Independent Games Festival 2008 Award Nominees – Part 1

The Independent Game Festival occurs every year at the Game Developers Conference. It’s purpose is to showcase and reward the efforts of independent game developers who have produced outstanding innovative games. For those who are interested in watching last year’s Independent Game Festival(which, from this point on in the article, will be abbreviated IGF), the IGF website has it up for viewing at the IGF 2007 video page.

After the break, We look at the first six nominees in this year’s IGF.

Audiosurf by Invisible Handlebar, LLC.
Imagine playing a game where the highway you are travelling on is generated entirely by what music you supply. Ok, got that? Now merge in a color matching mechanic and you have the basic premise behind Audiosurf. Everything in the game seems to be affected by the music supplied, from the color and mood of your surroundings to the traffic patterns you experience on this highway. By clustering together cars of the same color, you gain points, which allow you to compete with others on the internet for the high score of that particular song.

It is still currently in development with a release date of February 2008 for PC.

Unfortunately, as far I could find, no video exists to show for this game.

Awards Nominated for:
Seumas McNally Game Of The Year
Excellence In Audio
Technical Excellence

Axiom Overdrive by Reflexive Entertainment

You are the pilot of an “Orbital Thrust Frame”, navigating around in mine shafts and carrying shock-sensitive high explosives in this fast and futuristic three dimensional side-scrolling, omnidirectional, physics-based action/puzzle game. Another futuristic entry in this year’s IGF, Axiom Overdrive looks to be a very fast paced action game with physics-based puzzles thrown in for good measure.

Still currently in development, with a release date of sometime in 2008 for Xbox Live Arcade.

Awards Nominated for:
Technical Excellence

Battlefield Forever by Sean “th15” Chan / Wyrdysm Games

Battles between large starships are always cool, with lasers, Photon/Proton torpedos flying everywhere, and explosions in the vacuum of space. This type of action and feel is what Battlefield Forever, a tactical space RTS, attempts to capture. It features completely simulated combat and damage mechanics, as well as the ability to customize your ships with the packaged-in Ship Editor.

Available as a free download, You can download it for Windows PC atWyrdysm Games.

Awards Nominated for:
Design Innovation Award

Cinnamon Beats by Secret Exit

What do you get when you combine a physics-based puzzle game with a rhythm game? Cinnamon Beats, of course. The premise of Cinnamon Beats is that you must make little orange orbs hit specific objects in time with the music. You must decide where in the music time-line to place these orbs as well as where they begin the puzzle environment. It’s a little hard to describe, so take a look at the provided video. Seeing how it works is easier than explaining it.

Currently, still in development. The release date is late 2008 for console and PC.

Awards Nominated for:
Excellence In Audio

Clean Asia! by Cactus/Games

Clean Asia! has a very strange story, but that doesn’t stop it from being a fun vertical shoot-em-up. The Eyes of all the humans in the world have decided to take over the planet. After leaving their host bodies and going to the moon to develop their own weapons technology, they have returned to Earth to conquer. After the Eyes have taken over most of Asia, America sends in their own pilots with their own specially designed ships to battle the Eyes.

It plays very much like a standard vertical shmup(shoot-em-up). However, if you pick the first of the two pilots available, he uses a different play mechanic from the second pilot, who uses the basic mechanic. The first pilot uses the debris from destroyed enemies as main ammunition, calling large quantities of debris to his ship with a magnet.

It is available for download for Windows PC at Catcus/Games.

Awards Nominated for:
Excellence In Visual Arts
Excellence In Audio

Crayon Physics Deluxe by Kloonigames

Another physics-based puzzler, except with a twist. In Crayon Physics Deluxe, you draw the materials you need to solve the puzzle. Any shape drawn becomes apart of the physics simulation. It allows for hinges and joints to be drawn into objects allowing for more complex structures to be built.

The art style is what you would expect from the name and fits the game quite well. It definitely looks like a child’s crayon drawing come to life.

Currently, still in development. No release date announced. However, the prototype has been released for download for Windows PC. It is available at the Kloonigames blog.

Awards Nominated for:
Seumas McNally Game Of The Year

There you have the first six award nominees. I will be back with part two of this series sometime this week. Stay tuned!