Innovative Ideas Rule IGF Awards, While Nintendo Leaves A Big Impression At GDC Awards

During the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, the game development community got together to recognize indie and AAA games across the Independent Games Festival and Game Developers Choice Awards. The indie awards this year focused on a number of smaller and innovative titles with a mix of fan favorites, while the Choice Awards focused heavily on major titles like Zelda and Horizon.

Rami Ismail was given the Ambassador award for his achievements in outreach and mentorship and Tim Schafer, who broke his award on stage accidentally, was given the Lifetime Achievement award.

IGF Awards

Best Student Game  
Baba Is You

Excellence in Visual Art
Chuchel

Excellence in Audio
Uurnog Uurnlimited

Excellence in Design
Babe Is You

Nuovo Award
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy

Excellence in Narrative
Night in the Woods

Audience Award
Celeste

Seumas McNally Grand Prize 
Night in the Woods

Game Developers Choice Awards

Best Debut
Cuphead

Best Mobile Game
Gorogoa

Best Narrative
What Remains of Edith Finch

Best Technology 
Horizon Zero Dawn

Best Audio 
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Best Visual Art
Cuphead

Best Design 
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Best VR/AR Game
Superhot VR

Audience Award
Nier: Automata

Innovation Awards 
Gorogoa

Game of the Year 
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild