2026 Independent Games Festival Award Nominees Announced

Recognizing, showcasing, and celebrating independent games and their creators, the team behind the GDC Festival of Gaming has revealed the finalists of the 28th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) awards ceremony.

Step on up! It’s time to unveil the 2026 Independent Games Festival Awards—with a quirky walking simulator sauntering to the front of the line.

Check out the GDC blog for all the info on the 28th annual IGF Awards nominationshttps://t.co/lYXk14GmTv #IGF2026

— GDC Festival of Gaming (@Official_GDC) January 9, 2026

Set to be held at the GDC Festival of Gaming on Wednesday, March 11 at 6:30pm PT, this year’s nominees were chosen from a list of almost 800 entries. Finalists were chosen after playing, discussing, and meticulously evaluating each considered entry.

Featuring titles like Baby Steps, Blippo+, BALL x PIT, and Wheel World, one can learn more via Beth Elderkin’s official post.

Fans can also submit their vote for the IGF Audience Award from January 12 to January 25 – learn more via its official website.

In addition, WINGS Interactive has announced the nominees for the WINGS Award, which highlights outstanding games from women and other gender-marginalized developers:

Ambrosia Sky (Soft Rains)

Backpack Battles (PlayWithFurcifer, IndieArk)

The Wandering Village (Stray Fawn Studio, Stray Fawn Publishing, Whisper Games)

Yes, Your Grace 2: Snowfall (Brave at Night)

13Z: The Zodiac Trials (Mixed Realms Pte Ltd)

Both ceremonies will be streamed live via the official GDC Festival of Gaming Twitch channel.

GDC Festival of Gaming will happen at San Francisco’s Moscone Convention Center from March 9 to March 13 – one can register for the event via its official website

How do you create environments that intuitively guide players while supporting narrative and reinforcing core mechanics? The answer lies in understanding player psychology and visual communication.

At GDC Festival of Gaming 2026, dive deep into The Outer Worlds 2’s approach to… pic.twitter.com/NGckNI3MvY

— GDC Festival of Gaming (@Official_GDC) January 8, 2026

One can also stay connected around the GDC Festival of Gaming via its official Facebook,Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky social media channels.

Source: Press Release

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