This week, the Game Developers Conference (GDC) announced the finalists for its Independent Games Festival Awards event, which is part of the previous conference. The IGF Awards event, revealing the winners of each award, will be held on March 26 alongside the Game Developers Choice Awards. The previous winner of the 2024 Seumas McNally Grand Prix was Visai Games’ Venba.
The games with the most nominations are Jenny Jiao Hsia’s Consume Me, a darkly comedic life simulator inspired by the creator’s experience with eating disorders; and Despelote, a life game about playing soccer and meeting people on the streets of Quito, Ecuador.
Below is the complete list of candidates:
Sumas McNally Grand Prix
- Caves of Jerusalem (Freehold Games/KitFox Games)
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, A.P. Thompson, J.N. Lee, Violet W.B., Ken “Koda” Snyder)
- Despilot (Julian Cordero, Sebastien Valbuena / Panic)
- INDIKA (single scale / 11-bit studios)
- Thank goodness you are here! (coal dinner/panic)
- UFO 50 (Moosemouth)
Honorable Mentions: Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode), Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack), Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Raw Fury), Mouthwashing (Wrong Organ / CRITICAL REFLEX), Nine Sols (RedCandleGames), Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments)
New award
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, A.P. Thompson, J.N. Lee, Violet W.B., Ken “Koda” Snyder)
- Despilot (Julian Cordero, Sebastien Valbuena / Panic)
- Extreme Evolution: Leading to Divinity (Sam Atlas)
- Gingerbread (Kevin Doe/Lizzo Book)
- Individualism in the Age of the Dead Internet: A Stark Manifesto for the Anti-Big Tech Fundamentals (Alienmelon)
- Starship House (Creature)
- tapeçaria (texture) (mut/moochi (with help from the Plunderludics working group))
- Exit 8 (KOTAKE CREATE / Active Gaming Media Inc)
Honorable Mentions: Arctic Eggs (The Water Museum, Cockydoody, abmarnie, Cameron Ginex / CRITICAL REFLEX), Judero (Talha and Jack Co, J. King-Spooner, Talha Kaya), Onto Maisillind Unto Infinity (Cass Gobadi, Julian Palacios Gechtman / Kasra Ghobadi), Trip Price (WATERBOX), Project Y (Project_Y Production Committee), Discover Self: Personality Test game (lizard/play)
Excellence in visual arts
- Children of the Sun (Rene Rother/Devolver Digital)
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, A.P. Thompson, J.N. Lee, Violet W.B., Ken “Koda” Snyder)
- Hunty (Moonloop Games / Firestoke)
- Godero (Talha & Jack Company, J. King Spooner, Talha Kaya)
- Nine Souls (RedCandleGames)
- Thank goodness you are here! (coal dinner/panic)
Honorable Mentions: Crow Country (SFB Games), Death of the Reprobate (Joe Richardson), Miniatures (Other Tales Interactive), Tiny Glade (Pounce Light), Ultros (Hadoque/Kepler Interactive)
Excellence in narrative
- Caves of Jerusalem (Freehold Games/KitFox Games)
- Closest Distance (Osmosis Studios/Skybound Games)
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, A.P. Thompson, J.N. Lee, Violet W.B., Ken “Koda” Snyder)
- Despilot (Julian Cordero, Sebastien Valbuena / Panic)
- INDIKA (single scale / 11-bit studios)
- No issue should remain unresolved (Sumi)
Honorable Mentions: Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Raw Fury), Miniatures (Other Interactive Tales), Mouthwash (Faulty Organ / Critical Reaction), Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments), Thank God, You’re Here! (Coal Dinner / Panic), The Thaumaturge (Asshole Theory / 11 Bit Studios)
Excellence in design
- Palatro (LocalThunk/Playstack)
- Blue Prince (Dojobomb/Raw Rage)
- Caves of Jerusalem (Freehold Games/KitFox Games)
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, A.P. Thompson, J.N. Lee, Violet W.B., Ken “Koda” Snyder)
- Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios/Kepler Interactive)
- Tactical Hack Wizards (Suspicious Developments)
Honorable Mentions: Animal Well (Billy Basso / Bigmode), No Case Should Go Unsolved (Somi), UFO 50 (Mossmouth), LOK Digital (Letibus Design, Icedrop Games / Draknek and Friends), Eigengrau (Martin Mauersics), The Rise of the Golden Idol (Grey Games / Playstack)
Excellence in sound
- Feet of Rage (Free Life/Devolver Digital)
- Despilot (Julian Cordero, Sebastien Valbuena / Panic)
- INDIKA (single scale / 11-bit studios)
- Odada (Sven Aalgrim, Mathilde Hoffmann, Bastian Klausdorff)
- Thank goodness you are here! (coal dinner/panic)
- Utopia Must Fall (Pixeljam)
Honorable Mention:
“Animal Well” (Billy Basso / Bigmode), Mouthwash (Wrong Member / CRITICAL REFLEX), “Pacific Drive” (Ironwood Studios / Kepler Interactive), “Rise of the Golden Idol” (Color Gray Games / Playstack), UFO 50 (Mossmouth).
Best game for students
- Double Ascension (Mountain Toad Entertainment / Rubika Supinfogame)
- DisplaceMen (Eversea Club/Leaves)
- Growth Spurt: A Winding Break in the Post-Misjudgment Hours (Games for My PC)
- Waste Hole (Vinny Rocca/Pekpanbok Productions)
- The WereCleaner (Howlin’ Hug/USC Games)
- Unknown year (Julian Heuser)
Honorable Mention:
Heart Cards (GoodMind Games), Duck Paradox (Magic Games/Midwest Games), Lost Garden (Uri Shani, Yoni Bouchette, Ramon Zerem), Perfect World (Michael Overton Brown), Timeworks (Starworks Studios)