Japan’s TearyHand Studio and Roger Win Grand Prize and Best Audio Award
South Korea’s Concode wins Best Mobile Game for ‘Graytail’ at Asia’s largest indie game awards ceremony.
The Taipei Game Show 2026 Indie Game Awards (IGA), Asia’s largest indie game awards ceremony, was held on the evening of the 28th, with Japanese and Korean developers sweeping the major awards, proving the power of Asian indie games.
Now in its 12th year, IGA 2026 recorded its largest scale ever with 515 works from 51 countries participating, and garnered even more attention through its collaboration with PlayStation.
South Korea’s Concode ‘Graytail’ Wins Best Mobile Game Award
‘Graytail’, developed by Korean indie game developer Concode, won the Best Mobile Game award, proving the competitiveness of Korean indie games.
“Graytail” is a mystery adventure game where players investigate mutants on an island while searching for their missing mother. Players work alongside a detective to gather clues and uncover the truth behind the case. The judges praised its “smooth narrative and elegant visual style,” calling it “a masterpiece with tremendous potential.”
“Graytail” garnered critical acclaim, receiving a total of three nominations, including Best Visual Art in addition to Best Mobile Game. Its sophisticated pixel art and deep environmental interactions earned it critical acclaim.
A demo version is currently available on Steam, and a mobile version will be released after the official launch.
Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2888960/Graytail/
Japan’s “and Roger” Wins Grand Prize and Best Audio Award, Bringing Judges to Tears
The most prestigious award went to “and Roger,” developed by Japan’s TearyHand Studio and published by Kodansha Creators Lab. It won both the Grand Prix and Best Audio awards, making it a double winner.
“and Roger” is a point-and-click visual novel game set in the perspective of a family living with dementia. Its deeply moving narrative and perfectly integrated soundtrack earned it unanimous praise from the judges. The judges stated, “The sophisticated controls and music completely immerse players in the story,” adding, “Many judges confessed to ‘shedding tears.'”
In particular, it received continued praise for being an outstanding work whose story remains deeply engraved in the mind even after the game is over. “and Roger”‘s Grand Prize win marks the first time in seven years that a Japanese indie game has won the Taipei Game Show’s highest honor, and is widely recognized as a significant achievement in the industry.
‘and Roger’ has already won the Audience Award, Best Art Award, and Best Presentation Award at the 2025 Tokyo Game Show Sense of Wonder Night, and has been recognized at global award ceremonies, including winning the Emotional Impact Award at the Six One Indie Indie Game Awards and being nominated in the ‘Game Beyond Entertainment’ category at the BAFTA.
To celebrate the award, there will be a 30% discount on Steam and Nintendo Switch until February 11th at 2:59 PM KST.
Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3308870/and_Roger/
Experience the award-winning works in eight categories at Indie House.
At this year’s IGA 2026, winners were selected in eight categories. ▲Best Narrative Award went to ‘the Berlin Apartment’ by Germany’s Blue Backpack, and ▲Best Visual Art Award went to ‘Aeruta’ by Taiwan’s FromDawn Games.
▲The Best Design Award went to ‘BALL x PIT’ by Kenny Sun & Friends from the US, ▲The Best Innovation Award went to ‘No Players Online’ by Beeswax Games from Belgium, ▲The Best Student Game Award went to ‘Froggo’s Adventure: Drifting Sky’ by SmellyFrog from Taiwan.
During the four-day Taipei Game Show 2026 exhibition period (January 29th – February 1st), all winning entries will be showcased at the Winner’s Pavilion in the Indie House at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience firsthand the best indie games, selected by an international panel of expert judges.
The largest ever, with 515 works from 51 countries participating.
This year’s IGA saw its largest-ever participation, with 515 entries from 51 countries and regions, a 1.5x increase over the previous year. Notably, developers from Norway, the United Arab Emirates, Panama, Slovenia, and Kyrgyzstan participated for the first time, further enriching the contest’s diversity.
IGA is also renowned for its unique preliminary judging process. Through a “peer review” approach, participating developers evaluate each other’s games, fostering a global exchange of creative ideas that transcends geographical boundaries. This allows developers to experience diverse gameplay systems, design approaches, and creative concepts from around the world.
The second round of judging will be conducted by an international panel of industry experts, professional media, past IGA winners, and content creators who will play and evaluate the nominees based on narrative, audio, art, gameplay design, and creativity.
Winning entries receive free exhibition space and promotional support, and the grand prize winner also receives a cash prize. Established as a premier stage for Asian indie games, IGA is recognized as a crucial gateway for domestic and international developers to enter the Greater China market and reach a global audience.
