Taipei Game Show has just revealed the finalists for its Indie Game Award 2025. Hosted annually in conjunction with Taipei Game Show, the awards show highlights the best indie games developed around the world including several finalists from Southeast Asia.
These include Lost and Found Co. from Bit Egg Inc. nominated in the Best Audio category; and Verde and the Echoing Water from Antimeta Studio, Bag of Seed from Sankalpa Games, and Paper Pal from Scribble Squad nominated in the Best Student Game category. The winners of all seven categories will be announced on January 22nd, 2025.
This year’s Indie Game Award attracted 340 entrants from 52 countries. Seven countries, including Georgia, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Egypt, Ukraine, Uruguay, and New Zealand, have joined the competition for the first time, with New Zealand making a remarkable debut by securing a spot in the finals.
Here’s the complete list of finalists for the Indie Game Award 2025:
Best Narrative
- Escape from Ever After — Sleepy Castle Studio (Canada)
- Insects Awaken — HelloMeow (China)
- The Midnight Barber — Omaet Games (Spain)
- KARMA: The Dark World — Pollard Studio (Sweden)
- Mouthwashing — Wrong Organ (Sweden)
- Minds Beneath Us — Bearbone (Taiwan)
Best Audio
- Maid Cafe on Electric Street — Adventurer’s Tavern (Japan)
- Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip — snekflat (Netherlands)
- The Midnight Barber — Omaet Games (Spain)
- Rubinite — Cup Dog Games (Taiwan)
- Lost and Found Co. — Bit Egg Inc. (Thailand)
Best Visual Art
- Bruma — 4HA Games Studio SpA (Chile)
- Sunset Hills — Cotton Game (China)
- Rose and Locket — Whistling Wizard (New Zealand)
- KARMA: The Dark World — Pollard Studio (Sweden)
- The Star Named EOS — Silver Lining Studio (Taiwan)
Best Design
- CATO: Buttered Cat — Team Woll (China)
- DICEOMANCER — Ultra Piggy Studio (China)
- Bionic Bay — Psychoflow Studio (Taiwan)
- Balatro — LocalThunk (Canada)
- Temporal Titans — Lost Tower Games (United States)
Best Innovation
- CATO: Buttered Cat — Team Woll (China)
- WHAT THE CAR? — Triband (Denmark)
- Dungeon Inn — Cat Society (South Korea)
- Mouthwashing — Wrong Organ (Sweden)
- Balatro — LocalThunk (Canada)
Best Mobile Game
- Monstabox — atKombi (Argentina)
- Sunset Hills — Cotton Game (China)
- WHAT THE CAR? — Triband (Denmark)
- Scarecrow Tactics — Shining Gorani (South Korea)
- Balatro — LocalThunk (Canada)
Best Student Game
- Bag of Seed — Sankalpa Games (Indonesia)
- Verde and the Echoing Water — Antimeta Studio from Binus University (Indonesia)
- Paper Pal — Scribble Squad from UOW Malaysia (Malaysia)
- MONOWAVE — BBB (South Korea)
- Scarecrow Tactics — Shining Gorani (South Korea)
- Pass Without Faith — Musu Studio (Taiwan)
For the nominees and finalists from last year’s Indie Game Award, read our article here.
