Independent Games Festival 2010 Finalists Announced

The Independent Games Festival received 306 entries for their main competition awards this year. Today the festival's organizers announced that they've selected the finalists, who will compete for almost $50,000 in prizes.

Seumas McNally Grand Prize

• Joe Danger (Hello Games)
• Monaco (Pocketwatch Games)
• Rocketbirds: Revolution! (Ratloop Asia)
• Trauma (Krystian Majewski)
• Super Meat Boy! (Team Meat)

Excellence In Visual Art

• Shank (Klei Entertainment)
• Owlboy (D-Pad Studios)
• Trauma (Krystian Majewski)
• Limbo (Playdead)
• Rocketbirds: Revolution! (Ratloop Asia)

Excellence In Design

• Miegakure (Marc Ten Bosch)
• Star Guard (Sparky)
• AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! -- A Reckless Disregard For Gravity (Dejobaan Games)
• Monaco (Pocketwatch Games)
• Cogs (Lazy 8 Studios)

Excellence In Audio

• Super Meat Boy! (Team Meat)
• Shatter (Sidhe)
• Closure (Closure Team)
• Rocketbirds: Revolution! (Ratloop Asia)
• Trauma (Krystian Majewski)

Technical Excellence

• Closure (Closure Team)
• Limbo (Playdead)
• Heroes Of Newerth (S2 Games)
• Joe Danger (Hello Games)
• Vessel (Strange Loop Games)

Nuovo Award - honors "abstract, shortform, and unconventional game development which advances the medium and the way we think about games"

• Today I Die (Daniel Benmergui)
• A Slow Year (Ian Bogost)
• Tuning (Cactus)
• Closure (Closure Team)
• Enviro-Bear 2000 (Justin Smith)

The winners will be announced on March 11th during the 2010 Game Developers Conference. Information on all of the nominees can be found at IGF's website.