{"id":1004388,"date":"2026-01-10T04:36:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T04:36:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=466135"},"modified":"2026-01-10T04:36:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T04:36:28","slug":"whats-going-to-win-best-indie-game-at-the-game-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/whats-going-to-win-best-indie-game-at-the-game-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s going to win Best Indie Game at The Game Awards?"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure> <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A collage of images from UFO 50, Balatro, Animal Well, Satisfactory, and The Rise of the Golden Idol\" data-caption=\"\" data-portal-copyright=\"&lt;span style=&quot;color: var(--_1n8udxd3); letter-spacing: var(--_1n8udxd4j); white-space-collapse: collapse;&quot;&gt;Graphic: Polygon | Source images: Various&lt;\/span&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;_17dvdj05&quot; style=&quot;box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; max-width: 700px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, &quot;Noto Sans&quot;, sans-serif, &quot;Apple Color Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI Symbol&quot;, &quot;Noto Color Emoji&quot;; font-size: medium; white-space-collapse: collapse;&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;q2y5kk0&quot; style=&quot;box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; display: inline-flex; margin-top: 30px; margin-bottom: 30px;&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;xal5vb0&quot; style=&quot;box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; display: inline-flex; align-items: center; margin-bottom: 0px;&quot;&gt;&lt;a class=&quot;xal5vb1&quot; style=&quot;box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; color: inherit; text-decoration: inherit; display: inline-block; float: left; line-height: 1.1;&quot; href=&quot;https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/awards\/450737\/goty-watch-2024&quot;&gt;&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;\/div&gt;\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/whats-going-to-win-best-indie-game-at-the-game-awards.png\" \/><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap has-text-align-none\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/awards\/450195\/game-of-the-year-game-awards-frontrunners\">The Game Awards<\/a>\u2019 most controversial category is probably Best Independent Game, for a few reasons. Among a whole mess of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/awards\/456638\/ongoing-game-game-awards-predictions\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/awards\/456638\/ongoing-game-game-awards-predictions\">hard-to-define categories<\/a> like Best Game Direction or Best Action\/Adventure Game, it might be the hardest \u2014 and it\u2019s susceptible to being drawn into the constantly raging debate about what constitutes an independent game. In 2023, for example, <em>Dave the Diver<\/em> was nominated, a game developed and published by Mintrocket, which is a division of South Korean publishing giant Nexon. Meanwhile, eventual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/awards\/450688\/what-makes-game-of-the-year-tgas\">Game of the Year<\/a> winner <em>Baldur\u2019s Gate 3<\/em> \u2014 which was self-published by its independent developer, Larian Studios \u2014 was not.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">The Game Awards\u2019 official description of Best Independent Game says it is \u201cawarded to a game with a higher degree of risk tolerance by its creators, produced outside of the traditional publisher system.\u201d It\u2019s a hedging description that dances around the vague aesthetic and economic attributes that gamers often ascribe to indie games: lower budgets, distinctive art and design, and less obvious commercialism.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">The definition of an indie game is in the eye of the beholder, in other words, and just as in other categories, The Game Awards\u2019 voting jury tends to show its preconceptions and the limits of its collective taste in the nominees and winners. Games from boutique publishers specializing in \u201cindie-style\u201d productions, like Devolver Digital and Annapurna Interactive (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/gaming\/451240\/control-2-remedy-annapurna-interactive-resignations\">RIP?<\/a>), often feature alongside self-published games. And some of the best-reviewed independent releases are overlooked in favor of palatable, relatively popular games that fit within the broadest definition of \u201cindie.\u201d In 2022, for example, hit kitty adventure <em>Stray <\/em>won, while the influential <em>Vampire Survivors <\/em>wasn\u2019t nominated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">Some contenders get siphoned off into other categories, like Best Debut Indie Game for a studio\u2019s first release, or the similarly diffuse Games For Impact, which recognizes \u201ca thought-provoking game with a profound pro-social meaning or message,\u201d by TGA\u2019s definition. In 2023, <em>Cocoon<\/em>\u2019s votes were split between the Debut and main categories; it won in Debut, despite being directed by star indie auteur Jeppe Carlsen (<em>Limbo<\/em> and <em>Inside<\/em>). The jury often nominates acclaimed games like <em>Kentucky Route Zero<\/em>, <em>Chicory: A Colorful Tale<\/em>, and <em>Gris<\/em> in Games For Impact \u2014 games that might otherwise have made their mark in the main category.