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 Organizers of the 2014 Game Developers Conference are announcing a partnership with the Indie Giving charity effort for the second year running, donating 30 GDC Indie Games Summit tickets to the 2014 Indie Giving event.
As part of the agreement with Indie Giving, which is run by FGL head and indie community veteran Chris Hughes, generous indie game makers will get an exclusive opportunity to buy the now sold-out IGS pass.
By doing so they agree to volunteer on an onsite project just before GDC 2014, with 100 percent of their Indie Giving package price going directly to the Hands On Bay Area nonprofit and its partners.
Everyone who signs up for the Indie Giving package will come together on the Sunday before GDC 2014, March 16th, to work together on a humanitarian service project in the Bay Area.
Indie Giving package buyers will also have a chance to attend the Independent Games Summit on Monday, March 17th and Tuesday, March 18th at GDC 2014 - the only way you can get this sold-out pass at this point.
By contributing, indies will collectively be contributing over $10,000 to the Hands On Bay Area nonprofit and its partners. Those who pitch in and buy an Indie Giving Package get transportation and lunch on the Sunday volunteering day, plus other perks to come.
A limited amount of Indie Giving packages are now available via the organization's official website - and Game Developers Conference itself takes place in the Moscone Center in San Francisco from Monday, March 17th to Friday, March 21th, with more information available on the official GDC website.
Gamasutra, GDC and IGF are sibling organizations under parent UBM Tech.
 Gamasutra's Alex Wawro highlights more top-tier games that were nominated by jurors for this year's IGF, but didn't achieve the critical mass of votes necessary to be named a finalist.
In the wake of the IGF 2014 Main Competition finalists announcement, we've been working to shed some light on the selection process and highlight some of the games that didn't garner enough critical mass to be nominated as a finalist.
Here's how it works: the main IGF competition has a diverse panel of judges that includes representatives from the mainstream game industry, previous IGF winners and finalists, other independent game developers, and a smattering of indie-friendly game journalists.
In addition, every IGF award has its own jury staffed by experts in the contexts and disciplines that define the award. The main IGF jury recommend individual titles to these award-specific juries, who then cast votes on which games should be nominated to compete for the award.
Those well-deserved nominations shine a spotlight on a select number of IGF entrants, but there are so many great games competing for a spot on the field -- over 650 were submitted to the IGF this year -- that plenty of good entries garner meaningful praise from judges but don't reach the critical mass of votes to become a finalist.
With that in mind, we'd like to take time to highlight some IGF 2014 entrants that received at least one vote of nomination for the Best In Narrative award, but fell just short of making it to the list of finalists and honorable mentions. While they may not have made it past that round of voting, each of these games earned praise from one or more members of the IGF Narrative Jury for excellence in narrative design.
Actual Sunlight
Will O'Neill's Actual Sunlight is a short interactive story about "love, depression and the corporation." The text is well-written, plentiful, and laced with dark humor so sharp you could hurt yourself if you aren't careful. O'Neill's writing conveys the perspective of someone suffering deep depression so effectively that the game includes a sort of trigger warning for players with similar thoughts, and at least one IGF judge felt it was compelling enough to merit a nod for narrative excellence.
Kingdom of Loathing
The Kingdom of Loathing is a satirical web-based multiplayer RPG with stick-figure artwork and approximately a million lines of writing. Initially created in 2003, it has been in public open beta for over ten years.
In that time the game has been regularly praised for its comedic, surreal writing, so it's not surprising that at least one IGF judge voted for it to be considered for a Best In Narrative nomination.
Depression Quest
Depression Quest is an interactive fiction game that asks you navigate daily life through the lens of someone living with depression. You are confronted with a series of everyday challenges and have to attempt to manage your illness, relationships, job, and possible treatment.
The game uses narrative choices -- or the lack thereof -- to attempt to help players understand what depression can feel like, striking out potential responses to challenges based on how the player manages the illness. IGF judges praised the game for evincing the power of depression through the denial of player agency, citing its ability to evoke strong emotional reactions with colored text as evidence of narrative excellence.
