Titanium Court took the grand prize at the Independent Games Festival Awards 2026
The IGF has posted its winners. The top honor went to Titanium Court, labeled a "surreal strategy for clowns and criminals" — a tagline that raises eyebrows and invites curiosity (info: expect oddball tactics). The complete list of nominees and winners follows.
Best Student Game
- Poco
- BubbleBeast DigiDungeon
- Kiloton
- Prší
- Sip Fisher
- SPRKLS.exe
Honorable mentions — Myth of Lumi, Candellum, Summit Drive, Grindset T.V.
Excellence in Audio
- Baby Steps
- BALL x PIT
- Blippo+
- Eclipsium
- Morsels
- Wheel World
Honorable mentions — The Drifter, Angeline Era, Skate Story, Demonschool, Skin Deep.
Excellence in Design
- Titanium Court
- Angeline Era
- Baby Steps
- Öoo
- Skin Deep
- Time Flies
Honorable mentions — Strange Jigsaws, Below the Crown, Henry Halfhead, Type Help, Is This Seat Taken?
Excellence in Narrative
- Perfect Tides: Station to Station
- Baby Steps
- Promise Mascot Agency
- Titanium Court
- Type Help
- Wednesdays
Honorable mentions — Blippo+, HORSES, The Roottrees are Dead, Sorry We’re Closed.
Excellence in Visual Art
- Eclipsium
- Blippo+
- CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs
- Loco Motive
- Morsels
- Skate Story
Honorable mentions — Sol Cesto, The Drifter, Demonschool, Henry Halfhead, PBJ — The Musical, Is This Seat Taken?
Nuovo Award
The prize goes to projects that tilt the idea of what a game can do — experiments, odd formats, rule-bending entries. The jury tends to reward surprising directions (e.g., new forms of play, unusual goals).
- HORSES
- Baby Steps
- Blippo+
- Mini Mini Golf Golf
- Plum Road Tea Dream
- Titanium Court
- kevin’s PLAYING in berlin
- Wednesdays
Honorable mentions — The End of Gameplay, No Players Online, The House Dreams Along With Them, Type Help, ΩMEGA_POINT, Dreamcore, THRESHOLD.
Audience Choice Award
- Wednesdays
Seumas McNally Grand Prize
This is the festival’s main award. Seumas McNally — who won the IGF grand prize in 2000 with the tank action game Tread Marks — died soon after; the honor now bears his name as a form of remembrance.
- Titanium Court
- Baby Steps
- Angeline Era
- Blippo+
- HORSES
- Perfect Tides: Station to Station
Honorable mentions — Eclipsium, Time Flies, Skate Story, Skin Deep, BALL x PIT, Demonschool, The Drifter.