2008 Independent Games Festival Announces Finalists

Author: by Staff

The IGF organizers have announced the Main Competition finalists for the 2007 Independent Games Festival, from a field of 173 entries, with nominations led by titles including 2D Boy's physics construction game World of Goo and Invisible Handlebar's music-adapting puzzle racer Audiosurf. The Independent Games Festival website now includes a full list of finalists, including screenshots and links to videos and demonstration versions where available. As well as World Of Goo and Audiosurf, which were both nominated for three prizes, including the $20,000 Seumas McNally Grand Prize category, other multiple nominees included 2D/3D platform title Fez, physics-heavy steampunk flying combat title Hammerfall, and Guitar Hero controller-using action game Fret Nice. Other notable nominees for 2008 prizes include stylish 2D pixel action title Noitu Love 2: Devolution, design-nominated bird-watching casual title Snapshot Adventures: Secret Of Bird Island, and evocative art-game The Path. The full list of finalists for the IGF Main Competition, all of whom will be showing their games at the IGF Pavilion during Game Developers Conference in February 2008, are as follows: Seumas McNally Grand Prize: * Audiosurf * Crayon Physics Deluxe * Hammerfall * Noitu Love 2: Devolution * World of Goo Best Web Browser Game: * Globulos.com * Iron Dukes * Tri-Achnid Design Innovation Award: * Battleships Forever * Fez * Fret Nice * Snapshot Adventures: Secret Of Bird Island * World Of Goo Excellence in Visual Art: * Clean Asia! * Fez * Hammerfall * Synaesthete * The Path Excellence in Audio: * Cinnamon Beats * Fret Nice * Audiosurf * Clean Asia! * OokiBloks Technical Excellence: * World of Goo * Audiosurf * Goo! * Axiom: Overdrive * Gumboy Tournament In addition, an initial set of sponsors for the 2008 Independent Games Festival Festival have been announced, with Gleemax.com revealed as the Platinum Sponsor this year, alongside Sony and Microsoft as Silver Sponsors and DigiPen as Platinum Student Showcase Sponsor. The winners of each of these categories, including an Audience Award for which every finalist is eligible, will be announced at the IGF Awards ceremony on the evening of Wednesday, February 20th 2008 at Game Developers Conference, when nearly $50,000 in cash prizes will be given away.