Devlog Gold of 2015

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The final results are (somewhat) belated, but it's never too late to highlight the many fantastic and inventive projects on TIGSource. Thanks to the votes of our community, many games were nominated; there were even a few ties in some categories. Without further ado, here are the results for the best devlog and favorite projects of 2015!

Best DevLogs

In fourth place, we have dukope's first person nautical mystery Return of the Obra Dinn. In 1808, the titular vessel has drifted into port after years lost at sea with no crew. As a representative for the East India Company, you must venture onboard and uncover the secrets of the Obra Dinn, told through a gorgeous 1-bit black & white aesthetic and vignettes of the past frozen in time.

In third place, is eigenbom's procedurally generated lunar adventure Moonman. Five years in development, and successfully Kickstarted in early 2015, Moonman revolves around your quest across a sprawling planet to construct a star-machine. Your journey will take you from a varied array of biomes - from thick forests and deep caverns to castles, tombs, and towns. Alien creatures and dangerous foes lurk above and below, waiting to be bested by your moonman's massive arsenal of weapons, loot, and tools.

eigenbom's lovely gifs and regular updates have made Moonman a joy to follow, especially seeing its evolution from the earliest footage to today's otherworldly landscapes.

In second place, is JLJac and jamesprimate's otherworldly survival platformer Rain World. Set in the industrial ruins of a civilization long gone, you play as a slugcat, a lithe intelligent predator and prey in the middle of a living ecosystem. Acrobatic platforming and cautious stealth combines in a game featuring incredibly fluid procedurally-generated animations, dynamic AI that allows for a living world of alien fauna, and a massive interconnected world of varied regions.

With 532 updates and counting, and countless (and always tantalizing) GIFs, Joar and Jame's diligent detailed work never ceases to impress; it'll be both a sad and exciting day when its development comes to a conclusion after Rain World releases later this year.

And in first place, is oldblood's distubring and dark Masochisia. A narrative adventure that delves into haunted psyche of a serial killer, Masochisia tackles the most challenging kind of horror to properly nail: psychological horror, presenting a tale of mental illness, depraved desires, terrifying hallucinations, and oppressive paranoia. Its mature story and graphic unsettling imagery ensures Masochisia will worm its way under your skin and leave a haunting impression.

Oldblood's lengthy and informative updates offered a fascinating look into the transformation from early artwork and ideas into a gripping adventure before and after release. Masochisia is available now on Steam.

Favourite Projects

In third place, there's ironically a three-way tie: SunWuKong's Boss 101, Ishi's Leilani's Island, and Olsen's Somerville.

Boss 101 is all about the thrill of the boss rush, featuring randomly-generated bosses to battle with your satisfying array of weapons, upgrades, and buff-imbuing hats.
Leilani's Island is a charming and colorful platformer that brings to mind classics like Mario and Donkey Kong, with its vibrant characters, polished gameplay, and little touches galore.
Somerville is an episodic sci-fi cinematic platformer, following a famous war hero through his rise and struggles during an alien invasions, presented through gorgeous animations and atmosphere, and a brilliant framing device.

In second place, are teefal's Tidepool and io3 creations' Eastward.

Tidepool is designed with the admirable goal of teaching kids how to code, through easy-to-learn instructions and fun cartoon-y sketches. Perhaps one day, we'll be voting for projects from children who found their way into game development thanks to Tidepool.
Eastward combines Zelda and JRPG influences in a story following a man and his your charge through a stunning pixel art post-apocalyptic world.

And coming in first, and featured for the second time in this year's awards, is Rain World.
Intelligent predators, terrifying creatures, hauntingly overgrown beauty and ruins, agile movement, and incredible animations makes Rain World a community favorite as we all await the next update and GIF from James and Joar

Congratulations to both the winners and nominees, and keep up the fantastic work. And another thank you to all those who voted for the awesome games being worked on by the TIGSource community.