Every year, in March, the Independent Games Festival celebrates the best indie games of the past twelve months. It’s one of the only celebrations where smaller games, made by smaller teams, are not overshadowed by hulking blockbusters. And it always serves as both a great reminder of what was released, and a way to highlight some of the excellent things we all might have missed.
So as the nominations for this year’s IGF Awards are announced this year – its 25th year, believe it or not – I thought I’d take the opportunity to recap our coverage of the nominees while rounding them up. The IGF Awards will take place 22nd March at 6.30pm Pacific Time (2.30am UK time, 23rd March), and be streamed on Twitch.
Let’s start with the biggie, then, the Seumas McNally Grand Prize. The nominees are Tunic, Immortality, The Case of the Golden Idol, Neon White, and Not for Broadcast. I’ll discuss them game by game.
Tunic needs little introduction. This Zelda-like delight was awarded an Essential by Eurogamer and came second in our Game of the Year 2022 picks. “This is a game to be savoured,” wrote Christian Donlan in that GOTY piece. “Strange, familiar, intricate and built with love.” Tunic is available on pretty much any platform, if you haven’t already played it.