The Indie Game Developer Network (IGDN) is a trade association for developers of indie role-playing games, board games, card games, and LARPs.[1] They present the annual Indie Groundbreaker Awards at Gen Con.[2] [3] [4] Their other programs include a scholarship to attend the game designer convention Metatopia, a mentorship program, and a peer coaching program.[5] [6]
The Indie Groundbreaker Awards began in 2016 and are offered in 5 categories: Game of the Year, Best Art, Best Setting, Best Rules, and Most Innovative. They are judged by a rotating panel of game designers. After the Indie RPG Awards gave their final set of awards in 2017,[7] IGDN's Indie Groundbreaker Awards took on their function in the tabletop role-playing game community of evaluating and recognizing achievements in independent game design.
Award Winners by Year
2016
| Award | Game | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | A Real Game[8] | Aura Belle | |
| Best Art | Fall of Magic[9] | Ross Cowman (Heart of the Deernicorn) | |
| Best Setting | Downfall[10] | Caroline Hobbs (Less Than Three Games) | |
| Best Rules | Death of Legends[11] | Imaginary Empire | |
| Most Innovative | 183 Days[12] | Tiny Knives |
2017
| Award | Game | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Seven Wonders[13] | Pelgrane Press | |
| Best Art | Fellowship[14] | Liberi Gothica Games | |
| Best Setting | War Birds | ||
| Best Rules | Masks: A New Generation[15] | Magpie Games | |
| Most Innovative | The Beast |
2018
| Award | Game | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Bluebeard's Bride[16] | Whitney "Strix" Beltrán, Marissa Kelly, Sarah Doombringer (Magpie Games) | |
| Best Art | Bluebeard's Bride[17] | Whitney "Strix" Beltrán, Marissa Kelly, Sarah Doombringer (Magpie Games) | |
| Best Setting | Arecibo[18] | Evil Hat Productions | |
| Best Rules | Damn the Man, Save the Music[19] | Hannah Shaffer | |
| Most Innovative | Feast[20] | Sharang Biswas | |
| Groundbreaking Supplement | Harlem Unbound[21] | Chris Spivey |
2019
| Award | Game | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Dialect: A Game About Language and How It Dies[22] | Kathryn Hymes and Hakan Seyalıoğlu (Thorny Games) | |
| Best Art | Bluebeard's Bride: Book of Rooms[23] | Whitney "Strix" Beltrán, Marissa Kelly, Sarah Doombringer (Magpie Games) | |
| Best Setting | The Way of Pukona[24] | Evil Hat Productions | |
| Best Rules | Good Society (game)[25] | Storybrewers Roleplaying | |
| Most Innovative | Verdure[26] | Sharang Biswas |
2020
| Award | Game | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Companions' Tale[27] | Laura Simpson | |
| Best Art | Humblewood[28] | Hit Point Press | |
| Best Setting | Afterlife: Wandering Souls[29] | Angry Hamster Publishing | |
| Best Rules | Mazes[30] | 9th Level Games | |
| Most Innovative | If I Were a Lich, Man[31] | Lucian Kahn |
2021
| Award | Game | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Crescendo Giocoso Ritornello[32] | The Italian Chamber Orchestra | |
| Best Art | Lutong Banwa[33] | Diwata ng Manila | |
| Best Setting | Karanduun - Make God Bleed[34] | Joaquin Kyle Saavedra | |
| Best Rules | Slayers[35] | Spencer Campbell | |
| Most Innovative | This Discord Has Ghosts In It[36] | Will Jobst and Adam Vass (World Champ Game Co.) |
2022
| Award | Game | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game of the Year | Brave Zenith[37] | Giuliano Roverato and Rodrigo Melchior | |
| Best Art | A Fantastic Longing for Adventure[38] | Tim Hutchings | |
| Best Setting | Arcon: City of Neon Daylight[39] | Kienna Shaw and Jason Cutrone | |
| Best Rules | GUN&SLINGER[40] | Nevyn Holmes | |
| Most Innovative | My Body is a Cage[41] | Batts |