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Event IGF & GDC Awards Show 2024 | March 20th, 2024 6:30 PM PST | But Geoff, we already have an awards show at home

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Welcome to the first ever, and hastily thrown together, Famiboards dot com thread for the annual Independent Game Festival and Game Developers Choice Awards show!

WOT THIS?​

The IGF and GDCA are annual events at the Game Developers Conference which is currently underway in San Francisco, CA and runs until March 22nd this year. While this is typically less public facing than a certain other awards show, it's always presented itself as much more professional and more akin to a combination of the Sundance Film Festival and the Academy Awards (aka "the Oscars"). Both events have been run continuously for 26 and 24 years respectively, making them one of the earliest industry recognitions of talent in the industry.

Fortunately, in recent years, the event has been livestreamed on various platforms which means even if you are not at the conference you can still view the show. I'm not sure if the equally prestigious BAFTA and DICE awards ceremonies are publicly viewable so if anyone knows let me know and maybe we can get a thread for those the next time?

WHEN THIS?​

March 20th, 2024 6:30 PM PST (9:30 PM EST)
Stream the VOD on Twitch:

(You can also watch VOD of previous ceremonies there too!)


And with that preamble out of the way, onto the categories and finalists! Winners are now in bold!



Independent Games Festival​


Best Student Game​

goodbye.monster (Monster Team)
Once Upon a Jester (Bonte Avond / Crunching Koalas)
Pile Up! (Remoob / Catoptric Games, IndieArk)
Planetka (TeTerka)
RAM: Random Access Mayhem (Xylem Studios Inc.)
TRY AGAIN (the Rejects / USC Games, the Rejects)
Honorable Mentions: A Day With Mochi (San Felicete Studio / Rubika Supinfogame), Barkane: The Folds of Calamity (Chase O'Brien & VGDev), Birds Aren't Real: The Game (USC Games), Cyberside Picnic (Michael Luo / Cathode Radiator), Entangled (Fibula Studio), Lime Juice (Benbees), Re:Fresh (Merge Conflict Studio)

Excellence in Audio​

A Highland Song (inkle)
COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
Nour: Play With Your Food (Terrifying Jellyfish / Panic)
Rhythm Doctor (7th Beat Games / 7th Beat Games, indienova)
Tchia (Awaceb / Kepler Interactive)
Venba (Visai Games)
Honorable Mentions: Anthology of the Killer (Thecatamites, Tommy Tone, A. Degen / Thecatamites), El Paso, Elsewhere (Strange Scaffold), Let's! Revolution! (Antfood, BUCK / Hawthorn Games, BUCK), Planet of Lana (Wishfully / Thunderful Publishing), Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical (Summerfall Studios / Humble Games)

Excellence in Design​

Chants of Sennaar (Rundisc / Focus Entertainment)
Cobalt Core (Rocket Rat Games / Brace Yourself Games)
COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
Cryptmaster (Paul Hart & Lee Williams / Akupara Games)
Final Profit: A Shop RPG (Brent Arnold)
Isles of Sea and Sky (Jason Newman / Cicada Games)
Honorable Mentions: 20 Small Mazes (FLEB), Peaks of Yore (Anders Grube Jensen / TraipseWare), Price of Flight (WATERBOX), Timberborn (Mechanistry)

Excellence in Narrative​

1000xRESIST (sunset visitor 斜陽過客 / Fellow Traveller)
A Highland Song (inkle)
Mediterranea Inferno (Lorenzo Redaelli, EYEGUYS / Santa Ragione)
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood (Deconstructeam / Devolver Digital)
The Wreck (The Pixel Hunt)
Venba (Visai Games)
Honorable Mentions: Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP), Saltsea Chronicles (Die Gute Fabrik / Die Gute Fabrik), Slay the Princess (Black Tabby Games), Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical (Summerfall Studios / Humble Games) The Archivist and the Revolution (Autumn Chen)

