - Lucas Pope Don’t Starve - Klei Entertainment Crypt of the NecroDancer - Brace Yourself Games
Honorable mentions: The Banner Saga - Stoic; Perfect Stride - Arcane Kids; Threes - Asher Vollmer, Greg Wohlwend & Jimmy Hinson; DEVICE 6 - Simogo; Gorogoa - Jason Roberts
Excellence In Audio
Samorost3 - Amanita Design Dominique Pamplemousse in “It’s All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!” - Deirdra Kiai Productions The Stanley Parable - Galactic Cafe Crypt of the NecroDancer - Brace Yourself Games DEVICE 6 - Simogo The Yawhg - Damian Sommer & Emily Carroll
Honorable mentions: Sokobond - Alan Hazelden, Harry Lee & Ryan Roth; The Banner Saga - Stoic; Potatoman Seeks the Troof - Pixeljam; Jazzpunk - Necrophone Games; Don’t Starve - Klei Entertainment
Nuovo Award
Dominique Pamplemousse in “It’s All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!” - Deirdra Kiai Productions Luxuria Superbia - Tale of Tales Extrasolar - Lazy 8 Studios Perfect Woman - Peter Lu and Lea Schonfelder SoundSelf - Robin Arnott Papers, Please - Lucas Pope Save the Date - Paper Dino Software Corrypt - Michael Brough
Honorable mentions: Shelter - Might & Delight; DEVICE 6 - Simogo; Elegy for a Dead World - Dejobaan Games with Popcannibal; SUPERHOT - SUPERHOT Team; 18 Cadence - Aaron A. Reed
Indie games are titles that are created with limited funds and generally without support from a publisher.
Their gameplay usually aims to introduce innovative elements that surprise the gaming community.