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\">All of that said, 2024 presents a very strong crop of contenders with overlap between high Metacritic ratings, a decent level of popularity, and that indefinable indie-ness. Read on for our ranked list of the frontrunners, followed by some other contenders.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Indie Game frontrunners<\/h2>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Balatro<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/whats-going-to-win-best-indie-game-at-the-game-awards.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\" data-caption=\"\" data-portal-copyright=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong>Why it could win: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/reviews\/24084564\/balatro-review-poker-game-deck-building-roguelite\">Poker roguelite <em>Balatro<\/em><\/a> has probably been 2024\u2019s single most-played game among critics \u2014 and, crucially for success at The Game Awards, it\u2019s broadly popular, too, with over 2 million copies sold. It has a Metascore of 90 and a recently released mobile version to refresh everyone\u2019s memory and make it even more ubiquitous. Also, it\u2019s great.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong>Weaknesses: <\/strong>Despite some hipster touches, like the woozy retro presentation and synthwave music, <em>Balatro <\/em>is a purely systemic game that doesn\u2019t possess the \u201cartistic\u201d qualities that some associate with indie games. Also, some voters might be content to nominate it in the Debut Indie Game category (or Best Mobile Game, where it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/news\/448334\/balatro-mobile-release-date-apple-arcade\">now also eligible<\/a>).<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. UFO 50<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/whats-going-to-win-best-indie-game-at-the-game-awards-1.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\" data-caption=\"\" data-portal-copyright=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong>Why it could win:<\/strong> Many indie games play the nostalgia card \u2014 like last year\u2019s winner, retro role-playing game <em>Sea of Stars<\/em> \u2014 but few do it with the astonishing breadth, depth, and design virtuosity of Mossmouth\u2019s collection of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/review\/452079\/ufo-50-review-pc\">50 imagined 1980s games<\/a>. <em>UFO 50 <\/em>is <em>the <\/em>indie critical darling of an exceptionally strong year. It also contains so much to discover that the conversation around it isn\u2019t fading away as fast as you see with some other games.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong>Weaknesses: <\/strong>With no structure to its sprawling collection, <em>UFO 50<\/em> is overwhelming at first, and many of the games are difficult to get into (or just plain difficult). It\u2019s not quite as accessible as most past winners of this award.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Animal Well<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/whats-going-to-win-best-indie-game-at-the-game-awards-2.png\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\" data-caption=\"\" data-portal-copyright=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong>Why it could win: <\/strong>You don\u2019t get more \u201cindie\u201d than a mysterious pixel-art <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/reviews\/24151337\/animal-well-review-pc-ps5-switch\">Metroidvania about spooky animals<\/a>; this could be the platonic ideal of an indie game, and it\u2019s acclaimed by critics, with a 91 Metascore. Another plus: It\u2019s published by Bigmode, the new label led by popular YouTuber Dunkey, giving it a minor fame boost.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong>Weaknesses: <\/strong>Although it sold pretty well, the buzz around <em>Animal Well<\/em> has subsided since its May release. It\u2019s also so inscrutable that some in the voting jury may just bounce off it. Like <em>Balatro<\/em>, its votes may be split between this category and Debut Indie Game.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Satisfactory<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/whats-going-to-win-best-indie-game-at-the-game-awards-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\" data-caption=\"\" data-portal-copyright=\"Image: Coffee Stain Studios\/Coffee Stain Publishing\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong>Why it could win: <\/strong>Coffee Stain\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/reviews\/2019\/4\/15\/18306914\/satisfactory-review-pc-epic-store-early-access\">factory-building game<\/a> emerged from years of early access in September, and it\u2019s become a major hit \u2014 it broke into Steam\u2019s top 10 most-played on the occasion of its 1.0 release. For popularity, there\u2019s nothing else in this crowd to match it, and it has reviewed extremely well, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong>Weaknesses: <\/strong>If anything, <em>Satisfactory<\/em>\u2019s scale counts against it; after years of development funded by other Coffee Stain hits like <em>Goat Simulator<\/em> and <em>Deep Rock Galactic<\/em>, it has an expansiveness that most don\u2019t associate with indie games. It might be more likely to crop up in the Best Sim\/Strategy Game category.