Indie Game Developer Network

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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

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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".
  31. ↑ http://ifiwerealichman.com
  32. ↑ "Crescendo Giocoso Ritornello by NessunDove".
  33. ↑ https://diwatamnl.itch.io/lutong-banwa
  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
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