The Independent Games Festival (IGF) is an annual event held at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), which is the biggest yearly meeting of independent game developers in the industry. The IGF was first started in 1998 to help support independent game makers and encourage new ideas in game creation by CMP Media, which later became UBM Technology Group. Today, the IGF is owned by Informa after UBM was acquired by the company.

The IGF competition gives out about $28,000 in prizes to independent developers in the Main Competition and Student Competition groups. The event takes place at the same time as the Game Developers Choice Awards.

Competition Structure

In 2026, there are ten award categories:

• Seumas McNally Grand Prize ($10,000)
• Excellence In Visual Art ($2,000)
• Excellence In Audio ($2,000)
• Excellence in Design ($2,000)
• Excellence in Narrative ($2,000)
• Nuovo Award ($2,000)
• Best Student Game ($2,000)
• Audience Award ($2,000)
• WINGS Awards (€2,000)

Before the Festival, game developers can submit their playable games to the IGF organization committee for a small fee. These games are then sent to about 250 to 300 game industry representatives on the Nominating Committee. These representatives include both independent developers and larger game companies. Each member of the committee can choose any of the submitted games to nominate for one or more categories.

For each award category, a group of 7 to 10 members chosen in advance reviews the nominations. They select six finalists (eight for the Nuovo Award) and a number of honorable mentions.

The selected finalists must present their games at the IGF during the Games Developers Conference. The show provides them with a booth space and access to the convention. However, finalists must either pay for their own travel and lodging or name someone else to demonstrate their games.

During the convention, a separate group of people chosen by the IGF organization committee will review each game. Just before the awards, this group will vote for one game in each category. The only exception is the Audience Award, which is decided by online votes from anyone who wants to participate.

IGF competition winners

The years listed below show when the award was given. The games and developers honored received recognition for the year before the award was given.

• 2026: Titanium Court
• 2025: Consume Me
• 2024: Venba
• 2023: Betrayal at Club Low
• 2022: Inscryption
• 2021: Umurangi Generation
• 2020: A Short Hike
• 2019: Return of the Obra Dinn
• 2018: Night in the Woods
• 2017: Quadrilateral Cowboy
• 2016: Her Story
• 2015: Outer Wilds
• 2014: Papers, Please
• 2013: Cart Life
• 2012: Fez
• 2011: Minecraft
• 2010: Monaco
• 2009: Blueberry Garden
• 2008: Crayon Physics Deluxe
• 2007: Aquaria
• 2006: Darwinia
• 2005: (Open Category) Gish and (Web/Downloadable) Wik and the Fable of Souls
• 2004: (Open Category) Savage: The Battle for Newerth and (Web/Downloadable) Oasis
• 2003: Wild Earth
• 2002: Bad Milk
• 2001: Shattered Galaxy
• 2000: Tread Marks
• 1999: Fire and Darkness

Innovative Game Awards:

• 2026: Horses
• 2025: Consume Me
• 2024: Anthology of the Killer
• 2023: Betrayal at Club Low
• 2022: Memory Card
• 2021: Blaseball
• 2020: The Space Between
• 2019: Black Room
• 2018: Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
• 2017: Oiκοςpiel, Book I
• 2016: Cibele
• 2015: Tetrageddon Games
• 2014: Luxuria Superbia
• 2013: Cart Life
• 2012: Storyteller
• 2011: Nidhogg
• 2010: Tuning
• 2009: Between

• 2026: Eclipsium
• 2025: Hauntii
• 2024: Phonopolis
• 2023: RPG Time: The Legend of Wright
• 2022: Papetura
• 2021: Genesis Noir
• 2020: Knights and Bikes
• 2019: Mirror Drop
• 2018: Chuchel
• 2017: Hyper Light Drifter
• 2016: Oxenfree
• 2015: Metamorphabet
• 2014: Gorogoa
• 2013: Kentucky Route Zero
• 2012: Dear Esther
• 2011: BIT.TRIP RUNNER
• 2010: Limbo
• 2009: Machinarium
• 2008: Fez
• 2007: Castle Crashers
• 2006: Darwinia
• 2005: (Open Category) Alien Hominid and (Web/Downloadable) N
• 2004: (Open Category) Savage: The Battle for Newerth and (Web/Downloadable) Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates
• 2003: Pontifex II
• 2002: Kung-Fu Chess
• 2001: Shattered Galaxy
• 2000: The Rift (Far Gate)
• 1999: Fire and Darkness

