As predicted at the start of the show, the Game Awards Game of the Year honor went to a AAA game that almost everyone could enjoy: Astrobot was a safe, but deserved choice. But Balatrothe popular 2024 roguelike deck-builder indie made by one-person developer team LocalThunk felt like a real contender given its critical mass. The game went on to conquer TGA’s indie categories, and it’s no surprise that in an arena dedicated to indie titles, it was also a dominant force. Balatro finally won a proper Game of the Year trophy at the 2024 Indie Game Awards.
Fortunately, the 2024 Indie Game Awards, voted on by a small number of publications, indie gamer personalities and industry professionals, found room for a number of other titles – including some overlooked by The Game Awards. That meant accolades for 1000x resistance, Animal welfareAnd Thank God you’re here. (But UFO 50 locked out again? Out of shame!)
For anyone groaning about the lineup of blockbuster-minded TGA winners, take solace in the list of Indie Game Awards winners below.
Game of the year
Balatro (Playstack)
Best debut game
Little Kitty, big city (Double Dagger Studio)
Accessibility
Another treasure of a crab (Aggro crab)
Visual design
Harold Halibut (Slow brothers)
Best music
Pacific drive (Ironwood Studios)
Bite size game
Thank God you’re here (Coal supper)
Solo development
Animal welfare (Billy Basso)
Innovation
Cryptmaster (Akupara games)
Emotional impact
Neva (Nomada studio)
Gameplay design
Balatro (Local Thunk)
Community management
Aggro crab
Female-led game
Mexico, 1921: a deep sleep (Mácula Interactive)
Story
1000x resistance (Sunset Visitor)