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| (Image Source: Events For Gamers/Taipei Game Show) |
Hosted by Taipei Game Show, the Indie Game Award 2026, the Asia-leading game industry awards program, officially announced its winners recently. The Japan-based TearyHand Studio’s And Roger captured both the Grand Prix and Best Audio, earning widespread acclaim for its deeply emotional narrative and perfectly integrated, moving soundtrack. Judges praised the game’s refined controls and its ability to fully immerse players in the story through music, with many panelists admitting they were “moved to tears”. Even after the game ends, its story lingers — a truly outstanding work that leaves a lasting impression.
This year’s competition was held in collaboration with PlayStation, attracting 515 entries from 51 countries and regions, representing a 1.5-fold increase in scale and marking the highest number of submissions in the award’s 12-year history. Competition reached an unprecedented level of intensity. Jury members including Yosp Inc. CEO Shuhei Yoshida, IGN JAPAN Executive Producer Daniel Robson, INVEN (Korea's leading game media organization) Editor-in-Chief Jiyeon Kim, BitSummit CEO Masahiko Murakami, Indie Wavemakers Chairperson Elicia Lee, BIC Festival representative Rani Kim, and the National Taiwan University of Arts Experimental Game Lab Director Lee Chun-I served as award presenters at the said ceremony. A total of 7 winning teams from around the world gathered in Taipei to celebrate their achievements, sharing the spotlight in front of dozens of finalist teams and exhibitors. Taiwanese developers also delivered outstanding performances. Developed by FromDawn Games, Aeruta blends action-adventure gameplay with simulation elements. Its charming Japanese-inspired art style and strong character design earned judges’ praise for being “a joy to play”, securing the Best Visual Art. Meanwhile, the Best Student Game went to Froggo’s Adventure: Drifting Sky, developed by SmellyFrog. Players take on the role of a pixel-art frog exploring a magical 2D platforming world. Its simple yet adorable visuals, nostalgic chiptune music, and clever details invite players to keep exploring with a smile.
The Best Narrative was presented to the Berlin Apartment, developed by Germany’s Blue Backpack. Through fragmented everyday objects, the game uncovers memories of an old apartment building, with each story distinct yet collectively reconstructing a bygone era. Belgium-based Beeswax Games’ No Players Online received the Best Innovation, recreating the look of early computer interfaces. Players solve puzzles on an old computer to uncover a surprisingly vast hidden story within a shooter game. Judges commended its exceptional atmosphere, noting that “even when nothing is happening, it feels unsettling”. From the United States, BALL x PIT, developed by Kenny Sun & Friends, won Best Design. Combining brick-breaking mechanics with ball fusion, base-building, and roguelite elements, the game delivers fast-paced action and endless strategic variety through procedural evolution. The Best Mobile Game went to Graytail, developed by South Korea’s Concode. Players investigate roaming mutants on an island alongside a detective while collecting clues to uncover the mystery behind a missing mother. Judges praised its smooth narrative flow and elegant visual style, recognizing it as a highly promising title. Throughout the four-day exhibition of Taipei Game Show, all winning titles were made available to the public for hands-on play at the Winner’s Pavilion within the Indie House where visitors were able to experience in one place the finest indie games selected by an international jury of industry professionals.
Indie Game Award 2026 Official List Of Winners:
• Best Narrative: The Berlin Apartment, Blue Backpack (Germany)
• Best Audio: And Roger, TearyHand Studio (Japan)
• Best Visual Art: Aeruta, FromDawn Games (Taiwan)
• Best Design: BALL x PIT, Kenny Sun & Friends (United States)
• Best Innovation: No Players Online, Beeswax Games (Belgium)
• Best Mobile Game: Graytail, Concode (South Korea)
• Best Student Game: Froggo's Adventure: Drifting Sky, SmellyFrog (Taiwan)
• Grand Prix: And Roger, TearyHand Studio (Japan)
