Many are still caught up in the discourse swirling around a certain other video game award show happening in December. But for some, myself included, there is another event happening that may just steal the spotlight. That’s right, this year on December 19th, the inaugural Indie Game Awards will be taking place, and the nominees were announced today!
The Indie Game Awards website describes it as “an annual awards-only event designed to honor excellence in indie gaming, featuring categories that highlight innovation, storytelling, artistry, and more.” This is evident in the event’s categories which include “Notable Achievement in Accessibility”, “Bite-Sized Game”, “Solo Development”, and “Industry Impact” among others.
The nominees for the 2024 IGA Game of the Year are:
1000xRESIST – Sunset Visitor
Animal Well – Billy Basso
Arco – Franek, Max Cahill, Bibiki, and Fáyer
Balatro – LocalThunk
Crypt Custodian – Kyle Thompson
Lorlei and the Laser Eyes – Simogo
Mouthwashing – Wrong Organ
Neva – Nomada Studio
Nine Sols – RedCandleGames
UFO 50 - Mossmouth
A plethora of diverse teams and individuals make up the judges and presenters for the IGAs, including names like Giant Bomb, Women-Led Games, MinnMax, Steve Saylor, Spawn On Me, and many more.
This announcement for the IGA nominees came hot off the heels of The Game Awards’ own announcement for their nominees. While Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards is looking to have its biggest event to date for its 10th anniversary, the IGAs are opting for a more award-centric approach. Whether this is a direct dig at the larger, glitzier of the two for its reliance on announcements and advertising, whose to say.
For the full list of categories, nominees, judges, and presenters please visit The Indie Game Awards official website.
The Indie Game Awards will be streamed live via IGN.com and the Six One Indie Youtube channel on December 19th at 4pm PST, 7pm EST, and 12am GMT.
What are some of the Indie Games you’ve enjoyed this year?
Did any of them get nominated in the IGAs?