Rogue Legacy
Rogue Legacy is a vibrant 2D roguelike that twists genealogy into a gameplay mechanic -- each time you die, you choose a randomly-generated heir to succeed you and inherit whatever you managed to gather in your previous life. Every heir is unique: one might be a giant, the next one might be colorblind.
Many IGF judges spoke highly of the game's innovative twist on a well-trod genre, and though Rogue Legacy fell just short of the critical mass of votes to quality for a Best In Narrative nod, its novel bloodline system transforms death into a tool for player agency and emergent narrative, rather than simply punishment.
Cave! Cave! Deus Videt
An interactive adventure inspired by the work of 16th century Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch, Cave! Cave! Deus Videt was built by Italian indie studio We Are Muesli using Ren'py, a visual novel development environment.
IGF 2014 judges played through Episode 0 of Cave! Cave! Deus Videt, which relates the story of a young visitor at the National Museum of Lisbon in Portugal who gets drawn into a mystery that revolves around a triptych painted by the afore-mentioned Dutchman. The game, which won the Bosch Art Game international competition in 2013, earned praise from IGF judges for its fantastic atmosphere and art design. Though Cave! Cave! stumbled a bit when it came to the practical execution of its narrative, the strength of the game's mystery earned it a nod from the IGF Narrative jury.
Other notable jury picks in the Narrative category include The Banner Saga, Don't Starve, Save the Date, and Perfect Woman. These games didn't make it into the final round of Narrative nominations and honorable mentions, but were nominated in other categories. More details on these games and other excellent entrants can be found on the IGF 2014 website.
 The Independent Games Festival has announced the eight Student Showcase winners for the 16th annual presentation of its prestigious awards, celebrating the brightest and most innovative creations to come out of universities and games programs from around the world in the past year.
This year's showcase of top student talent include the open-world cowboy whodunit Westerado from Dutch student developers Ostrich Banditos, the forced perspective puzzle game Museum of Simulation Technology from a student at Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center, and strikingly topical co-op hacker game Cyber Heist, a game from students at the University of Utah which challenges a devious Thief/Hacker duo to work together and take down the U.S. Department of Education in 2114, eliminating student debt forever.
In total, this year's Student Competition took in nearly 350 game entries across all platforms -- PC, console and mobile -- from a wide diversity of the world's most prestigious universities and games programs, making the Student IGF one of the world's largest showcases of student talent.
All Student Showcase winners' games announced today will be playable on the Expo show floor at the 28th Game Developers Conference, to be held in San Francisco starting March 17th, 2014. Each team will receive a $1,000 prize and two All-Access passes to the show, plus five Expo Passes, for being selected into the Showcase. All Showcase teams are also finalists for an additional $2,000 prize for Best Student Game, to be revealed during the Independent Games Festival Awards on March 19th.
The full list of Student Showcase winners for the 2014 Independent Games Festival, along with 'honorable mentions' to those top-quality games that didn't quite make it to finalist status, are as follows:
Museum of Simulation Technology (Albert Shih - Carnegie Mellon University, Entertainment Technology Center)
Engare (Mahdi Bahrami & Moslem Rasouli - NHTV University of Applied Science)
Risk of Rain (Hopoo Games - University of Washington)
Symmetrain (Philipp Beau & Daniel Goffin - University of Amsterdam / University Kassel)
Westerado (Ostrich Banditos - HKU)
Rhythm Doctor (Hafiz Azman & Winston Lee - University of Cambridge)
Foiled (Unblanched Peanuts - NYU)
Cyber Heist (Hack n' Hide - University of Utah)
Honorable mentions: Ladylike (Nina Freeman, Emmett Butler, David Coss & Winnie Song - NYU, NYU Poly); UN EP (Ian Snyder - Kansas City Art Institute); Rabbit Rush (Caterpillar Lane - RMIT); Flying Fish (The Grey Room - The Academy of Interactive Entertainment); and Bokida (Rice Cooker Republic - Institut de Creation et d'Animation Numeriques).
