IGF 2011 finalists named

Nominations for the thirteenth annual Independent Games Festival have been released.

Leading the pack are two developers with three nominations each; Minecraft studio Mojang specifications, and Amnesia: The Dark Descent creator Frictional Games.

Winners will be named at GDC in March. A total of $50,000 in prize money is up for grabs, including the $20,000 on offer in the Seumas McNally Grand Prize category.

All the finalists’ work will be playable on the GDC Expo floor.

Nearly 400 games were submitted for the main competition this year.

Finalists:

Seamus McNally Grand Prize
* Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
* Desktop Dungeons (QCF Design)
* Minecraft (Mojang)
* Nidhogg (Messhof)
* SpyParty (Chris Hecker)

Excellence In Visual Art
* Bastion (Supergiant Games)
* Bit.Trip Runner (Gaijin Games)
* Cave Story (2010 Edition) (Nicalis)
* The Dream Machine (Cockroach)
* Hohokum (Honeyslug & Richard Hogg)

Technical Excellence
* Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
* Confetti Carnival (SpikySnail Games)
* Miegakure (Marc ten Bosch)
* Minecraft (Mojang)
* Neverdaunt:8Bit (Robot Loves Kitty)

Excellence In Design
* Desktop Dungeons (QCF Design)
* Faraway (Steph Thirion)
* Minecraft (Mojang)
* Nidhogg (Messhof)
* Super Crate Box (Vlambeer)

Excellence In Audio
* Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
* Bastion (Supergiant Games)
* Bit.Trip Beat (Gaijin Games)
* Cobalt (Oxeye Game Studio)
* Retro City Rampage (Vblank Entertainment)

Best Mobile Game
* Colorblind (Nonverbal)
* Halcyon (Stfj)
* Helsing’s Fire (Ratloop)
* Shot Shot Shoot (Erik Svedang)
* Solipskier (Mikengreg)

The Nuovo Award
* Bohm (Monobanda)
* A House In California (Cardboard Computer)
* Nidhogg (Messhof)
* Dinner Date (Stout Games)
* Loop Raccord (Nicolai Troshinsky)
* The Cat and the Coup (Peter Brinson and Kurosh ValaNejad)
* Brutally Unfair Tactics Totally OK Now (BUTTON) (Copenhagen Game Collective)
* Hazard: The Journey Of Life (Demruth)