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[Alex May]

http://www.igf.com/2010/01/independent_games_festival_201.html

Seumas McNally Grand Prize:
Joe Danger (Hello Games)
Monaco  (Pocketwatch Games)
Rocketbirds: Revolution! (Ratloop Asia)
Trauma (Krystian Majewski)
Super Meat Boy! (Team Meat)

Excellence In Visual Art
Shank (Klei Entertainment)
Owlboy (D-Pad Studios)
Trauma (Krystian Majewski)
Limbo (Playdead)
Rocketbirds: Revolution! (Ratloop Asia)

Excellence In Design
Miegakure (Marc Ten Bosch)
Star Guard (Sparky)
AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! -- A Reckless Disregard For Gravity (Dejobaan Games)
Monaco  (Pocketwatch Games)
Cogs (Lazy 8 Studios)

Excellence In Audio
Super Meat Boy! (Team Meat)
Shatter (Sidhe)
Closure (Closure Team)
Rocketbirds: Revolution! (Ratloop Asia)
Trauma (Krystian Majewski)

Technical Excellence
Closure (Closure Team)
Limbo (Playdead)
Heroes Of Newerth (S2 Games)
Joe Danger (Hello Games)
Vessel (Strange Loop Games)

Nuovo Award
Today I Die (Daniel Benmergui)
A Slow Year (Ian Bogost)
Tuning (Cactus)
Closure (Closure Team)
Enviro-Bear 2000 (Justin Smith)


Congratulations to all the finalists and commiserations to everyone else. There were some fantastic games in the list of entries that were not chosen.

[ChevyRay]

Enviro-Bear YES. Way to go, Justin! Also <3 Cactus, nice job!

[esc]

Joe Danger looks kinda fun.

Played Rocketbirds a while ago, and it's basically flashback/out of this world/another world but in flash, with chickens and some elaborate cinematics, nothing new systems/mechanics wise.

Monaco looks like a fun little roguelike actually, kind of like spelunky, but with 4 player co-op, seems like a winning formula to me!

Trauma I would love to try, it certainly has a unique style about it.

Super Meat Boy, eh, yeah, well, platformer by ed and tommunism.

Otherwise: great to see Miegakure nominated for Design Excellence, again would love to play that.

The actual winners should be known in 2 weeks time, so maybe some of them leak 

[Saint]

Limbo being nominated for the Technical Excellence Award intrigues me. Is there any public information about this game other than the teaser video and the concept art?

[Jimbob]

Some games I'm gutted not to see in here (particularly some of the adventure games I've been following... bah), but yeah, that Trauma looks interesting... and free to play sometime this year which should be good.

Was also surprised to see Rocketbirds in so many categories, I liked it, but I didn't think it was that groundbreaking apart from some very good production values.

Also, yay for Star Guard, boo for no VVVVVV...

[jeb]

Limbo being nominated for the Technical Excellence Award intrigues me. Is there any public information about this game other than the teaser video and the concept art?

The game plays exactly like the trailer. That's quite impressive I must say... especially the part with the rotating world.

[googoogjoob]

I am personally disgusted by the lack of VVVVVV, Windosill, Captain Forever, and Eversion. Especially the first two.

And then probably less-reasonably disgusted by the lack of 78641, Restraining Order, and Tanaka's Friendly Adventure, all of which I like particularly and were entered but probably aren't the sort of games which you'd expect to win anything.

This is the problem with having entries which have been released mixed in with entries which remain unreleased. I feel like the games I know are good have been gypped by games of which I have no knowledge.

[bento_smile]

Congratulations to all the people shortlisted! Everyone else, don't feel too bad, it's a tough competition. 

And then probably less-reasonably disgusted by the lack of 78641, Restraining Order, and Tanaka's Friendly Adventure, all of which I like particularly and were entered but probably aren't the sort of games which you'd expect to win anything.

 

[TheDustin]

VVVVVV should have won. There isn't any justice in the world.  At the very least it should have gotten in for "excellence in design", it's very tightly crafted. Congrats to everybody who made it thus far, though.

Monaco looks like a fun little roguelike actually, kind of like spelunky, but with 4 player co-op, seems like a winning formula to me!

Woah. If your description's accurate I'm in love.

[Farbs]

Gratz to all the finalists, I'll see you at The GDC.

Watch out IGF2011, I'm coming ta getcha!

[Guert]

First of all, big congrats to all the finalists! You guys rock! I'm looking forward to see what happens next. 

I mentioned this elsewhere but I'm slightly dispointed to see only 20 games nominated. 5 games per category is nice but having some game repeated numerous time is a bit too much in my opinion. I mean, not from the point of view of a contestant nor a judge, but from a point of view of someone visiting. 300+ entries and you only get to see like 20 games. The indies boast their ability for originality and variety but during the show, they'll be only a handful of games. Maybe it's room issues? I dunno. Makes me feel as if either A) 286 titles were not that good (which is not the case) or B) The indie world is not that varied after all. 

But hey, it still a good selection and it should be an interesting show. I guess I was expecting something more with a record breaking 306 entries. It's not like there were only a few games to choose from. Maybe next year? I dunno.

[Saint]

The game plays exactly like the trailer. That's quite impressive I must say... especially the part with the rotating world.

 

[Hayden Scott-Baron]

Congratulations to the nominees!

Some really great familiar games in there, and some games I've never heard of too. 

Really sorry not to see VVVVV in the design category.

I too am very disappointed to see only 20 games nominated, it does seem like the lists are filled with the same names.

[bigpants]

Alas, this wasn't enough to ensure "Excellence in Audio".
Congratulations to the nominees all of whom unfortunately look worthy
(just wish the enchanting VVVVVV was in there somewhere).

If you smell something acrid in the air today, do not worry.
It is only my burning, bitter, world destroying jealousy.

And then probably less-reasonably disgusted by the lack of 78641, Restraining Order, and Tanaka's Friendly Adventure,
all of which I like particularly and were entered but probably aren't the sort of games which you'd expect to win anything.

An unsolicited, unpaid shoutout for Restraining Order?
The funniest, least played game of 2009?
Rejected by the holy trinity of IndieCade, Pax and now IGF?
GooGooJoob, you are indeed the walrus.

[aeiowu]

First off, awesome job everyone. Such stiff competition and what a line-up! Great work to all involved and congrats to the nominees! I think the only thing (and I had to dig for something) is what Dock said about number of nominees v. slots.

I think it's a shame when something like Windosill doesn't get in excellence in visual art but plenty of games span multiple categories so they don't have to dole out as many passes. Windosill is fucking mindblowing. MINDBLOWING. I spend hours awake at night wondering how he did it.