As was anticipated before the event, The Game Awards’ Game of the Year was claimed by a big-budget title that nearly everyone could appreciate: Astro Bot. It was a choice that was both safe and well-deserved. However, the indie sensation of 2024, Balatro—a roguelike deck-builder developed by the solo dev team LocalThunk—emerged as a serious challenger due to its widespread critical acclaim. It swept through the TGAs’ indie categories and dominated the indie scene. Balatro eventually received well-deserved recognition with a Game of the Year award at the 2024 Indie Game Awards.
Fortunately, the 2024 Indie Game Awards, which gather votes from a diverse range of publications, indie game enthusiasts, and industry experts, managed to spotlight several other noteworthy titles. This included games that The Game Awards overlooked. Among these recognized gems were 1000xResist, Animal Well, and Thank Goodness You’re Here. (Yet, UFO 50 being left out again? That’s a real disappointment!)
For those who rolled their eyes at the mainstream-centric lineup of TGA winners, you’ll find some comfort in checking out the impressive list of winners from the Indie Game Awards below.
Game of the Year
Balatro (Playstack)
Best Debut Game
Little Kitty, Big City (Double Dagger Studio)
Accessibility
Another Crab’s Treasure (Aggro Crab)
Visual Design
Harold Halibut (Slow Bros.)
Best Music
Pacific Drive (Ironwood Studios)
Bite-sized Game
Thank Goodness You’re Here (Coal Supper)
Solo Development
Animal Well (Billy Basso)
Innovation
Cryptmaster (Akupara Games)
Emotional Impact
Neva (Nomada Studio)
Gameplay Design
Balatro (LocalThunk)
Community Management
Aggro Crab
Women-led Game
Mexico, 1921: a Deep Slumber (Mácula Interactive)
Narrative
1000xResist (Sunset Visitor)