• 2026: Poco
• 2025: Slot Waste
• 2024: Once Upon a Jester
• 2023: Slider
• 2022: Live Adventure
• 2021: Vessels
• 2020: Bore Dome
• 2019: After Hours
• 2018: Baba Is You
• 2017: Un pas fragile
• 2016: Beglitched
• 2015: Close Your
• 2014: Risk of Rain
• 2013: Zineth
• 2012: Way
• 2011: Fract • Octodad
• 2010: Continuity • Dreamside Maroon • Gear • Igneous
• 2009: Tag: The Power of Paint
• 2008: Synaesthete
• 2007: Toblo
• 2006: Ballistic • Cloud • Colormental • Narbacular Drop • Ocular Ink • Orblitz • Palette • Sea of Chaos • Goliath • NERO
• 2005: Dyadin • Intergalactic Shopping Maniacs • Mutton Mayhem • Rock Station • Scavenger Hunt • Soccer Ref • Squirrel Squabble • Stars and Stripes • Team Robot • War, Siege & Conquest: Battle for Gaia
• 2004: Dark Archon 2 • Fatal Traction • Growbot • Hexvex • Hyperbol • Ice Wars • Kube Kombat • Scrapped • Treefort Wars • Xazzon
• 20

Other awards without prize money

This award is given to games that have special ways to play or interact with users. In 2020, the award was not given because the GDC conference was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

• 2026: Proyecto EXO
• 2025: ChromaCorp
• 2024: Chú Mó
• 2019: Hot Swap
• 2018: Puppet Pandemonium
• 2017: Fear Sphere

• 2019 ID@Xbox Gaming Heroes Award: Jerry Lawson
• 2018 ID@Xbox Award: SpecialEffect
• 2016 ID@Xbox Rising Star Award: Girls Make Games — The Hole Story
• 2012 Microsoft Xbox Live Arcade Award: Super T.I.M.E. Force
• 2011 Direct2Drive Vision Award: Amnesia: The Dark Descent
• 2010 Direct2Drive Vision Award: Max and the Magic Marker
• 2009 Direct2Drive Vision Award: Osmos
• 2008 Gleemie Awards (one $5,000, one $3,000, one $2,000): Desktop Tower Defense, Skyrates, Quadradius
• 2007 GameTap Awards (one $10,000, two $5,000): Everyday Shooter, Blast Miner, Roboblitz
• 2006 Adultswim.com Award ($5,000): Dodge That Anvil
• 2005 Cartoon Network "Project Goldmaster" Award (making a game for Cartoon Network): Digital Builders
• 2004 AOL / Cartoon Network "Project Goldmaster" Award (making a game for Cartoon Network): Flashbang Studios

Former competitions

• 2013: Little Inferno
• 2012: Antichamber
• 2011: Amnesia: The Dark Descent
• 2010: Limbo
• 2009: Cortex Command
• 2008: World of Goo
• 2007: Bang! Howdy
• 2006: Darwinia
• 2005: (Open Category) Alien Hominid and (Web/Downloadable) RocketBowl
• 2004: (Open Category) Savage: The Battle for Newerth and (Web/Downloadable) Yohoho! Puzzle Pirates
• 2003: Reiner Knizia's Samurai
• 2002: Ace Of Angels
• 2001: Shattered Galaxy
• 2000: Tread Marks
• 1999: Terminus

Between 2007 and 2010, a special event named IGF Mobile was held for mobile phone games.

• 2012: Beat Sneak Bandit
• 2011: Helsing's Fire

This category took the place of the separate prizes for Web/Downloadable games awarded in 2004 and 2005.

• 2008: Iron Dukes
• 2007: Samorost 2
• 2006: Dad 'N Me

A special annual video game modding competition was held in 2006 and 2007.

2007 Mod Awards (total prize money: $7,000):
2006 Mod Awards (total prize money: $10,000):