Excellence in Visual Arts​

Anthology of the Killer (Thecatamites, Tommy Tone, A. Degen / Thecatamites)
Clash: Artifacts of Chaos (ACE Team / Nacon)
Darkest Dungeon II (Red Hook Studios)
Little Goody Two Shoes (AstralShift / Square Enix Collective)
Phonopolis (Amanita Design)
Venba (Visai Games)
Honorable Mentions: 30 Birds (RAM RAM Games, Business Goose / ARTE France), Chants of Sennaar (Rundisc / Focus Entertainment), Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP), NIDUS (Caleb Wood), SLUDGE LIFE 2 (Terri Vellmann, DOSEONE / Devolver Digital)

Nuovo Award​

1000xRESIST (sunset visitor 斜陽過客 / Fellow Traveller)
Anthology of the Killer (Thecatamites, Tommy Tone, A. Degen / Thecatamites)
Cryptmaster (Paul Hart & Lee Williams / Akupara Games)
Kevin (1997-2077) (Kevin Du)
Mediterranea Inferno (Lorenzo Redaelli, EYEGUYS / Santa Ragione)
NIDUS (Caleb Wood)
The Forest Cathedral (Wakefield Interactive, Brian Wilson / Whitethorn Games)
Honorable Mentions: BlueSuburbia (alienmelon), goodbye.monster (Monster Team), In Stars and Time (insertdisc5 / Armor Games Inc.), Nour: Play With Your Food (Terrifying Jellyfish / Panic), The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood (Deconstructeam / Devolver Digital)

Seumas McNally Grand Prize​

1000xRESIST (sunset visitor 斜陽過客 / Fellow Traveller)
A Highland Song (inkle)
Anthology of the Killer (Thecatamites, Tommy Tone, A. Degen / Thecatamites)
COCOON (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
Mediterranea Inferno (Lorenzo Redaelli, EYEGUYS / Santa Ragione)
Venba (Visai Games)
Honorable Mentions: Chants of Sennaar (Rundisc / Focus Entertainment), Final Profit: A Shop RPG (Brent Arnold), Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP), In Stars and Time (insertdisc5 / Armor Games Inc.), Rhythm Doctor (7th Beat Games / 7th Beat Games, indienova), Tchia (Awaceb / Kepler Interactive), The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood (Deconstructeam / Devolver Digital)

alt.ctrl.gdc Award​

Chú Mó by The Chú Mó Team @ ArtCenter

Audience Award​

RAM: Random Access Mayhem (Xylem Studios Inc.)


Game Developers Choice Awards​


Game of the Year​

  • Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
  • Cocoon (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
  • Dave the Diver (Mintrocket)
  • Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17)
  • Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Honorable Mentions: Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games), Diablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment), Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix), Sea of Stars (Sabotage Studio), Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks), Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo)

Best Audio​

  • Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
  • Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
  • Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
  • Venba (Visai Games)
Honorable Mentions: Cocoon (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive), Diablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment), Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix), Hogwarts Legacy (Avalanche Software / Portkey Games), Humanity (tha ltd. and Enhance / Enhance)

Best Debut​

  • Cocoon (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
  • Dave the Diver (Mintrocket)
  • Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17)
  • Venba (Visai Games)
  • Viewfinder (Sad Owl Studios / Thunderful Publishing)
Honorable Mentions: BattleBit Remastered (SgtOkiDoki, Vilaskis, and TheLiquidHorse / SgtOkiDoki), Party Animals (Recreate Games / Source Technology), Pizza Tower (Tour De Pizza), Planet of Lana (Wishfully Studios / Thunderful), Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical (Summerfall Studios / Humble Games)

Best Design​

  • Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
  • Cocoon (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
  • Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17)
  • Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Honorable Mentions: Dave the Diver (Mintrocket), Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Sea of Stars (Sabotage Studio), Street Fighter 6 (Capcom), Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo)

Best Narrative​

  • Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
  • Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
  • Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
  • Venba (Visai Games)
Honorable Mentions: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (CD Projekt), Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17), Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP), Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)

Best Technology​

  • Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
  • Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
  • Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
  • Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Honorable Mentions: Cocoon (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive), Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (CD Projekt), Diablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment), Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix), Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Best Visual Art​

