October 12th, 2012 | By Arsen Nazaryan
Tagged in: Amanita Designs | Armada D6 | botanicula | Davey Wreden | Dyad | Elan Lee | Eric Zimmerman | Gorogoa | Hokra | Indiecade | indiecade 2012 | Interference | Jason Roberts | Jeff Watson | John Sharp | molleindustria | Nathalie Pozzi | Ramiro Corbetta | Reality Ends Here | Renga | RSBLSB | Simon Wiscombe | The Stanley Parable | Unmanned | Vornheim | wallFour | Zak S
Gorogoa by Jason Roberts was the winner for Visual Design.
The west coast’s definitive indie gaming event took place over the last weekend on October 4th through the 7th at IndieCade 2012. Games were played, fun was had, but the aftermath is what’s most exciting, we suppose, for this year’s winners. Personally, it’s my favorite gaming event of the year: you get to chat with developers while playing their games, you can bring your kids or younger siblings to join in on the fun, and you can attend some of the best conferences for budding indie developers. Granted, it’s no Game Developers Conference, but IndieCade holds its own against the booth babes and pretty production values of E3 and other events.
In any case, what IndieCade does best is spotlight the innovators, those who go against the mold and really commit themselves to worthwhile experiences. Call them “art games”, call them “downloadable titles”, or don’t call them anything at all, but here’s your opportunity to see tomorrow’s breakout indie games today. In this year’s list of winners — and lets keep in mind the sublime submissions, nominees, and finalists who didn’t win anything but still proved their capacity to come up with fresh ideas — there are a host of familiar names (like Grand Jury Award winner Molleindustria and Story/World Design winner Amanita) but also a whole load of innovative ideas and idealists. Here goes:
- Grand Jury Award: Unmanned - Molleindustria
- Visuals: Gorogoa - Jason Roberts
- Audio: Dyad - RSBLSB
- Impact: Reality Ends Here - Jeff Watson and Simon Wiscombe, USC Game Innovation Lab
- Interaction: Interference – Nathalie Pozzi and Eric Zimmerman
- Game Design: Armada D6 - Eric Zimmerman and John Sharp
- Technology: Vornheim - Zak S
- Story/ World Design: Botanicula - Amanita Designs
- Special Recognition: The Stanley Parable - Davey Wreden
- The Trailblazers Award: Elan Lee
- Developers Choice Award: Renga - wallFour
- Audience Choice Award: Hokra - Ramiro Corbetta
Congratulations to the exceptional winners and all of those who were involved with this fantastic event!
Some final news that’s worth reading: the first annual IndieCade EAST will be on February 16-17, 2013 in New York City at the Museum of the Moving Image. The event will provide attendees the chance to play the 2012 IndieCade winners and finalists and also give them a chance to watch films about game culture. Developers can participate in the first ever IndieCade East Coast Game Jam which will be hosted by Playstation Mobile. Speeches and conferences are also in the pipeline with notable game designers, journalists and academics. Looks like IndieCade just became twice as awesome!
Find out more about IndieCade and the truly incredible stuff they do for indies on their official website. Stay tuned for some in-depth coverage on IGM.
Arsen Nazaryan (31 posts)
As a long-time gamer and previous contributor to DIYGamer, Arsen is a fan of the indie gaming scene and hopes to find as many gems as possible. He is also a singer-songwriter, fronting the L.A.-based Indigo Child. When not gaming or playing music, Arsen can be found scouring Reddit and worshiping Arsenal Football Club.