Upcoming XBLA platformer Fez won the Seamus McNally Grand Prize, the top honour at last night's Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards at GDC in San Francisco.
Developer Phil Fish caused controversy earlier in the week when he told a Japanese developer that his nation's games "suck", but he is now in the headlines for all the right reasons, and has won $30,000 as a result. As our GDC diarist reports, he celebrated bycutting a rug to The Cure.
Thechineseroom's haunting adventure Dear Esther, which has sold 70,000 copies since its Steam release last month, won the award for Excellence In Visual Arts, while Beat Sneak Bandit took home the Best Mobile Game award. The Audience Award, the winner of which is selected by public vote, went to Frozen Synapse.
Student Showcast: Way
Technical Excellence: Antichamber
Excellence In Design: Spelunky
Best Mobile Game: Beat Sneak Bandit
Excellence In Visual Art: Dear Esther
Excellence In Audio: Botanicula
Audience Award: Frozen Synapse
Nuovo Award: Storyteller
Seamus McNally Grand Prize: Fez
Microsoft XBLA Sponsorship Award: Super Time Force