Indie Game Developer Network

Last updated

The Indie Game Developer Network (IGDN) is a trade association for developers of indie role-playing games, board games, card games, and LARPs. [1] They present the annual Indie Groundbreaker Awards at Gen Con. [2] [3] [4] Their other programs include a scholarship to attend the game designer convention Metatopia, a mentorship program, and a peer coaching program. [5] [6]

Indie Groundbreaker Awards

The Indie Groundbreaker Awards began in 2016 and are offered in 5 categories: Game of the Year, Best Art, Best Setting, Best Rules, and Most Innovative. They are judged by a rotating panel of game designers. After the Indie RPG Awards gave their final set of awards in 2017, [7] IGDN's Indie Groundbreaker Awards took on their function in the tabletop role-playing game community of evaluating and recognizing achievements in independent game design.

Award Winners by Year

2016

AwardGameCredits
Game of the YearA Real Game [8] Aura Belle
Best Art Fall of Magic [9] Ross Cowman (Heart of the Deernicorn)
Best SettingDownfall [10] Caroline Hobbs (Less Than Three Games)
Best RulesDeath of Legends [11] Imaginary Empire
Most Innovative183 Days [12] Tiny Knives

2017

AwardGameCredits
Game of the YearSeven Wonders [13] Pelgrane Press
Best ArtFellowship [14] Liberi Gothica Games
Best SettingWar Birds
Best Rules Masks: A New Generation [15] Magpie Games
Most InnovativeThe Beast

2018

AwardGameCredits
Game of the Year Bluebeard's Bride [16] Whitney "Strix" Beltrán, Marissa Kelly, Sarah Doombringer (Magpie Games)
Best ArtBluebeard's Bride [17] Whitney "Strix" Beltrán, Marissa Kelly, Sarah Doombringer (Magpie Games)
Best SettingArecibo [18] Evil Hat Productions
Best RulesDamn the Man, Save the Music [19] Hannah Shaffer
Most InnovativeFeast [20] Sharang Biswas
Groundbreaking Supplement Harlem Unbound [21] Chris Spivey

2019

AwardGameCredits
Game of the Year Dialect: A Game About Language and How It Dies [22] Kathryn Hymes and Hakan Seyalıoğlu (Thorny Games)
Best ArtBluebeard's Bride: Book of Rooms [23] Whitney "Strix" Beltrán, Marissa Kelly, Sarah Doombringer (Magpie Games)
Best SettingThe Way of Pukona [24] Evil Hat Productions
Best Rules Good Society (game) [25] Storybrewers Roleplaying (Vee Hendro and Hayley Gordon)
Most InnovativeVerdure [26] Sharang Biswas

2020

AwardGameCredits
Game of the Year Companions' Tale [27] Laura Simpson
Best ArtHumblewood [28] Hit Point Press
Best SettingAfterlife: Wandering Souls [29] Angry Hamster Publishing
Best RulesMazes [30] 9th Level Games
Most Innovative If I Were a Lich, Man [31] Lucian Kahn

2021

AwardGameCredits
Game of the YearCrescendo Giocoso Ritornello [32] The Italian Chamber Orchestra
Best ArtLutong Banwa [33] Diwata ng Manila
Best SettingKaranduun - Make God Bleed [34] Joaquin Kyle Saavedra
Best Rules Slayers [35] Spencer Campbell
Most InnovativeThis Discord Has Ghosts In It [36] Will Jobst and Adam Vass (World Champ Game Co.)

2022

AwardGameCredits
Game of the YearBrave Zenith [37] Giuliano Roverato and Rodrigo Melchior
Best ArtA Fantastic Longing for Adventure [38] Tim Hutchings
Best SettingArcon: City of Neon Daylight [39] Kienna Shaw and Jason Cutrone
Best RulesGUN&SLINGER [40] Nevyn Holmes
Most InnovativeMy Body is a Cage [41] Batts

2023

AwardGameCredits
Game of the YearSlugblaster: Kickflip Over a Quantum Centipede [42] [43] Mikey Hamm
Best ArtDinocar [42] [44] Julie-Anne Muñoz
Best Graphic DesignButter Princess [42] Brian Sago, graphic design by Mike Martens
Best SettingGubat Banwa [42] Joaquin Kyle Saavedra
Best RulesSaltfish and Almanacs [42] Storybrewers Roleplaying (Vee Hendro and Hayley Gordon)
Most InnovativeThe Sticker Game [42] [45] Cassi Mothwin and Joshua Peters

References

  1. "The Gaming Shelf Celebrates the Indie Groundbreaker Awards". Gizmodo. 2022-08-02. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  2. "Indie Game Developer Network". Indie Game Developer Network. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  3. "Indie Game Developer Network". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  4. Wieland, Rob (August 2, 2018). "THESE 5 INCREDIBLE INDIE RPGS ARE GROUNDBREAKING (AND AWARD-WINNING)". Nerdist.
  5. Girdwood, Andrew (2022-09-11). "2022 IGDN Diversity Sponsorship opens applications and funding". Geek Native. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  6. "Serena and the Power of Collaborative Indie Game Development". the-artifice.com. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 2023-03-28.
  7. "Indie RPG Awards". www.indie-rpg-awards.com. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  8. https://auramakesgames.itch.io/
  9. "Fall of Magic – Heart of the Deernicorn".
  10. "Downfall: Less Than Three Games".
  11. "DriveThruRPG".
  12. https://www.drivethrucards.com/product/144510/183-Days
  13. "Seven Wonders – A Story Games Anthology". 18 November 2015.
  14. "DriveThruRPG".
  15. "Masks".
  16. "Bluebeard".
  17. "Bluebeard".
  18. "DriveThruRPG".
  19. "Damn the Man, Save the Music! By Turtlebun".
  20. "Feast by astrolingus".
  21. "Harlem Unbound - 2nd Edition - PDF".
  22. "Dialect: A Game about Language and How it Dies".
  23. "Book of Rooms".
  24. "DriveThruRPG".
  25. "Good Society: A Jane Austen Roleplaying Game".
  26. "Verdure by astrolingus".
  27. "Companions' Tale [Print+PDF] :: Print+PDF Bundles :: IPR".
  28. "Humblewood".
  29. "Afterlife: Wandering Souls [Book & PDF]| Angry Hamster Publishing". 11 September 2019.
  30. "Mazes | 9th Level Games". Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-03-27.
  31. http://ifiwerealichman.com
  32. "Crescendo Giocoso Ritornello by NessunDove".
  33. https://diwatamnl.itch.io/lutong-ban%5B%5Dwa
  34. "Karanduun - Make God Bleed Edition by makapatag".
  35. "Slayers by Gila RPGS".
  36. "This Discord Has Ghosts in It by will jobst, World Champ Game Co".
  37. "Brave Zenith by Roll 4 Tarrasque".
  38. "A Fantastic Longing for Adventure by timhutchings".
  39. "Arcon by KiennaS, JustJasonPls".
  40. "GUN&SLINGER by Nevyn Holmes".
  41. "My Body is a Cage by Batts".
  42. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Carter, Chase (2023-08-01). "IGDN's 2023 Groundbreaker winners include a 90-pound butter heist, reality-spanning stickers and dinos in cars". Dicebreaker. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  43. https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/slugblaster/news/slugblaster-tabletop-rpg-kickstarter
  44. https://www.dicebreaker.com/categories/roleplaying-game/best-games/zine-month-2023-rpgs
  45. https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/the-sticker-game/news/sticker-game-rpg