This year's Student IGF entries were distributed to an opt-in subset of the main competition judging body, consisting of more than 375 leading independent and mainstream developers, academics and journalists.
Now in its 12th year as a part of the larger Independent Games Festival, the Student Showcase highlights up-and-coming talent from worldwide university programs, and has served as the venue which first premiered numerous now-widely-recognized names including DigiPen's Narbacular Drop and Tag: The Power of Paint, which evolved into Valve's award-winning titles Portal and Portal 2.
Other notable Student Showcase alums include USC/Giant Sparrow's Unfinished Swan, later released by Sony Computer Entertainment as an award-winning title for PlayStation Network; Hogeschool van de Kunsten's The Blob (later becoming THQ's De Blob); and early USC/ThatGameCompany title Cloud, from the studio that would go on to develop critical darlings like Flow, Flower, and Journey.
For more information on the Independent Games Festival, for which Main Competition finalists were also just announced, please visit the official IGF website -- and for those interested in registering for GDC 2014, which includes the Independent Games Summit, the IGF Pavilion and the IGF Awards Ceremony, please visit the Game Developers Conference website.
Gamasutra and IGF are sibling organizations under parent UBM Tech
Gamasutra's Alex Wawro highlights more top-tier games that were nominated by jurors for this year's IGF, but didn't achieve the critical mass of votes necessary to be named a finalist.
Now that the IGF 2014 Main Competition finalists have been announced, let's talk a bit more about the selection process.
The main IGF competition has a diverse panel of judges that includes representatives from the mainstream game industry, previous IGF winners and finalists, other independent game developers, and a smattering of indie-friendly game journalists.
In addition, every IGF award has its own jury staffed by experts in the contexts and disciplines that define the award. The main IGF jury recommend individual titles to these award-specific juries, who then cast votes on which games should be nominated to compete for the award.
Those well-deserved nominations shine a spotlight on a select number of IGF entrants, but there are so many great games competing for a spot on the field -- over 650 were submitted to the IGF this year -- that plenty of good entries garner meaningful praise from judges but don't reach the critical mass of votes to become a finalist.
With that in mind, we'd like to take time to highlight some IGF 2014 entrants that received at least one vote of nomination for the Best In Audio award, but fell just short of making it to the list of finalists and honorable mentions. While they may not have made it past that round of voting, each of these games earned praise from one or more members of the IGF Audio Jury for excellence in aural design.
The Swapper
Facepalm Games' sci-fi puzzle platformer is underscored by a pretty sparse soundtrack, but the haunting original tracks that do rise and fall out of the game's ambient soundscape help reinforce the themes of mystery and isolation that permeate The Swapper. It's clear that composer Carlo Castellano took special pains to compose music that mixes seamlessly with the sound effects that accompany players through the game, creating an immersive blend that made The Swapper a contender for a Best In Audio nomination.
Sokobond
It's hard to imagine feeling the same way about Sokobond if you switch the music off. This charmingly minimalist puzzler -- developed by Harry Lee and Alan Hazelden -- leans heavily on its aural components to add emotional flavor into an otherwise straightforward game about solving puzzles through chemistry. Ryan Roth's excellent soundtrack and evocative sound design are top-notch, encouraging players to feel something more complex than just triumph or frustration when they succeed or fail at solving a given challenge.
Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs
Critics praised Amnesia: A Machine For Pigs' sound design when the game was released earlier this year, and for good reason -- the rattling cages, giggling children and post-classical soundtrack go a long way towards cultivating the atmosphere of creeping dread and revulsion that characterize Amnesia games. Multiple members of developer thechineseroom -- including sound designer Samuel Justice and composer/studio co-director Jessica Curry -- collaborated on the game's audio design and soundtrack, to great effect.
Potatoman Seeks the Troof
Garnering praise for a chiptune soundtrack in the contemporary indie game space is no mean feat, but Potatoman Seeks the Troof's retro-inspired sound design charmed at least one IGF judge into highlighting the game for aural excellence. Both Pixeljam Games composer Mark DeNardo and sound designer John Davies deserve recognition for creating a whimsical, crisp soundscape that nicely complements Potatoman's quixotic gameplay.
