Although that whole CES thingymabob is happening, that new Aliens game is a big deal and Valve showed a room of people some boxes, my Twitter feed seems to be mostly concerned with the IGF finalist list, which must mean I’m using Twitter correctly by following people who discuss things pertinent to my interests.
It’s a lovely list, with many excellent games like the soul crushing Papers, Please and baffling Stanley Parable, and one’s I’d never heard of (shamefully) but sound rather splendid, like rhythm-based roguelike Crypt of the NecroDancer. I tend to use the IGF finalist list to assure myself I don’t have crap taste in games while also finding new gems to devour when I have a free moment – which is not very often at all. This year’s does not disappoint.
Seumas McNally Grand Prize:
- DEVICE 6
- Dominique Pamplemousse in “It’s All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!”
- Don’t Starve
- Jazzpunk
- Papers, Please
- The Stanley Parable
Honorable mentions: 868-HACK (Michael Brough); Crypt of the NecroDancer (Brace Yourself Games); Kerbal Space Program (Squad); The Yawhg (Damian Sommer and Emily Carroll); and TowerFall Ascension (Matt Thorson).
Excellence in Visual Art:
- DEVICE 6
- Drei
- Gorogoa
- Perfect Stride
- Samorost3
- The Banner Saga
Honorable mentions: Don’t Starve (Klei Entertainment); Galak-Z (17-BIT); Shelter (Might & Delight); The Swapper (Facepalm Games); and The Yawhg (Damian Sommer and Emily Carroll).
Excellence in Design:
- 868-HACK
- Crypt of the NecroDancer
- Don’t Starve
- Mushroom 11
- Papers, Please
- TowerFall Ascension
Honorable mentions: DEVICE 6 (Simogo); Gorogoa (Jason Roberts); Perfect Stride (Arcane Kids); The Banner Saga (Stoic); and Threes (Asher Vollmer, Greg Wohlwend, and Jimmy Hinson).
Excellence in Audio:
- Crypt of the NecroDancer
- DEVICE 6
- Dominique Pamplemousse in “It’s All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!”
- Samorost3
- The Stanley Parable
- The Yawhg
Honorable mentions: Don’t Starve (Klei Entertainment); Jazzpunk (Necrophone Games); Potatoman Seeks the Troof (Pixeljam); Sokobond (Alan Hazelden, Harry Lee, and Ryan Roth); and The Banner Saga (Stoic).
Excellence in Narrative:
- DEVICE 6
- Dominique Pamplemousse in “It’s All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!”
- Papers, Please
- Paralect
- The Stanley Parable
- The Yawhg
Honorable mentions: Detective Grimoire (SFB Games); Gorogoa (Jason Roberts); Monster Loves You! (Radial Games Corp. & Dejobaan Games, LLC.); Quadrilateral Cowboy (Blendo Games); and Redshirt (The Tiniest Shark).
Nuovo Award:
- Corrypt
- Dominique Pamplemousse in “It’s All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!”
- Extrasolar
- Luxuria Superbia
- Papers, Please
- Perfect Woman
- Save the Date
- SoundSelf
Honorable mentions: 18 Cadence (Aaron A. Reed); DEVICE 6 (Simogo); Elegy for a Dead World (Dejobaan Games with Popcannibal); Shelter (Might & Delight); and SUPERHOT (SUPERHOT team).