The Independent Games Festival held its award ceremony on March 20, giving honors to some of the best video games of 2018. The winners not only proved they had what it took to stand out from other independent games, but also the very biggest AAA games released last year.
Lucas Pope’s gorgeous Return of the Obra Dinn took home the top prize. The 3D game used a unique pencil-point-like design is unlike anything we’ve seen before, and builds on the strong setting and storytelling approach that Pope brought to Papers, Please.
Though it was not nominated for any awards, the hit VR game Beat Saber received honorable mention in three separate categories. It has sold over 1 million copies to date, and recently received a DLC pack that adds even more content. If the game isn’t on your headset of choice yet, it probably will be within the next few months.
Perhaps the most bizarre inclusion was in the “Excellence in Narrative” category. Lucas Pope once again took home the top prize, but also nominated was Genital Jousting. If you’re interested in picking it up right now, it’s available on Steam at a nice 69-percent discount.
Here are all the nominees and winners from the event. Winners are presented in bold and you can find a full list of the people and studios responsible at the official IGF website.
Seamus McNally Grand Prize
Return of the Obra Dinn
Do Not Feed the Monkeys
Hynospace Outlaw
Minit
Noita
Opus Magnum
Excellence in Visual Art
Mirror Drop
Alto’s Odyssey
Forgotten Anne
Hynospace Outlaw
Just Shapes & Beats
Return of the Obra Dinn
Excellence in Audio
Paratopic
Alto’s Odyssey
ETHEREAL
Hynpospace Outlaw
Moss
Return of the Obra Dinn
Excellence in Design
Opus Magnum
Dicey Dungeons
Do Not Feed the Monkeys
Noita
Return of the Obra Dinn
Excellence in Narrative
Return of the Obra Dinn
Genital Jousting
Seers Isle
Unavowed
Wandersong
Watch Me Jump
Nuovo Award (previously Innovation Award)
Black Room
Circle0
Do Not Feed the Monkeys
eCheese Zone
Mirror Drop
Noita
Nth Dimensional Hiking
Paratopic
Best Student Game
after HOURS
En Garde!
Grace Bruxner Presents: The Haunted Island, a Frog Detective Game
It’s Paper Guy!
levedad
Sole