Thumper
Thumper is a rhythm/racing game starring a chrome space beetle, and the soundtrack reinforces that stellar concept with a lot of pounding bass-heavy techno and electronica. Given that developer Drool was founded by ex-Harmonic developers Marc Flury and Brian Gibson, it's no surprise that Thumper's soundtrack proved excellent enough to warrant a vote from an IGF judge for a Best in Audio nomination.
Risk of Rain
The soundtrack that accompanies Hopoo Games' Risk of Rain often sounds like a cross between the scores for Streets of Rage and Blade Runner, making it an ideal complement to the roguelike action platformer's stylishly ramshackle sci-fi setting. Composer Chris Christodoulou claims to have drawn inspiration from the game's weather effects and color palette while scoring Risk of Rain, which may be why IGF judges found it so compelling.
Chroma
Chroma is a game about swapping between light and dark forms, but the transition between the two is accompanied by clarion tones that reinforce the feeling that you're slipping back and forth between worlds. James Dean's sound design and sparse, atmospheric soundtrack help immerse you in a world that's meant to be mysterious, earning the game a nod from one IGF judge for stand-out audio design.
Other notable jury picks in the Audio category include The Banner Saga, Jazz Punk, Don't Starve, SoundSelf, Luxuria Superbia, and Papers, Please. These games didn't make it into the final round of Best Audio nominations and honorable mentions, but were nominated in other categories. More details on these games and other excellent entrants can be found on the IGF 2014 website.
 The Independent Games Festival (IGF) juries have announced the Main Competition finalists for its prestigious 16th annual awards, honoring the most influential and outstanding development in independent video games. The IGF has nominated over 30 extraordinary game titles released in the past year.
Candidates for the 2014 IGF Awards were distributed to nearly 375 elite judges for evaluation. Expert juries specializing in distinct disciplines for each category then selected the IGF finalists following playthroughs and recommendations from the more than 650 IGF entrants. The numbers of entries have increased significantly from previous years, and are a testament to the growing popularity and importance of the IGF.
This year's finalists are led by various standout titles nominated for multiple awards including Simogo's hybrid audio/visual/textual mobile game DEVICE 6, Lucas Pope's darkly humorous cold war immigration station simulation game Papers, Please, and hand-crafted stop-motion musical detective game Dominique Pamplemousse in "It's All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!", from creator Deirdra Kiai.
Multiple juries also recognized games including The Yawhg, a richly illustrated multiplayer choose-your-own-adventure experience from Damian Sommer and artist Emily Carroll, and Galactic Cafe's self-aware meta-adventure The Stanley Parable, while the Nuovo jury honored 'abstract... and unconventional game development' with a unique selection of games including Peter Lu and Lea Schonfelder's Kinect-enhanced life-sim Perfect Woman.
The IGF Awards will take place the evening of Wednesday, March 19th at the San Francisco Moscone Convention Center. The IGF Awards will precede the Game Developers Choice Awards, which recognizes the best games of the year across all sections of video game development. Winners of the IGF Awards will also receive nearly $60,000 of prizes in various categories, including the $30,000 Seumas McNally Grand Prize.
The full list of finalists in each category for the 2014 Independent Games Festival, with jury-picked "honorable mentions," is as follows:
Excellence In Visual Art
DEVICE 6 (Simogo)
Gorogoa (Jason Roberts)
The Banner Saga (Stoic)
Perfect Stride (Arcane Kids)
Samorost3 (Amanita Design)
Drei (Etter)
Honorable mentions: Shelter (Might & Delight); Galak-Z (17-BIT); The Swapper (Facepalm Games); The Yawhg (Damian Sommer & Emily Carroll); Don't Starve (Klei Entertainment)
Excellence In Narrative
The Yawhg (Damian Sommer & Emily Carroll)
Paralect (Paralect Team)
DEVICE 6 (Simogo)
Dominique Pamplemousse in "It's All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!" (Deirdra Kiai Productions)
The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe)
Papers, Please (Lucas Pope)
Honorable mentions: Quadrilateral Cowboy (Blendo Games); Gorogoa (Jason Roberts); Redshirt (The Tiniest Shark); Detective Grimoire (SFB Games); Monster Loves You (Radial Games Corp. & Dejobaan Games, LLC.)
