IGF Award Winners Announced @ Gaming Target

Written by Jason Cisarano on February 25, 2008

News: They do it all for the love of the game... and the glory

At a show featuring several exclusive videos by Mega64, the Independent Games Festival handed out a bevy of awards to some of the best independently-made games of 2007. In total, the IGF gave away $50,000 in prizes to the winners, not to mention a herd of sharp-looking statues. If you didn't make it to San Francisco, the show is set to air on G4 in the next few weeks.

And the winners are:

Best Student Game: Synaesthete, by DigiPen Institute of Technology
Technical Excellence: World of Goo, by 2D Boy
Excellence in Visual Art: Fez, by Kokoromi
Design Innovation Award: World of Goo, by 2D Boy
Excellence in Audio: Audiosurf, by Invisible Handlebar
Best Web Browser Game: Iron Dukes, by One Ton Ghost
Audience Award: Audiosurf, by Invisible Handlebar
Seamus McNally Grand Prize: Crayon Physics Deluxe, by Kloonigames

All of the awards included a $2,500 cash prize, except the Grand Prize, which earned the winner a full $20,000 prize. Check out the IGF awards page for a look at the winners and all the entries. Some include playable demos, so have fun.

During the same ceremoy, gaming giant Wizards of the Coast lumbered onto the independent gaming scene with their newly-created УGleemieФ award. They recognized three games with cash prizes and an opportunity to join Gleemax, Wizards' new digital distribution system.

Third Place: Quadradius, by Quadradius ($2,000 prize)
Second Place: Skyrates, by Team Skyrates ($3,000 prize)
First Place: Desktop Tower Defense, by Hand Drawn Games ($5, 000 prize)

The IGF calls itself the УSundance for independent game developersФ and showcases the work of developers outside the mainstream. Every year at the Independent Games Summit, independent developers get the chance to meet one another to share ideas and gripes during a few days of lectures and get-togethers. The IGF is run by the CMP Group, which also publishes Game Developer Magazine and Gamasutra.com, two pieces of required reading for any game developer. This was the 10th IGF event.