Summary
UPDATE: Cocoon won Best Debut Indie Gameat The Game Awards 2023!
The gaming industry is a vast one that casts a wide net over countless different genres and experiences, and one of the biggest highlights ofThe Game Awardsis its determination to try and highlight the best of it all. So, while most of The Game Awards' categories are focused on highlighting the biggest and the best, which often ends up meaningAAA first-party titles, there are still a few categories dedicated to giving the spotlight to some smaller titles. That’s the express purpose of The Game Awards 2023’s Best Debut Indie category.
A category specifically designed to give brand-new Indie studios their time to shine,The Game Awards' Best Debut Indie category gives a total of five truly superb Indie games a nomination this year. And while all five Indie games stand a solid chance at taking home the coveted Game Award, there are a few that seemingly have the edge this year, and there’s one particular favorite to win.
2023 Best Debut Indie Nominees
Cocoon
Undoubtedly the front runner forThe Game Awards' Best Debut Indie category,Cocoonis a game that released a few months ago, which the industry hasn’t stopped talking about ever since. An incredibly innovative puzzle game that sees players hop between different worlds to fetch key items and solve puzzles,Cocoonis a game unlike any other this year, and perhaps any year before it as well.Cocoonis an incredibly impressive Indie game, and the fact that it’s Geometric Interactive’s first is astounding.
While this is Geometric Interactive’s first game, the studio is headed up byLimboandInsidelead gameplay designer Jeppe Carlsen.
Dredge
Created by just four people in New Zealand,Dredgeis another stand-out Indie game this year, and it’s received quite a few different nominations at The Game Awards. A fishing game witha dark Lovecraftian twist,Dredgeis another wholly unique title that’s unlike anything else on the market right now, and that’s the telltale sign of an excellent Indie game.
Pizza Tower
Heavily inspired by unhinged 90s cartoons,Pizza Toweris an exceptional throwback 2D side-scrolling platformer that has both some serious style and substance. A game that’s been in the works since 2018,Pizza Toweris undoubtedly one of the most impressive Indie games released this year, and for fans of frantic 2D side-scrollers heavilyinfluenced byWario Land, it’s a must-play.
Venba
Marketed as a narrative cooking game,Venbais much more than first meets the eye. Centered around an Indian family who’s just immigrated to Canada in the 1980s,Venbasees players take control of the matriarch of the family as she tries to connect to her family and heritage through cooking. Alsonominated for The Game Awards' Games for Impact category,Venbais a truly special Indie game that’s clearly been made with a lot of passion and genuine heart.
Viewfinder
An incredibly unique puzzle game that doesn’t quite stick the landing and fully live up to its premise,Viewfindersees players take photographs of the environment, and use those photographs to solve puzzles in a reality-bending way. For instance, players can take a picture of a bridge in the distance, and use that photograph to then place a bridge in front of them.Viewfinderis an excellent debut title from Sad Owl Studios, but its shorter length and a handful of other nitpicks might keep it from winning a Game Award this year.
Final Prediction
Though there have been some exceptional debut Indie titles this year, only one game can win The Game Awards 2023’s Best Debut Indie trophy, andCocoonseems like the safest bet of the bunch.Cocoonnot only has some top-notch presentation, but its coreworld-hopping gimmickis so innovative and well-integrated that it’s made the game one of the best hidden gems of the entire year. It seems like a safe pick for this category.
