The main prize, the Seumas McNally Grand Prize, went to Titanium Court. This as-yet-unreleased surreal strategy game also won the Excellence in Design award.

Baby Steps by Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy and Devolver Digital received five nominations but only won in the "Excellence in Audio" category. The Audience Award went to Wednesdays by Pierre Corbinais, The Pixel Hunt, exaheva, Christophe Galati and Arte France. Horses (Andrea Lucco Borlera, Santa Ragione), the surreal horror game which made waves due to its ban from Steam and the Epic Games Store, won the Nuovo Award.

None of the five nominated studios from Germany, Austria and Switzerland (Playables, Three More Years, Kevin Du, PlayWithFurcifer and Stray Fawn) won an award.

Nominees of the Independet Games Festival Awards 2026

Best Student Game

  • Winner: Poco (Whalefall, Micah Boursier)
  • BubbleBeast DigiDungeon (EchoLane)
  • Kiloton (Jack Morehart)
  • Prší (Herdek)
  • Sip Fisher (Syphon Software)
  • SPRKLS.exe (PesiiDom)

Honorable Mentions: Myth of Lumi (Luminara Games, USC Games), Candellum (ISART DIGITAL), Summit Drive (Luke Kim), Grindset T.V. (Michael Overton Brown)

Excellence in Audio

  • Winner: Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
  • BALL x PIT (Kenny Sun & Friends, Devolver Digital)
  • Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
  • Eclipsium (Housefire, CRITICAL REFLEX)
  • Morsels (Furcula, Annapurna Interactive)
  • Wheel World (Messhof, Annapurna Interactive)

Honorable Mentions: The Drifter (Powerhoof), Angeline Era (Analgesic Productions), Skate Story (Sam Eng, Devolver Digital), Demonschool (Necrosoft Games, Ysbryd Games), Skin Deep (Blendo Games, Annapurna Interactive)

Excellence in Design

  • Winner: Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
  • Angeline Era (Analgesic Productions)
  • Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
  • Öoo (NamaTakahashi, tiny cactus studio, Tsuyomi)
  • Skin Deep (Blendo Games, Annapurna Interactive)
  • Time Flies (Playables, Panic)

Honorable Mentions: Strange Jigsaws (FLEB), Below The Crown (Misfits Attic, Shochiku), Is This Seat Taken? (Poti Poti Studio, Wholesome Games Presents), Henry Halfhead (Lululu Entertainment, popagenda), Type Help (William Rous)

Excellence in Narrative

  • Winner: Perfect Tides: Station to Station (Three Bees)
  • Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
  • Promise Mascot Agency (Kaizen Game Works)
  • Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
  • Type Help (William Rous)
  • Wednesdays (The Pixel Hunt, ARTE France)

Honorable Mentions: Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic), Horses (Andrea Lucco Borlera, Santa Ragione), The Roottrees Are Dead (Evil Trout Inc.), Sorry We’re Closed (à la mode games, Akupara Games)

Excellence in Visual Arts

  • Winner: Eclipsium (Housefire, Critical Reflex)
  • Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
  • Carimara: Beneath the forlorn limbs (Bastinus Rex, Critical Reflex)
  • Loco Motive (Robust Games, Chucklefish)
  • Morsels (Furcula, Annapurna Interactive)
  • Skate Story (Sam Eng, Devolver Digital)

Honorable Mentions: Sol Cesto (Antoine Druaux, Géraud Zucchini, Chariospirale, Goblinz Publishing), Is This Seat Taken? (Poti Poti Studio, Wholesome Games Presents), The Drifter (Powerhoof), Demonschool (Necrosoft Games, Ysbryd Games), Henry Halfhead (Lululu Entertainment, popagenda), PBJ - The Musical (kamibox)

Nuovo Award

  • Winner: Horses (Andrea Lucco Borlera, Santa Ragione)
  • Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
  • Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
  • Mini Mini Golf Golf (Three More Years)
  • Plum Road Tea Dream (Reveal Game Studio)
  • Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller))
  • kevin’s PLAYING in berlin (Kevin Du)
  • Wednesdays (The Pixel Hunt, ARTE France)

Honorable Mentions: The End of Gameplay (droqen), No Players Online (Beeswax Games, Black Lantern Collective), The House Dreams Along With Them (Jeffrey Nordin), Type Help (William Rous), _ΩMEGA_POINT (cathroon), Dreamcore (Montraluz, Tlön Industries), Threshold (Julien Eveillé, Critical Reflex)

WINGS Award

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

Seumas McNally Grand Prize

  • Winner: Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
  • Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
  • Angeline Era (Analgesic Productions)
  • Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
  • Horses (Andrea Lucco Borlera, Santa Ragione)
  • Perfect Tides: Station to Station (Three Bees)

Honorable Mentions: Eclipsium (Housefire, Critical Reflex), Time Flies (Playables, Panic), Skate Story (Sam Eng, Devolver Digital), Skin Deep (Blendo Games, Annapurna Interactive), BALL X PIT (Kenny Sun & Friends, Devolver Digital), Demonschool (Necrosoft Games, Ysbryd Games), The Drifter (Powerhoof)

Audience Award

  • Winner: Wednesdays (The Pixel Hunt, ARTE France)

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Written by

Marcel Kleffmann
Marcel Kleffmann
Marcel Kleffmann is Chief of Content of GamesMarket and our B2B and B2C expert for hardware, market data, products and launch numbers with more than two decades of editorial experience. (marcelDOTkleffmannATgamesmarktDOTde)