  • Alan Wake II (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)
  • Cocoon (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
  • Final Fantasy XVI (Square Enix)
  • Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
Honorable Mentions: Diablo IV (Blizzard Entertainment), Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17), Lies of P (Neowiz Games and Round8 Studio / Neowiz Games), Sea of Stars (Sabotage Studio), Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo)

Innovation Award​

  • Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
  • Cocoon (Geometric Interactive / Annapurna Interactive)
  • Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)
  • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
  • The Making of Karateka (Digital Eclipse)
Honorable Mentions: Dave the Diver (Mintrocket), Dredge (Black Salt Games / Team17), Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios / Bethesda Softworks), Viewfinder (Sad Owl Studios / Thunderful Publishing)

​

Social Impact Award​

  • A Space for the Unbound (Mojiken Studio / Toge Productions)
  • Assassin's Creed Mirage (Ubisoft Bordeaux / Ubisoft)
  • Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
  • Terra Nil (Free Lives / Devolver Digital)
  • Venba (Visai Games)
Honorable Mentions: Goodbye Volcano High (KO_OP), Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores (Guerrilla Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment), Tchia (Awaceb / Kepler Interactive), Thirsty Suitors (Outerloop Games / Annapurna Interactive)


Updates:
  • Integrated VOD, winners, and recap videos
  • Added missing awards
 
Last edited:
Super amazing OP, thanks for putting it together. This will be very interesting to catch up on.
 
SpaceGodzilla said:
tech is the least surprising actually, what's going under the hood from TOTK is really impressive
Click to expand...
I agree, but seeing how the game has some framerate issues I was not really sure most people will consider all other techs behind it. Creating flying machines in the subworld was one of the most impressive things I have ever done on a video game, so I am glad to see it.
 
Amazing thread, and amazing title for it.

On a more general note, I really hope it will be possible to see GDC conferences.
 
Thanks all for the kind feedback on the OP! I'm going to try and catch some of this live tonight (it's been a while since I last watched the ceremony) but given the time difference I doubt I'll be able to catch the whole proceedings past the IGF awards.

Also, here's some small news bits I remember reading the headlines for but didn't track down until this morning:

This year's IGF Emcee will be Trinidad (Hermida) Black:

Trinidad (Hermida) Black (she/her) is the Executive Director of The Black in Gaming Foundation and the Founder & CEO of The Hermida Company LLC, a consulting firm focused on “Building Equity through Empathy.” She is passionate about expanding technology access to those from traditionally underserved groups. Combining corporate savvy and innovative strategies to impact workplace cultures, Trinidad centers access to generational wealth for underrepresented communities in all industries.

Trinidad believes that “by incorporating everyone’s genius, we can change the game.” Through her empathy practice as a business framework, Trinidad’s work has amplified the voices of historically excluded groups at billion-dollar startups and seasoned corporations. During her tenure as the first Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Niantic, she built the company’s inclusivity strategy, talent diversity programs and aligned a global company under a singular mission: to create systemic change through equitable policy and empathic practice.
Click to expand...

This year's GDCA Emcee will be Alanah Pearce:

Alanah Pearce is a writer and content creator who has been working in video games for 10+ years. She’s currently writing at a AAA games studio, as well as running a successful YouTube channel, several podcasts that focus on game development, and directing the annual Video Game Accessibility Awards.
Click to expand...

In addition, the GDCA previously announced the recipients of two additional awards:

As was previously reported in the RPG thread, this year's Lifetime Achievement award will be presented to legendary composer Yoko Shimomura:

Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Yoko Shimomura is a respected Japanese composer and pianist who has delighted players across the world thanks to her work on many iconic game soundtracks. Yoko began her career at Capcom in 1988 where she worked on the music for titles including Street Fighter II, Final Fight, and The King of Dragons. In 1993, she joined Square (now Square Enix) where she composed the soundtracks for games such as Live A Live, the Kingdom Hearts series, Final Fantasy XV, Super Mario RPG, and Legends of Man.

Yoko later departed from Square Enix and founded her own music production company called Midiplex, where she still works to this day, and she also serves as a member of the music label Brave Wave Productions.
Click to expand...