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. The Rise of the Golden Idol (upcoming)<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/whats-going-to-win-best-indie-game-at-the-game-awards-2.jpg\" alt=\"A painting of scientists arguing in The Rise of the Golden Idol. One of them is on fire.\" title=\"A painting of scientists arguing in The Rise of the Golden Idol. One of them is on fire.\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\" data-caption=\"\" data-portal-copyright=\"Image: Color Gray Games\/Playstack\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong>Why it could win: <\/strong>With a release date of Nov. 12, <em>The Rise of the Golden Idol<\/em> will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/gaming\/464962\/rise-of-the-golden-idol-release-date-trailer-pc-xbox-ps4-ps5-switch\">just sneak inside TGA\u2019s eligibility window<\/a>. It\u2019s a sequel to 2022\u2019s fantastic detective mystery <em>The Case of the Golden Idol<\/em>, which was overlooked at The Game Awards that year, but has built quite a following since. The voting jury could be keen to make up for that oversight by recognizing the sequel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong>Weaknesses: <\/strong>Eligibility for the 2024 Game Awards has a cutoff date of Nov. 22, but realistically most of the jury are compiling and submitting their votes earlier than that, so <em>Rise<\/em> is cutting things a bit close. Much depends on how early developer Color Gray Games and publisher Playstack (which also published <em>Balatro<\/em>) can get review codes out to journalists and creators.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-none\"><strong>Other contenders<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong><em>Thank Goodness You\u2019re Here!<\/em>:<\/strong> This absurdist comedy adventure about life in a crumbling, eccentric Northern English town has been a big hit with critics, with a 90 Metascore, but it might be a little too esoteric \u2014 not to mention regionally specific \u2014 to land with TGA\u2019s diverse international jury.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong><em>Lorelei and the Laser Eyes<\/em>:<\/strong> Simogo is an effortlessly stylish and sophisticated developer; publisher Annapurna has a great track record in this category; and critics usually like to show love for dense and demanding puzzle adventures like <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/reviews\/24156442\/lorelei-and-the-laser-eyes-review-steam-pc-nintendo-switch\">Lorelei and the Laser Eyes<\/a><\/em>. But <em>Animal Well<\/em> has edged it out in terms of profile and acclaim, and maybe some of its puzzles are a little too obscure.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong><em>Tactical Breach Wizards<\/em>:<\/strong> Suspicious Developments\u2019 <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/gaming\/441617\/tactical-breach-wizards-review\">Tactical Breach Wizards<\/a> <\/em>is funny and sharp on video games\u2019 unquestioning militarism while still being a meaty, rewarding tactics game in its own right. Tactics isn\u2019t a core genre for the indie category, though.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong><em>The Plucky Squire<\/em>:<\/strong> All Possible Futures\u2019 charming storybook adventure was much hyped, and in many ways it looks like a perfect candidate for this category, but its sales and critical reception have been underwhelming.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-none\"><strong><em>Neva<\/em>:<\/strong> <em>Neva <\/em>developer Nomada Studio won the Games For Impact award in 2019 with <em>Gris<\/em>, and its way with heartfelt storytelling and beautiful visual design is sure to go over well with the judging panel. The game is getting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/review\/465091\/neva-review-nomada-devolver-digital\">warm reviews<\/a>, too. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/awards\/466135\/game-awards-goty-best-indie-game-predictions\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Game Awards\u2019 most controversial category is probably Best Independent Game, for a few reasons. Among a whole mess of hard-to-define categories like Best Game Direction or Best Action\/Adventure Game, it might be the hardest \u2014 and it\u2019s susceptible to being drawn into the constantly raging debate about what constitutes an independent game. In 2023, for example, Dave the Diver was nominated, a game developed and published by Mintrocket, which is a division of South Korean publishing giant Nexon. Meanwhile, eventual Game of the Year winner Baldur\u2019s Gate 3 \u2014 which was self-published by its independent developer, Larian Studios \u2014 was not. The Game Awards\u2019 official description of Best Independent Game says it is \u201cawarded to a game with a higher degree of risk tolerance&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"excerpt-more\"><a class=\"blog-excerpt button\" href=\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/whats-going-to-win-best-indie-game-at-the-game-awards\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1004389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1004388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-polygon"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What\u2019s going to win Best Indie Game at The Game Awards? | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Game Awards\u2019 most controversial category is probably Best Independent Game, for a few reasons. 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