Il popolarissimo Minecraft è uno dei cinque titoli nominati al Seumas McNally Grand Price dell'Independent Games Festival (IGF). Gli altri giochi nominati sono l'avventura PC di Frictional Games Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Desktop Dungeons di ACF Designs Nidhogg di Messhof e Spy Party di Chris Hecher. Sia Amnesia: The Dark Descent che Minecraft hanno ricevuto un totale di cinque nomination.
L'Independet Games Festival ha messo in risalto alcuni giochi straordinari in passato, e non si tratta solo di una questione di onore in quanto i giochi riceveranno parecchia attenzione in cambio. C'è anche un montepremi di 50.000 dollari, con un assegno da 20.000 per chi si porterà a casa il grand prix.
Ecco le nomination (con le rispettive categorie in inglese)
Seumas McNally Grand Prize
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
Desktop Dungeons (QCF Design)
Minecraft (Mojang)
Nidhogg (Messhof)
SpyParty (Chris Hecker)
Honorable mentions:
Bit.Trip Runner (Gaijin Games); Neptune's Pride (Iron Helmet Games); Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale (Carpe Fulgur); Retro City Rampage (Vblank Entertainment); Super Crate Box (Vlambeer)
Excellence In Visual Art
Bastion (Supergiant Games)
Bit.Trip Runner (Gaijin Games)
Cave Story (2010 Edition) (Nicalis)
The Dream Machine (Cockroach)
Hohokum (Honeyslug & Richard Hogg)
Honorable mentions:
Cobalt (Oxeye Game Studio); Faraway (Steph Thirion); Flotilla (Blendo Games); Helsing's Fire (Ratloop); Retro City Rampage (Vblank Entertainment)
Technical Excellence
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
Confetti Carnival (SpikySnail Games)
Miegakure (Marc ten Bosch)
Minecraft (Mojang)
Neverdaunt:8Bit (Robot Loves Kitty)
Honorable mentions:
Achron (Hazardous Software); Cobalt (Oxeye Game Studio); Hazard: The Journey Of Life (Demruth); Overgrowth (Wolfire Games); Swimming Under Clouds (Piece of Pie Studios)
Excellence In Design
Desktop Dungeons (QCF Design)
Faraway (Steph Thirion)
Minecraft (Mojang)
Nidhogg (Messhof)
Super Crate Box (Vlambeer)
Honorable mentions:
Bo (Mahdi Bahrami); Brutally Unfair Tactics Totally OK Now [B.U.T.T.O.N.] (Copenhagen Game Collective); Flotilla (Blendo Games); Helsing's Fire (Ratloop); Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale (Carpe Fulgur)
Excellence In Audio
Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Frictional Games)
Bastion (Supergiant Games)
Bit.Trip Beat (Gaijin Games)
Cobalt (Oxeye Game Studio)
Retro City Rampage (Vblank Entertainment)
Honorable mentions:
Bit.Trip Runner (Gaijin Games); Cave Story (2010 Edition) (Nicalis); Jamestown (Final Form Games); NightSky (Nicalis); Planck (Shadegrown Games)
Best Mobile Game
Colorblind (Nonverbal)
Halcyon (Stfj)
Helsing's Fire (Ratloop)
Shot Shot Shoot (Erik Svedäng)
Solipskier (Mikengreg)
Honorable mentions:
Flick Kick Football (PikPok); Shibuya (Nevercenter); Spirits (Spaces Of Play); Tentacles (Press Play); Trainyard (Matt Rix)
I premi saranno consegnati durante la Game Developers Conference di San Francisco, che aprirà i battenti il 28 febbraio.