By Sagar V. Mankar 
The Game Developers Conference (GDC) announced the nominees for the 2025 Independent Games Festival (IGF) awards on January 16, spotlighting “Consume Me” and “Despelote” as the most nominated titles this year.
This year’s ceremony is set to take place on March 26 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, during the GDC, which runs from March 17 to March 21.
This year, nearly 500 games were considered for IGF awards, with categories spanning Excellence in Narrative, Audio, Visual Arts, and Design. Additional awards include Best Student Game, the experimental Nuovo Award, and the Audience Award, which invites public participation through voting.
Top Nominees for 2025
Among the nominees, “Consume Me” and “Despelote” emerged as standouts.
- “Consume Me” leads with five nominations, including Excellence in Design, Excellence in Visual Arts, Excellence in Narrative, the Nuovo Award, and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize. Created by Jenny Jiao Hsia, along with AP Thomson, Violet W-P, Ken “coda” Snyder, and Jie En Lee, the game draws from Hsia’s personal experiences with food, dieting, and disordered eating, offering a deeply personal and visually striking narrative.
- “Despelote”, developed by Julián Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena, earned four nominations. Recognized in categories such as Excellence in Narrative, Excellence in Audio, the Nuovo Award, and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize, the game is set in 2001 in Quito, Ecuador. It celebrates soccer’s impact on community life with heartfelt storytelling and immersive design.
Full List of Nominees
Excellence in Narrative
- Caves of Qud (Freehold Games / Kitfox Games)
- Closer the Distance (Osmotic Studios / Skybound Games)
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, et al.)
- Despelote (Julián Cordero, et al.)
- INDIKA (Odd Meter / 11 bit studios)
- No Case Should Remain Unsolved (Somi)
Excellence in Audio
- Anger Foot (Free Lives / Devolver Digital)
- Despelote (Julián Cordero, et al.)
- INDIKA (Odd Meter / 11 bit studios)
- ODDADA (Sven Ahlgrimm, et al.)
- Thank Goodness You’re Here! (Coal Supper / Panic)
- Utopia Must Fall (Pixeljam)
Excellence in Visual Arts
- Children of the Sun (René Rother / Devolver Digital)
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, et al.)
- Hauntii (Moonloop Games / Firestoke)
- Judero (Talha Kaya, J. King-Spooner)
- Nine Sols (RedCandleGames)
- Thank Goodness You’re Here! (Coal Supper / Panic)
Excellence in Design
- Balatro (LocalThunk / Playstack)
- Blue Prince (Dogubomb / Raw Fury)
- Caves of Qud (Freehold Games / Kitfox Games)
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, et al.)
- Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios / Kepler Interactive)
- Tactical Breach Wizards (Suspicious Developments)
Best Student Game
- A Dual Ascent (Mountain Toad Entertainment / Rubika Supinfogame)
- DisplaceMen (Eversea Club / leafaleaves)
- Growth Spurt (Games for my Computer)
- Slot Waste (Vinny Roca / pickpanpuck productions)
- The WereCleaner (Howlin’ Hugs / USC Games)
- Year Unknown (Julian Heuser)
Nuovo Award
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, et al.)
- Despelote (Julián Cordero, et al.)
- Extreme Evolution: Drive to Divinity (Sam Atlas)
- Ginger (Kevin Du / lizu ktap)
- Starship Home (Creature)
- The Exit 8 (KOTAKE CREATE / Active Gaming Media Inc.)
Seumas McNally Grand Prize
- Caves of Qud (Freehold Games / Kitfox Games)
- Consume Me (Jenny Jiao Hsia, et al.)
- Despelote (Julián Cordero, et al.)
- INDIKA (Odd Meter / 11 bit studios)
- Thank Goodness You’re Here! (Coal Supper / Panic)
- UFO 50 (Mossmouth)
Additionally, the festival will feature an Audience Award, allowing the public to vote for their favorite among the nominees.
The winners will be announced during the awards ceremony, celebrating the best in independent game development for 2024.
Source: Independent Games Festival announcement, January 16, 2025