The Indie Groundbreaker Awards

The IGDN is pleased to present the Indie Groundbreaker Awards, which are designed to shine a spotlight on excellence in the indie game design community. These awards will recognize games (and game designers) who are creating new and exciting game designs that push the boundaries in innovation, in promoting diversity, and in expanding what it means to be “indie.”

The Indie Groundbreaker Awards, while presented by the IGDN, are meant to recognize all indie designers across the industry. Therefore, our judging panel will be made up of professionals from both inside and outside our organization. These judges will provide an unbiased group decision, as games they have worked on will not be eligible for submission this year.

Important Dates:

  • Submissions Open: January 1st, 2026

  • Submissions Close: January 31st, 2026

  • Nominees Announced: April 18th, 2026

  • Winners Announced: May 24th, 2026

Submissions

Submit your games using the following form: https://forms.gle/DZAZV3ER6qr486jE7

Games must have been released since the last Indie Groundbreakers submission period (November 1st, 2024) and must not have been submitted to a previous Indie Groundbreaker Awards.

Award Categories

There are 5 award categories. Every game submitted will be eligible to win in any one category, as determined by the judges.

  • Most Innovative – Recognizing the most innovative and unique game design

  • Best Art – Recognizing the best artwork and illustrations.

  • Best Graphic Design – Recognizing the best logos, graphic design, and layout.

  • Best Rules – Recognizing best mechanics, judging on rules set & clarity

  • Best Setting – Recognizing the most evocative, interesting, solid and unique setting.

  • Game of the Year – An overall award given to the best game of the year.

Eligible Games

The awards submissions must conform to the following requirements:

GAMES MUST:

  • Type of games: The game must be considered a LARP, tabletop RPG, Card Game, Board Game, or some variant within (such as a dice game).

  • Independently published: The game must be conceived and published by artists, designers, and developers. The judges retain final judgment over whether or not a product
    is “indie.”

  • Complete, published and available: The game must be available on some kind of store-front, whether it be a free pdf download on DriveThruRPG, purchased through Amazon, or distributed through Alliance. Furthermore, the game must be complete, including all pieces and information necessary for a full (non-demo) game. Reasonable exceptions apply for universally available materials, such as the need for pencils and paper.

  • Recent: Games must have been released since the last Indie Groundbreakers.

GAMES CANNOT BE:

  • Sports or Sport-like: The game should be able to be played well without the need to train the player’s physical attributes in order to get better at it. While obvious exclusions are things like tennis and baseball, this also includes other physical games that do not have a storytelling component.

  • Video Games: Games that solely rely on digital interface. Electronic components are welcome, but must focus on the above “game must be” criterium.

  • Re-releases & Second editions: Previously released products are only eligible if they have not previously won in any category. If a new edition is a substantial revision (i.e. D&D 5th Edition) it can be declared eligible by unanimous consent of the judges.

  • Judges: Games created by or produced by a judge of that year’s awards are disqualified.

  • Illegal or unethical.

Winners & Prizes

AWARD WINNERS

  • An IGDN PDF gaming bundle.

  • Acknowledgments on hall of fame award page.

  • Rights to the Indie Groundbreaker Awards Winner logo and acknowledgements on the winning game.

 RUNNER UPS

  • Rights to the Indie Groundbreaker Awards Runner-Up logo.

  • Acknowledgements as a Indie Groundbreaker Runner-Up.

*Physical copies will not be returned. They will be used by the judges to determine quality and then raffled off to help cover the costs of the awards program.

GAME OF THE YEAR

  • An IGDN PDF gaming bundle.

  • Recognition on hall of fame award page.

  • Rights to the Indie Groundbreaker Awards Game of the Year logo and acknowledgements on the winning game.

  • The “Game of the Year” is invited to display and sell their winning game at all major conventions with an IGDN presence, free of cost (shipping not included), for the next year.

JUDGES

  • Digital copies of all submitted games.

  • Acknowledgements on the hall of fame award page.

2025 Indie Groundbreaker Judges

Seraphina Garcia Ramirez

Seraphina Garcia Ramirez is a writer, developmental editor, and lover of games. She started playing Pathfinder and D&D in high school, before discovering the magic of indie game design. When Sera’s not online talking about her most recent hyperfixation game or design theory, she helps facilitate the local Community Game Night and recently volunteered on the board of FLAG Con in upstate New York. You can find her blog here, and her Bluesky yapping here.

Adam Seats

Adam Seats (they/them) has been running RPGs and helping with convention logistics for close to two decades. They are most known for co-creating the ENNIE winning D&D adventure "One Night Strahd" in 2022 as well as contributing work to "Coming Out of Mimiclandia" and "The Pine Tar of Claus Manor." They have also appeared on podcasts like Fables Around The Table and One Shot, and have run games for Hunters Entertainment, Kobold Press, Mythworks, and Plus One EXP at GenCon and PAX Unplugged. Outside of RPGs, Adam's interests orbit around people making music with vintage synthesizers and videogame equipment.

Image credit to Will Kirkby

Maz Hamilton

Maz Hamilton (they/them) is the business brain behind Rowan, Rook and Decard, and has been developing, producing, editing and delivering tabletop RPGs for over a decade. They are a recovering journalist and high-speed pedant with a penchant for crunchy rules and interesting paper choices. Image credit to Will Kirkby please.

Wes Franks

Wes Franks (they/them) is a queer, nonbinary writer, designer, and former streamer who has been working in the industry for over six years. They are the founder and creative director of Carrion Comfort, developing weird Tabletop games and shows such as DEAD-PILLED, This Old House, and more! Wes loves mythology, professional wrestling, and reminding folks they used to be a chef.

