We won’t know the winners of the 16th annual Independent Games Festival main showcase until they’re revealed at the 2014 Game Developer’s Conference in March, but we can cheer for the talented Student Showcase winners right now. There are eight winners in all, out of more than 350 entrants; each winning programmer/team receives a $1,000 cash prize and a place to showcase their game on the show floor at GDC 2014. The eight winners are also finalists for the Best Student Game prize of $2,000. That winner will be revealed alongside the other IGF winners at the GDC awards show on March 19.
The eight winners are:
- Museum of Simulation Technology (Albert Shih – Carnegie Mellon University, Entertainment Technology Center)
- Engare (Mahdi Bahrami & Moslem Rasouli – NHTV University of Applied Science)
- Risk of Rain (Hopoo Games – University of Washington)
- Symmetrain (Philipp Beau & Daniel Goffin – University of Amsterdam/University Kassel)
- Westerado (Ostrich Banditos – HKU)
- Rhythm Doctor (Hafiz Azman & Winston Lee – University of Cambridge)
- Foiled (Unblanched Peanuts – NYU)
- Cyber Heist (Hack n’ Hide – University of Utah)
Most of these games are available to play right now in some form or another. Risk of Rain is even on Steam. All eight will also be playable on the GDC show floor, with team members on hand to answer any questions attendees might have. Take a look at the winners and then head to the IGF website to dive deeper down the rabbit hole of indie gaming’s future.