This year's Ambassador Award will be presented to Fawzi Mesmar. This annual award is "awarded to individuals who elevate video games and the industry as a whole to a better place."

Fawzi Mesmar, recipient of this year’s Ambassador Award, is an award-winning creative director, game designer, author, public speaker, and mentor whose career has spanned over two decades in the games industry. Fawzi’s career has taken him to the Middle East, New Zealand, Japan and Europe, where he worked for several notable game companies such as Ubisoft, EA, King (Activision Blizzard), Gameloft, and Atlus, and he has worked on over 20 tiles and had a hand in developing well-known franchises like Battlefield, Candy Crush, Mario Rabbids, Star Wars, and Persona.

Fawzi is also the author of the first-ever textbook about game design in Arabic: Al-Khallab On The Art of Game Design, and has co-authored nine comic books under the Men of Honour series. In recent years, Fawzi won the Game Dev Heroes award in 2020 within the Game Design category and, in the same year, was named one of the industry's top 100 game changers.
Click to expand...
 
I really freaking loathe that Twitch nuked their Roku app years ago.

No idea why the stream hasn't started yet but the VOD of the musical performance (lead by Austin Wintory!) earlier today is enjoyable at least while waiting...



EDIT: 🤦‍♂️ 5:30 is apparently the pre-show with Extra Lives and isn't being streamed. Ooops!
 
Last edited:
0
Stream is up!



EDIT: And already have a mention of the layoffs and working conditions within the first 10 minutes ❤️
 
Both Yoko Shimomura and Fawzi Mesmar gave great, wholesome speeches. Congrats to all the winners!
 
Video on Demand and Recipients Announced
  • Index
    • VOD is now up!




    The 26th annual Independent Games Festival Awards recipients are:

    Excellence in Visual Art ($2,000)​

    Phonopolis (Amanita Design)​

    Excellence in Audio ($2,000)​

    Rhythm Doctor (7th Beat Games)​

    Excellence in Design ($2,000)​

    Cryptmaster (Paul Hart & Lee Williams)​

    Excellence in Narrative ($2,000)​

    Mediterranea Inferno (EYEGUYS)​

    Nuovo Award ($2,000)​

    Anthology of the Killer (Thecatamites, Tommy Tone, A. Degen)​

    Best Student Game ($2,000)​

    Once Upon a Jester (Bonte Avond)​

    Audience Award ($2,000)​

    RAM: Random Access Mayhem (Xylem Studios)​

    alt.ctrl.gdc Award ($2,000)​

    Chú Mó by The Chú Mó Team @ ArtCenter​

    Seumas McNally Grand Prize ($10,000)​

    Venba (Visai Games)​



    The 24th annual Game Developers Choices Awards recipients are:

    Best Debut​

    Venba (Visai Games)​

    Best Visual Art​

    Alan Wake 2 (Remedy Entertainment / Epic Games)​

    Best Audio​

    Hi-Fi Rush (Tango Gameworks / Bethesda Softworks)​

    Best Narrative​

    Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)​

    Social Impact Award​

    Venba (Visai Games) ​

    Innovation Award​

    The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)​

    Best Technology​

    The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)​

    Best Design​

    Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)​

    Audience Award​

    Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)​

    Game of the Year​

    Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian Studios)​

    Ambassador Award​

    Fawzi Mesmar​

    Lifetime Achievement Award​

    Yoko Shimomura​



    Congrats to the winners and everyone that was nominated! I'll be updating the OP later today or tomorrow with the results and the recording when I have more time.
     
  • Index
    • Updated the OP with the VOD, added a few of the missing awards that weren't in the original finalist lists, and marked the winners of each category.

    Thank you everyone who posted or Yeah'd! this thread. I'll try and do this again next year as I'd like to have a place to celebrate these awards and while I haven't watched the GDCA recording yet, I had a good time watching the IGF for the first time in probably five years. So much creativity on display and the acceptance speeches were great. And no one got shunted off the stage early to make room for crass marketing

    See you all next year!
     
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