And the 2025 nominees are…

Game of the Year

The Time We Have — By Elliot Davis - Writer, Ripley Ash - Illustrator, Samantha Leigh - Editor

Spine — By Asa Donald (Designer, Writer) Furt the Goblin (Developmental Editor) Holly Freiberg (Interior Art) Nala J. Wu (Prop Design)

Little Wolves — Cover art by Jaen Butler Editing by Tyler Crumrine Game & world design by Julie-Anne Muñoz and Nevyn Holmes Cultural, Accessibility, and Sensitivity consultation (and writing) by Basil Wright Layout & artwork by Julie-Anne Muñoz Art by Grendel Menz, Damien Jairus Maps by Fernando Salvaterra

What Should We Have Tomorrow — By Aaron Lim (Game design, writing), Ella Lim (Layout), Thar Chandran (Cover and interior art), Mandy "4threset" Chan (Interior art)

ChainxLink — By Ethan Yen (Game Design), Tony Tran (Art), Andrew Beauman (Layout and additional Art)

Most Innovative

In Love with the Moon — By James Kerr

Spine —  By Asa Donald (Designer, Writer) Furt the Goblin (Developmental Editor) Holly Freiberg (Interior Art) Nala J. Wu (Prop Design)

The Time We Have — By Elliot Davis - Writer, Ripley Ash - Illustrator, Samantha Leigh - Editor

ChainxLink — By Ethan Yen (Game Design), Tony Tran (Art), Andrew Beauman (Layout and additional Art)

Uneasy Lies the head — By Adam Bell - Designer, Layout; Sashah Li - Editing

Best Rules

The Time We Have — By Elliot Davis - Writer, Ripley Ash - Illustrator, Samantha Leigh - Editor

Glatisant — By Lucas Zellers - Creator and Writer | Emily Entner - Visual & Graphic Designer | Fran Morton - Illustrator

Looking Presentable — By Robin Small

Pale Dot — By Devin Nelson, with cover design by Si Sweetmann, editing by Jenn Martin

Underneath — Writing, design, and layout: Seb Pines Editing: Will Jobst Character Art: Mary Verhoeven Cave photography: Ben Garbow

Best Writing

Uneasy Lies the Head — By Adam Bell - Designer, Layout; Sashah Li - Editing

We Shall Be Monsters — By Creator/Designer: Seb Pines Editor: satah

Digital Angel — By Sandro AD

Spine —  By Asa Donald (Designer, Writer) Furt the Goblin (Developmental Editor) Holly Freiberg (Interior Art) Nala J. Wu (Prop Design)

In love with the moon — By James Kerr

Best Art

Mythomorphosis — Writing and design - Gordie Murphy. Lead art - Juho Choi. Featured art - momatoes. Featured art - Jayson Cavender. Julie-Anne "Jam" Muñoz - layout. Tyler Crumrine - editing.

Little Wolves — Cover art by Jaen Butler Editing by Tyler Crumrine Game & world design by Julie-Anne Muñoz and Nevyn Holmes Cultural, Accessibility, and Sensitivity consultation (and writing) by Basil Wright Layout & artwork by Julie-Anne Muñoz Art by Grendel Menz, Damien Jairus Maps by Fernando Salvaterra

The Time We Have — By Elliot Davis - Writer, Ripley Ash - Illustrator, Samantha Leigh - Editor

Every Villain Is a Loser (E.V.I.L.) — By Reilly Qyote (Author) & Frederik Hornung (Artist)

Thieves of the Tome — By George Philbrick - Design, Writing, Layout Tom Lowell - Cover Art, Interior Art Eric Swanson - Editing Rose Fallon - Copy Editing

Best Setting

Punk Is Dead — By Tim Roberts 

Little Wolves — Cover art by Jaen Butler Editing by Tyler Crumrine Game & world design by Julie-Anne Muñoz and Nevyn Holmes Cultural, Accessibility, and Sensitivity consultation (and writing) by Basil Wright Layout & artwork by Julie-Anne Muñoz Art by Grendel Menz, Damien Jairus Maps by Fernando Salvaterra

We Wander Beneath Radiant Lights — By Kyle Tam - Author, JM Madamba - Editor, Neonrot - Layout, Jaen

The Goodest Girls — By Brigitte Winter

Vesta Mandate by Chase Kurkowski, Ryan Zenith, and Tony Tran

Best Graphic Design

ChainxLink — By Ethan Yen (Game Design), Tony Tran (Art), Andrew Beauman (Layout and additional Art)

What Should We Have Tomorrow —  By Aaron Lim (Game design, writing), Ella Lim (Layout), Thar Chandran (Cover and interior art), Mandy "4threset" Chan (Interior art)

Little Wolves — Cover art by Jaen Butler Editing by Tyler Crumrine Game & world design by Julie-Anne Muñoz and Nevyn Holmes Cultural, Accessibility, and Sensitivity consultation (and writing) by Basil Wright Layout & artwork by Julie-Anne Muñoz Art by Grendel Menz, Damien Jairus Maps by Fernando Salvaterra

The Time We Have — By Elliot Davis - Writer, Ripley Ash - Illustrator, Samantha Leigh - Editor

Fight or Fright — By Game Designer: Alex Marinkovich-Josey. Layout and Cover Artist: Mike Rieman. Interior Art: Grace Elzenheimer

Thank you to everyone who submitted, and congratulations to all of the nominees!

All previous award winners can be found here

Want to know how to apply or how to contribute? Email us at IndieGroundbreaker@gmail.com