The Game Developers Conference (GDC) has revealed the finalists for 2025's Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards.
Consume Me, from developer Jenny Jaio Hsia leads the pack with five nominations across the excellence in the design, art, and narrative categories, as well as a nomination for the Seumas McNally grand prize. Like last year's Grand Prize winner Venba, Hsia's title is a narrative game and centered on family and cooking.
Behind Consume Me in nomination numbers is the slice-of-life adventure Despelote. Created by Julián Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena, it's also up for the McNally award, along with the Nuovo Award and excellence in audio and narrative.
Fellow McNally nominees include 2024 indie darlings Indika, Caves of Qud, UFO 50, and Thank Goodness You're Here! Select category nominees (and honorable mentions) are listed below, and the full list can be read here.
The 2025 IGF Awards will be held on Wednesday, March 19, and will be part of GDC 2025, which runs from March 16 to March 21.
Seumas McNally Award
Caves of Qud (Freehold Games / Kitfox Games)
Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken "coda" Snyder)
Despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena/Panic)
INDIKA (Odd Meter/11 bit studios)
Thank Goodness You're Here! (Coal Supper/Panic)
UFO 50 (Mossmouth)
Honorable Mentions: Animal Well (Billy Basso/Bigmode), Balatro (LocalThunk/Playstack), Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury), Mouthwashing (Wrong Organ/CRITICAL REFLEX), Nine Sols (RedCandle Games), Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments)
Excellence in Narrative
Caves of Qud (Freehold Games/Kitfox Games)
Closer the Distance (Osmotic Studios/Skybound Games)
Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken "coda" Snyder)
Despelote (Julián Cordero, Sebastian Valbuena/Panic)
INDIKA (Odd Meter / 11 bit studios)
No Case Should Remain Unsolved (Somi)
Honorable Mentions: Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury), Miniatures (Other Tales Interactive), Mouthwashing (Wrong Organ/CRITICAL REFLEX), Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments), Thank Goodness You're Here! (Coal Supper/Panic), The Thaumaturge (Fool's Theory/11 bit studios)
Excellence in Design
Balatro (LocalThunk/Playstack)
Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
Caves of Qud (Freehold Games/Kitfox Games)
Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thomson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P, Ken "coda" Snyder)
Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios/Kepler Interactive)
Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments)
Honorable Mentions: Animal Well (Billy Basso/Bigmode), No Case Should Remain Unsolved (Somi), UFO 50 (Mossmouth), LOK Digital (Letibus Design, Icedrop Games/Draknek and Friends), Eigengrau (Martin Mauersics), The Rise of the Golden Idol (Color Gray Games/Playstack)
Best Student Game
A Dual Ascent (Mountain Toad Entertainment/Rubika Supinfogame)
DisplaceMen (Eversea Club/leafaleaves)
Growth Spurt: A Meandering Intermission into the Afterhours of a Miscalculation (Games for my Computer)
Slot Waste (Vinny Roca/pickpanpuck productions)
The WereCleaner (Howlin' Hugs/USC Games)
Year Unknown (Julian Heuser)
Honorable Mentions: Cards of Heart (GoodMind Games), Duck Paradox (Magic Games/Midwest Games), Lost Garden (Ori Shany, Yoni Pushett, Ramon Zerem), Perfect World (Michael Overton Brown), Timeworks (Starworks Studios)
Game Developer and GDC are sibling organizations under Informa.