The 12th Annual Independent Games Festival

About IGF/IGF Mobile | IGF Contest Overview | Important Dates | Sponsors | Contact

Main Competition Finalists Announced! See all of this year's nominees at IGF.com

IGF Events

About the IGF

Think Services Game Group (producers of Game Developer magazine, Gamasutra.com, and the Game Developers Conference^®) established the Independent Games Festival in 1998 to encourage innovation in game development and to recognize the best independent game developers. Just as the Sundance Film Festival benefits the independent film community, the IGF creates a similar event for independent game developers in addition to the student population of game developers.

Located at the Moscone Center at the Game Developers Conference^®, and open to any members of the public or game professionals who have bought an Expo Pass to the show, the IGF Pavilion showcases every single finalist for that year's Festival in playable form. Members of the development team for each IGF finalist are on hand to discuss and demonstrate the title and talk to top game publishers and distributors attending the show.

The IGF Awards will take place on Thursday evening of the Game Developers Conference^®, with thousands watching the awards presentation before the Game Developer's Choice Awards are presented. In its 12th year, the IGF has given away hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes and major recognition to innovative, independently created video games from all over the world, from early pioneering titles such as Oasis, Alien Hominid, and Gish, through newer stand-outs includingWorld of Goo, Audiosurf, Braid, Everyday Shooter, and Blueberry Garden.

About IGF Mobile

Now in its third year, IGF Mobile, a sister event to the main IGF competition, will feature independently developed handheld games for all mobile devices including cell phones, Apple's iPhone, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, and Windows Mobile devices. More information is available on IGFMobile.com.

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IGF Contest Overview

The Independent Games Festival event features the main IGF Competition itself and the IGF Student Showcase.

IGF Competition

The main IGF Competition will give out eight major awards:

• Seumas McNally Grand Prize ($20,000)
• Excellence In Visual Art ($2,500)
• Excellence In Audio ($2,500)
• Excellence In Design ($2,500)
• Nuovo Award ($2,500)
• Technical Excellence ($2,500)
• Audience Award ($2,500)
• Direct2Drive Award ($10,000)

There are five specifically named finalists for each award. All finalists will be invited to the IGF award ceremony at GDC 2010. The IGF Audience Award will be voted from the finalists in all other categories.

IGF Student Showcase

The IGF's Student Showcase will highlight a total of ten games this year:

• IGF Student Showcase Winner ($500)

In addition there will be a prize for best overall IGF Student Game awarded as part of the IGF Awards, with the finalists comprising all of the Student Showcase winners:

• Best Student Game ($2,500)

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IGF 2010 Important Dates

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Sponsors

Reception Sponsor:

Invest in Canada @ GDC
Whether you are considering business expansion or new North American investment opportunities, Canada should be top of mind as your investment destination of choice. Let Invest in Canada and our global network of professionals show you why Canada is the strategic choice for your next business opportunity. Come visit us at our booth - #2235.

Official Digital Distribution Sponsor:

Direct2Drive (D2D), the leading digital download store, is the official digital distribution partner of the IGF. D2D allows consumers to conveniently purchase, download and play the latest core, independent, and casual PC games directly from the web. Over one million games have been downloaded from Direct2Drive.com since its launch in 2004.

www.direct2drive.com

Gold Sponsor:

Unity Technologies is a 3D game development tool provider, enabling the creation of totally dynamic online content that rivals the newest games on the console market. Based in Copenhagen with an office in San Francisco, CA, Unity provides tools to game developers and creative visualization professionals alike to deliver the best 3D web content. The Unity engine is currently being used by leading game developers, educational institutions and industry visionaries including: Smashing Ideas, Trigger, Freeverse, Shockwave.com, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Flashbang Studios, ThreeMelons and Skyworks Technologies.

www.unity3d.com

Student Showcase Platinum Sponsor:

DigiPen Institute of Technology, located in Redmond,Washington, has been providing highly capable programmers and production artists to the game industry for over 10 years. With a rigorous curriculum endorsed by many industry leading companies, DigiPen graduates have the knowledge and ability to achieve the professional standards expected by employers.

www.digipen.edu

Media Partners:

Gamasutra.com is the largest independent web site devoted to the art and business of making games. Every day, Gamasutra offers new features about game technology and business, offers product and industry news, has a giant job board, hosts game developer resumes, offers a directory of game development contractors, and more. Gamasutra.com has grown from its 1997 launch to over 450,000 members today.

www.gamasutra.com

Game Developer magazine is the only print publication that delivers technical how-to features, industry news, and product reviews to professional game developers. Each month the most renowned and respected developers in the industry explain the technology behind the most successful and innovative games to 85,000 total readers, making this truly the publication "by game developers, for game developers."

www.gdmag.com

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Questions?

If you have further questions, check the IGF FAQ page or contact the IGF Chairman.

For information on IGF sponsorship opportunities, please click here.

IGF 2009

For IGF 2009's winners, click here.

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