Excellence In Design
TowerFall Ascension (Matt Thorson)
868-HACK (Michael Brough)
Mushroom 11 (Untame)
Papers, Please (Lucas Pope)
Don't Starve (Klei Entertainment)
Crypt of the NecroDancer (Brace Yourself Games)
Honorable mentions: The Banner Saga (Stoic); Perfect Stride (Arcane Kids); Threes (Asher Vollmer, Greg Wohlwend & Jimmy Hinson); DEVICE 6 (Simogo); Gorogoa (Jason Roberts)
Excellence In Audio
Samorost3 (Amanita Design)
Dominique Pamplemousse in "It's All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!" (Deirdra Kiai Productions)
The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe)
Crypt of the NecroDancer (Brace Yourself Games)
DEVICE 6 (Simogo)
The Yawhg (Damian Sommer & Emily Carroll)
Honorable mentions: Sokobond (Alan Hazelden, Harry Lee & Ryan Roth); The Banner Saga (Stoic); Potatoman Seeks the Troof (Pixeljam); Jazzpunk (Necrophone Games); Don't Starve (Klei Entertainment)
Nuovo Award
Dominique Pamplemousse in "It's All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!" (Deirdra Kiai Productions)
Luxuria Superbia (Tale of Tales)
Extrasolar (Lazy 8 Studios)
Perfect Woman (Peter Lu and Lea Schonfelder)
SoundSelf (Robin Arnott)
Papers, Please (Lucas Pope)
Save the Date (Paper Dino Software)
Corrypt (Michael Brough)
Honorable mentions: Shelter (Might & Delight); DEVICE 6 (Simogo); Elegy for a Dead World (Dejobaan Games with Popcannibal); SUPERHOT (SUPERHOT Team); 18 Cadence (Aaron A. Reed)
Seumas McNally Grand Prize
The Stanley Parable (Galactic Cafe)
Don't Starve (Klei Entertainment)
Jazzpunk (Necrophone Games)
Papers, Please (Lucas Pope)
DEVICE 6 (Simogo)
Dominique Pamplemousse in "It's All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!" (Deirdra Kiai Productions)
Honorable mentions: Crypt of the NecroDancer (Brace Yourself Games); TowerFall Ascension (Matt Thorson); Kerbal Space Program (Squad); 868-HACK (Michael Brough); The Yawhg (Damian Sommer & Emily Carroll)
All finalist games will be playable at the IGF Pavilion on the Game Developers Conference 2014 Expo floor from March 19-21, 2014, at San Francisco's Moscone Center, as part of a week of independent game-related content that also includes the Independent Games Summit (March 17th-18th), and the IGF Awards ceremony.
Once again, all IGF Main Competition finalists will also receive the opportunity to accept a distribution agreement for Valve's Steam, a leading platform for distribution in today's thriving independent gaming market.
Voting for the IGF Audience Award winner from all Main Competition finalists will begin on February 18th. Additionally, IGF Student Showcase award winners, competing for the Best Student Game award at the Festival, will be announced in mid-January.
The Independent Games Festival was established by UBM Tech's Game Network to encourage the rise and development of independent games and serve as a launch pad to celebrate the best independent game titles. Notable finalists and winners since its 1999 debut have included precedent-setting games such as Braid, World of Goo, Super Meat Boy, Minecraft, FTL: Faster Than Light, and Cart Life among others.
For more information on the Independent Games Festival, please visit the official IGF website at www.igf.com. For those interested in registering for GDC 2014, which includes the Independent Games Summit, the IGF Pavilion and the IGF Awards Ceremony, please visit www.gdconf.com.
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