Incryption wins the IGF Grand Prize and GDC Game Of The Year Award 2022

Last night, RPS’ Bestest Best game of 2021 Inscryption won the Seumus McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival Awards, confirming that once again, we are correct about everything. If that wasn’t enough, though, an hour later, Incryption then won the Game Of The Year award at the Game Developers Choice Awards. It’s the first time a game has ever won both awards in the same year, which is a stonking achievement. Clearly, our Advent Calendar made some pretty big waves this year. Just saying.

Inscryption didn’t pick up any more awards at the GDC Awards, but it took home several accolades at the IGF awards, nabbing Excellence In Design, Excellence In Audio and Excellence In Narrative. Brendan (RPS in peace) called it “a beautifully cursed creation” in his review, and captured the imaginations of many other RPS Treehouse members as well when it came out at the end of last year.

You can see the full list of winners and runner-ups over on the IGF’s finalists page, but Best Student Game went to Live Adventure, and Excellence in Visual Art was given to Papetura. The Nuovo Award, which is “given to the game title that makes the jurors think differently about games as a medium,” went to Memory Card. Finally, the Audience Award, which was voted for by the public, went to the excellent Mini Motorways.

The Game Developers Choice Awards also had a bunch of other very correct winners. Unpacking won Best Audio and Best Innovation, and in Alice’s review, she specifically mentioned that “there is care in every line of Unpacking, in the ancient mug that you come to know as The Mug You Always Keep Your Toothbrush In, the way this person’s fashion changes a little bit over time, the sound design that sees cutlery jangle when you put it away.”

Psychonauts 2 won Best Narrative, which is pretty understandable, and It Takes Two was awarded Best Design. Boyfriend Dungeon was given the Social Impact Award, which is a new award category introduced this year. “This award recognizes a game that advances equality, justice, intersectionality, and/or sustainability, and works to positively impact lives in a meaningful way” says the GDC website.

Iron Gate Studios did well for themselves too, picking up both the Audience Award and the Best Debut award, both for Valheim.

That’s an amazing set of achievements by everyone involved. Congratulations to all the winners and the nominees.