The awards ceremony for the ‘2025 Global Indie Game Development Contest (GIGDC 2025),’ sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency, and organized by the Korea Game Developers Association, was held successfully on October 31.
Held at Stage 66 of the Korea Creative Content Agency’s Content Culture Plaza in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, the awards ceremony was held under the slogan, “Create Game, Hello World! – Let’s connect imagination to reality through games!” The event was a celebration of the creative ideas and passion of Korean indie game developers, encouraging them to enter the global market.
GIGDC 2025 once again established itself as Korea’s most prestigious indie game contest, receiving over 300 unique entries during the contest period, which ran from June 30th to July 14th. After a rigorous judging process, the finalists were selected and honored in five categories: three in the production category and two in the planning category. The grand prize winners in each category were honored with the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award.
This year’s competition, in particular, received a enthusiastic response from participants due to a significant increase in prize money compared to previous years. Beyond the prize money, winners will also receive practical follow-up support, including expert mentoring, promotional and marketing support, and access to educational programs. We will provide unwavering support to ensure their continued development and global market entry.
One of the awards ceremony’s highlights was a special lecture by previous winners. These candid stories, including stories of successful seed funding from developers who began development while serving in the military, and stories of achieving global success after the launch of the Nintendo Switch, served as inspiration for younger developers.
In his congratulatory remarks, Korea Game Developers Association Chairman Shin Yong-hoon said, “I saw a bright future for the Korean game industry as I looked at the entries full of originality and individuality,” and encouraged the winners, saying, “I believe that today’s winners will become the main players in making the Korean game industry even more special and stronger in the future.”
This year’s GIGDC 2025 awards ceremony was evaluated as going beyond simple competition and providing a stepping stone for indie developers to advance into the global game market.
Detailed information about the award-winning works can be found on the GIGDC official website (gigdc.or.kr).
