- The Big Winner: Titanium Court by AP Thomson swept both the Grand Prize and Excellence in Design.
- The Legend: AP Thomson becomes only the second person in history to win the Seumas McNally Grand Prize twice (joining the ranks of Lucas Pope).
- The Controversy: HORSES takes home the Nuovo Award despite being banned from major storefronts like Steam and Epic.
- The Underdog: Baby Steps, despite five nominations, walks away with only the Excellence in Audio award.
The 28th Annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards concluded on March 11 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. In a night defined by surrealism and defiant creativity, the indie community gathered to honor the most innovative titles of the year.
🏆 IGF 2026: Full Winners Gallery
| Category | Winner | Developer / Publisher |
| Seumas McNally Grand Prize | Titanium Court | AP Thomson / Fellow Traveller |
| Excellence in Design | Titanium Court | AP Thomson / Fellow Traveller |
| Nuovo Award | HORSES | Andrea Lucco Borlera / Santa Ragione |
| Excellence in Narrative | Perfect Tides: Station to Station | Three Bees |
| Excellence in Audio | Baby Steps | Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy / Devolver Digital |
| Excellence in Visual Art | Eclipsium | Housefire / CRITICAL REFLEX |
| Best Student Game | Poco | Whalefall, Micah Boursier |
| Audience Award | Wednesdays | The Pixel Hunt, ARTE France |
| WINGS Award | 13Z: The Zodiac Trials | Mixed Realms Pte Ltd |
| alt.ctrl.GDC Award | ProyectoEXO | Todo Normal |
Top Prize: ‘Titanium Coat’, a surreal strategy game for clowns and criminals
The story of the night was undoubtedly AP Thomson. After winning the Grand Prize in 2025 for Consume Me, Thomson returned to the stage to claim the 2026 trophy for Titanium Court. This “back-to-back” victory places Thomson in an elite duo with Lucas Pope as the only developers to ever win the IGF’s highest honor twice.
Titanium Court is a surreal strategy-puzzle hybrid that blends criminal clowning with tactical depth. Despite being unreleased, its win signals high expectations for its upcoming launch under the Fellow Traveller label.
Steam Store Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2364580/Titanium_Court/
Nouveau Awards: ‘HORSES’ Wins Despite Removal from Steam and Epic
In perhaps the most “indie” moment of the ceremony, the Nuovo Award—reserved for games that challenge the medium’s boundaries—was awarded to HORSES. The win is particularly poignant as the game was recently delisted from Steam and Epic Games Store due to its provocative content. The jury’s decision reinforces IGF’s commitment to artistic expression over platform compliance.
Developer-operated store page:
https://santaragione.itch.io/horses
Narrative Category: ‘Perfect Tides: Station to Station’
The slice-of-life adventure game ‘Perfect Tides: Station to Station’ won the Narrative category.
Developed and published by Three Bees, this highly anticipated title was also nominated for the Grand Prize at this awards ceremony.
Gaming media outlet Kotaku highly praised the game, stating, “I played it in January, but I was already convinced it would be Game of the Year. The narrative is the heart and greatest strength of this game.”
Steam Store Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2088810/Perfect_Tides_Station_to_Station/
Audio Category: ‘Baby Steps’ – Won only 1 out of 5 nominations
The physics-based “walking simulator” Baby Steps entered the night as the heavy favorite with five nominations. While it failed to sweep, it secured the Excellence in Audio award, cementing its status as one of the most uniquely atmospheric (and hilarious) experiences of 2026.
[Related Article: Devolver Digital Launches Physics-Based Walking Simulator ‘Baby Steps’]
Steam Store Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1281040/Baby_Steps/
Visual Arts Category: ‘Eclipsium’
The first-person horror game ‘Eclipsium’, developed by Housefire and published by CRITICAL REFLEX, won the Visual Arts award.
The game is a first-person horror title set in a dark and unsettling world, characterized by intense visual presentation and a dreamlike atmosphere. Players must explore a space where reality and nightmares intertwine, gradually uncovering the world’s secrets through puzzles and environmental storytelling.
Steam Store Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2419670/Eclipsium/
Best Student Game: ‘Poco’
‘Poco’ is a hybrid-style point-and-click adventure game that combines 2D and 3D graphics. Players take on the role of the baby bat ‘Poco’ as the protagonist, exploring various environments, solving puzzles, and advancing the story.
Developed by Whalefall and Micah Boursier, the game is characterized by its unique visuals and warm atmosphere. The fact that it is available for free on Steam also attracted community attention, and in recognition of its creativity and quality, it won the Best Student Game award at the 28th IGF Awards.
Steam Store Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3454610/Poco/
Audience Award: ‘Wednesdays’ – 1st Place in Audience Vote
‘Wednesdays’ is a narrative-driven story work that combines the formats of an interactive game and a graphic novel. Players follow childhood memories, encountering the characters’ emotions and events step by step, and experience the story through choices and interactions.
Produced by the French studios The Pixel Hunt and ARTE France, it is characterized by its delicate exploration of memory and trauma while dealing with themes inspired by real historical events. Recognized for its narrative approach and artistic merit, it won the Audience Award at the 28th IGF Awards.
Steam Store Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2747770/Wednesdays/
WINGS Awards and alt.ctrl.GDC Awards
The WINGS Awards, which recognize works in which female and gender minority developers hold key roles, were awarded to ’13Z: The Zodiac Trials’ (Mixed Realms Pte Ltd), a roguelike hack-and-slash game inspired by Eastern mythology.
Steam Store Page:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2348250/13Z_The_Zodiac_Trials/
The alt.ctrl.GDC Award, which recognizes games utilizing unconventional and accessible alternative physical controllers, was awarded to Todo Normal’s ‘ProyectoEXO’.
What is the IGF?
Established in 1998, the Independent Games Festival is the world’s longest-running celebration of indie talent. This year, over 790 titles were whittled down to a handful of finalists by a jury of 40 industry experts. Previous Grand Prize winners include Venba (2024) and Inscryption (2022).
