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Nominations for @debugawards.com have gone public! Join us as we take a look at our picks for the best indie games of 2024… 📍 Our IRL ceremony is on 21 February 2025 at Metronome, Nottingham, UK

Award for Mental Health • I’ll Be Brave, Tomorrow // InkForge Studios • Back Then // Octopus Embrace • Spirit City: Lofi Sessions // Mooncube Games • Spiral // Folklore Games • The Hole // Bober Bros • The Bear // Mucks! Games

Best Art Direction • #Blud // Exit 73 • Harold Halibut // Slow Bros • Puzzles for Clef // Weasel Token • SCHiM // Extra Nice • Sorry We’re Closed // á la mode • Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom / Panik Arcade @exit73games.bsky.social @slowbros.bsky.social @alamodegames.bsky.social @panikarcade.bsky.social

Best UK Indie • Crow Country // SFB Games • Mythwrecked // Polygon Treehouse • Paper Trail // Newfangled Games • Sociable Soccer // Tower Studios • Sorry We’re Closed // à la mode • Valley Peaks // Tub Club @polygontreehouse.bsky.social @sfbdim.bsky.social

Best Voice Acting • 1000xRESIST // Sunset Visitor • Closer The Distance // Osmotic Studios • Farewell North // Kyle Banks • Still Wakes The Deep // The Chinese Room • The Holy Gosh Darn // Perfectly Paranormal • Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) // Unreliable Narrators @thechineseroom.co.uk

Award for Accessibility • Botany Manor // Balloon Studios • Elsie // Knight Shift Games • Seasonspree // Kitewing Studios • Mythwrecked // Polygon Treehouse • Pine Hearts // Hyper Luminal Games • Another Crab’s Treasure // Aggro Crab @aggrocrabgames.bsky.social @hyperluminalgames.com

Best Gameplay • Arco // Franek, Max Cahill, Bibiki, Fáyer • Buckshot Roulette // Mike Klubnika • DROVA - Forsaken Kin // Just2D Interactice • GORI: Cuddly Carnage // Angry Demon Studio • Shady Knight // Alexey ‘cptnsigh’ • Shapez 2 // tobspr Games @angrydemonstudio.bsky.social

Best Sound Design • Botany Manor // Balloon Studios • Hollowbody // Headware Games • Lynked: Banner of the Spark // FuzzyBot • Solara One // AC Reality • Still Wakes The Deep // The Chinese Room • The Operator // Bureau 81 @balloonstudios.bsky.social @headwaregames.bsky.social

Best VR Game • Airspace Defender // Not Suspicious • Arcade Paradise VR // Nosebleed Interactive • DIG VR // Just Add Water • On Point // Actuator Digital • Solara One // AC Reality • Wall Town Wonders // Cyborn @justaddwaterltd.bsky.social @nosebleedinteractive.com @notsuspicioushq.bsky.social

Best Soundtrack • Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom // Panik Arcade • Drug Dealer Simulator 2 // Byterunners • Mythwrecked // Polygon Treehouse • Gatekeeper // Gravity Lagoon • A Park Full of Cats // Devcats • Turbo Kid // Outerminds

Best Narrative • 1000xRESIST // Sunset Visitor • Closer The Distance // Osmotic Studios • Copycat // Spoonful of Wonder • Farewell North // Kyle Banks • Mouthwashing // Wrong Organ • Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina) // Unreliable Narrators @sunsetvisitor.studio @osmoticstudios.com

Free Play Award • A Park Full of Cats // Devcats • Colorcoordination // El Demso • Feud // Bearwaves • Pixelitos // ElStrawFedora • Please, Touch The Artwork 2 // Thomas Waterzooi • Project Shoreline // Speldosa Interactive @elstrawfedora.bsky.social @thomaswaterzooi.bsky.social

Innovation & Creativity • Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure // Furniture & Mattress • Death of the Reprobate // Joe Richardson • Harold Halibut // Slow Bros • Paper Trail // Newfangled Games • Rusty’s Retirement // Mister Morris Hames • SCHiM // Extra Nice @joerichardson.bsky.social

Physical Release of the Year • A Little To The Left: Extra Tidy Edition // U&I Entertainment • Cassette Beasts: Deluxe Edition // Super Rare Games • Escape Team // AKRONYM • Inspector Waffles Early Days // Broke Studio • Plateup! // Numskull • VED // Video Games Plus @numskullgames.bsky.social

ICYMI Award • A Hat in Time // Gears for Breakfast • Little Misfortune // Killmonday Games • Loop Hero // Four Quarters • Rivals of Aether // Dan Fornace • Sable // Shedworks • Tinykin // Splashteam @hatintime.com @shedworksgreg.bsky.social @killmondaygames.bsky.social @rivals2.com

Best New Studio • Berzerkboy Games • Halftone Gaming • Hilltop Studios • Not Suspicious • Slow Bros • Whalestork @halftonegaming.bsky.social @playhilltop.bsky.social @notsuspicioushq.bsky.social @slowbros.bsky.social @whalestorkgames.bsky.social