515 works from 51 countries participated, a 1.5-fold increase over the previous year.
The Indie Game Awards (IGA), an international indie game competition hosted by the Taipei Game Show, will continue its growth in 2026 and become the largest in its history. This year, a total of 515 works from 51 countries were submitted, a 1.5-fold increase over the previous year.
The diversity of entries has been further enriched with first-time participants from indie developers in Norway, the United Arab Emirates, Panama, Slovenia, and Kyrgyzstan.
Promoting global exchange through developer peer review
IGA features a unique pre-qualification process. By directly evaluating the games of other developers, participating developers foster a global exchange of creative ideas, transcending geographical boundaries. This peer-review process 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 a panel of industry experts, specialized media, past IGA winners, and content creators from Taiwan and abroad. The judges will play and review the nominees based on narrative, audio, art, gameplay design, and creativity, and select winners in eight categories, including the Grand Prix (Game of the Year).
38 teams from 16 countries advanced to the finals
This year, 38 outstanding teams from 16 countries, including Taiwan, Germany, China, Korea, the United States, France, Japan, Brazil, Serbia, Cyprus, Denmark, Georgia, Poland, Portugal, Switzerland, and Spain, were selected as finalists for the Indie Game Awards 2026.
Notable works include Serbia’s “The King Is Watching,” which combines base-building and roguelike strategy on a limited 4×4 grid, challenging players to build a kingdom within the constraints of a king’s vision, offering countless strategic possibilities.
In Korea, ‘Graytail’ developed by indie studio Concode achieved the feat of being nominated for three categories, including Best Visual Art and Best Mobile Game, while ‘Hermit Computer’ developed by VIA studio (Visual Interactive Art) was nominated for the Best Student Game category.
In Taiwan, “Always With You,” one of the few local games developed with Unreal Engine 5, was nominated for the finals. This heartwarming journey of a girl named Mia and her cat, with its engaging puzzles and calming atmosphere, is a strong contender for the Best Audio category. Five other Taiwanese games also made it to the final round: “YARETA,” “Aeruta,” “Back of Beyond,” and “Froggo’s Adventure: Drifting Sky.”
The awards ceremony will be held on January 28, 2026.
The winners of the Indie Game Awards 2026 will be officially announced on January 28, 2026. All winning games will be showcased in a special exhibition space at Taipei Game Show 2026, where players can experience them firsthand.
The Taipei Game Show Organizing Committee continues its efforts to showcase outstanding Taiwanese indie developers on the international stage. In the coming months, Taiwanese teams will participate in partner events such as SXSW Sydney (Australia), gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show (Thailand), and GameOn (Lithuania), allowing players around the world to experience the creativity and innovation of Taiwan’s indie game scene.
What about the Indie Game Awards?
Launched in 2015, the Indie Game Awards is dedicated to discovering outstanding indie game developers from around the world, and the competition grows in scale each year. Registration is open from July 1 to August 19, and entry is free.
Awards categories include Best Narrative, Best Audio, Best Visual Art, Best Design, Best Innovation, Best Mobile, Best Student Game, and the Grand Prix, which carries a cash prize. The top winners will receive free exhibition space and promotional support at Taipei Game Show 2026, held from January 29 to February 1, 2026.
The Indie Game Awards has established itself as Asia’s premier indie game competition, providing local and international developers with a powerful gateway into the Chinese-speaking market and global audiences.
