Record-Breaking Entries: Indie Game Award 2025 Finalists Revealed with 340 Entrants from 52 Countries

Indie Game Award 2025 finalists see 340 competitors trying to emerge from the pack to claim ultimate glory.

November 27, 2024

5 Min Read

[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]

Taipei Computer Association :

The Indie Game Award (IGA), hosted by the Taipei Game Show(TGS) has officially announced its finalists for 2025, marking another milestone year with unprecedented participation. The IGA has attracted 340 entrants from 52 countries, representing a 26% increase in submissions from the previous year. Seven countries, including Georgia, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Egypt, Ukraine, Uruguay, and New Zealand, have joined the competition for the first time, with New Zealand making a remarkable debut by securing a spot in the finals.

The finalists will be reviewed by a jury panel comprising industry experts, media journalists, previous IGA winners, and content creators, the evaluation will focus on narration, audio effect, visual art, game designs, and innovation, spanning across eight categories, including the Grand Prix. The winning entries will also be showcased in a dedicated exhibition area at TGS, allowing gamers to experience these outstanding titles firsthand.

Global Talent Spotlight at the Indie Game Award:

Taiwan Leads with Most Finalist Entrants
In its 11th year, the Indie Game Award continues to strengthen its global presence. The 28 finalists represent 16 countries and regions, including Taiwan, China, South Korea, Indonesia, Sweden, Malaysia, Thailand, Spain, New Zealand, Netherlands, Denmark, Chile, Canada, Japan, Argentina, and the United States.

Notable among the newcomers is Whistling Wizard from New Zealand. Their action-platformer, Rose and Locket, impressed during the pre-selection cross-review stage with its distinctive minimalist American comic art style.

Meanwhile, Canadian solo developer LocalThunk's Balatro, recently nominated for The Game Awards, has emerged as a strong contender, securing nominations in three categories: Best Design, Best Innovation, and Best Mobile Game, making it one of this year's most formidable entries.

Taiwan maintains its strong presence with five entrants advancing to the finals - the highest number among all participating countries. These include Minds Beneath Us by Bearbone Studio, a game four years in the making that marks a strong comeback post-launch, along with Rubinite by CupDog Games, The Star Named EOS by Silver Lining Studio, the award-winning Bionic Bay by Psychoflow Studio, and Pass Without Faith by student team Musu Studio. The winners will be announced on January 22, 2025.

B2B Zone Visitor Pre-Registration Opens in December,
Fostering Global Industry Connections
Throughout the past year, TGS has actively participated in major gaming events worldwide, including Tokyo Game Show, Tokyo Indie Game Summit, G-STAR (South Korea), ChinaJoy, WePlay, and Thailand Game Show. The TGS team also led 10 Taiwanese indie game developers to events like BitSummit (Japan), Philippine GameDev Expo (PGDX), BIC Festival (South Korea), and gamescom asia (Singapore). TGS continues to strengthen its partnerships with major gaming exhibitions to expand global industry connections.

The B2B Zone of the Taipei Game Show 2025 will open for business visitor pre-registration on December 4, 2024 (https://tgs.tca.org.tw/?p=tickets_b2b_e). Business visitors can engage with participants from across the global gaming ecosystem and use the Biz-Matching System to schedule meetings or exchange online business cards, creating perfect opportunities for industry professionals to network.

Indie Game Award 2025 Finalists: https://tgs.tca.org.tw/?p=IGA_Finalist_e

【Indie Game Award 2025 Finalists】

Best Narrative
Country/Region Game Title Developer
China Insects Awaken HelloMeow
Sweden KARMA: The Dark World Pollard Studio
Sweden Mouthwashing Wrong Organ
Spain The Midnight Barber Omaet Games
Taiwan Minds Beneath Us Bearbone
Canada Escape from Ever After Sleepy Castle Studio
Best Audio
Country/Region Game Title Developer
Spain The Midnight Barber Omaet Games
Netherlands Tiny Terry's Turbo Trip snekflat
Taiwan Rubinite Cup Dog Games
Japan Maid Cafe on Electric Street Adventurer's Tavern
Thailand Lost and Found Co. Bit Egg Inc.
Best Visual Art
Country/Region Game Title Developer
China Sunset Hills Cotton Game
Taiwan The Star Named EOS Silver Lining Studio
Sweden KARMA: The Dark World Pollard Studio
New Zealand Rose and Locket Whistling Wizard
Chile Bruma 4HA Games Studio SpA
Best Design
Country/Region Game Title Developer
China DICEOMANCER Ultra Piggy Studio
Canada Balatro LocalThunk
Taiwan Bionic Bay Psychoflow Studio
China CATO: Buttered Cat Team Woll
United States Temporal Titans Lost Tower Games
Best Innovation
Country/Region Game Title Developer
China CATO: Buttered Cat Team Woll
South Korea Dungeon Inn Cat Society
Canada Balatro LocalThunk
Sweden Mouthwashing Wrong Organ
Denmark WHAT THE CAR? Triband
Best Mobile Game
Country/Region Game Title Developer
Argentina Monstabox atKombi
Canada Balatro LocalThunk
China Sunset Hills Cotton Game
Denmark WHAT THE CAR? Triband
South Korea Scarecrow Tactics Shining Gorani
Best Student Game
Country/Region Game Title Developer
South Korea Scarecrow Tactics Shining Gorani
Malaysia Paper Pal Scribble Squad
South Korea MONOWAVE BBB
Indonesia Bag Of Seed Sankalpa Games
Indonesia Verde and the Echoing Water Antimeta Studio (Binus University)
Taiwan Pass Without Faith Musu Studio

Taipei Game Show 2025
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