Here are all the awesome award-winning indie games from IGF

By Gabe Gurwin Published March 21, 2019

Return of the Obra Dinn - Available Now

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.

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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!

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Sole

Former Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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