Independent Games Festival awards nominees revealed, includes some familiar favorites

By Adam Rosenberg January 8, 2014

independent games festival nominees revealed includes familiar favorites the stanley parable doors

The 16th annual Independent Games Festival awards will conclude at the 2014 Game Developer’s Conference in late March, and now we’ve got a full rundown of the event’s finalists. A number of familiar titles are up for awards in one or more categories, including several of Digital Trends’ Game of the Year contenders and winners.

Galactic Cafe’s first-person meta-comedy The Stanley Parable and Simogo’s iOS-exclusive text adventure (but not the way you think) Device 6 are both up for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize. They’re joined by Papers Please, Don’t Starve (which is part of the PlayStation 4’s Instant Game Collection for PS Plus subscribers as of this week), Jazzpunk, and Dominique Pamplemousse in “It’s All Over Once the Fat Lady Sings!” , a stop-motion musical detective game that deserves accolades for its title alone.

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The IGF has been giving indie developers and helpful boost since it kicked off in 1999. Notable previous winners include Braid, FTL: Faster Than Light, Minecraft, and World of Goo. All of the winners in the Main Competition portion of the event score a distribution deal with Valve for a Steam release. Finalists get to start voting on the IGF’s Audience Award winner in mid-February and the IGF Student Showcase award winners will be announced later this month.

You should definitely head over to the IGF website to check out the full list of nominees. The site offers basic info up on each games as well as links to official websites and the like. If you ever want to get in on the ground floor of what’s getting in-the-know gamers excited, this is a great place to start.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Gaming

How to revive dead companions in Baldur’s Gate 3

Withers offering services to the player in Baldur's Gate 3.

You're given a good bit of leeway during battles in Baldur's Gate 3 before you or a companion actually bites the dust for good. While in battle, if a teammate does take enough damage to drop, they aren't dead then and there. Instead, they will be downed with a chance to roll every turn to get back up. If they roll successfully three times, the battle ends, or you use another character to pick them up, they're good. If they fail that roll three times, however, they will be completely dead. That can be harsh when you've become attached to certain characters and want to further their stories, so you'll be looking for any way you can to bring them back. Thankfully you do have a few options for reviving companions in Baldur's Gate 3, but just like respeccing, they aren't so obvious.
Pay Withers to bring them back

Withers is a friendly undead you can find in a secret room in the Dank Crypt found inside the Overgrown Ruins. After finding and speaking to him in his sarcophagus, he will offer you various services, one of which is bringing back any dead companions. He won't do this out of the kindness of his heart (probably because it isn't beating) and will charge you a heavy fine of 200 gold to do so. Still, that's a small price to pay to bring back a beloved character. Once paid, that character will appear in your camp where they would normally be, so there's no need to go back to their corpse and find them.
Use a scroll of Revivfy or learn it

Gaming

Every video game delay that has happened in 2023 so far

The player skates toward the moon in Skate Story.

Few things feel as inevitable in the video game industry as delays. Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, game delays have only become more and more common as developers find previously set timelines unrealistic and adjust their release plans accordingly. More than halfway through 2023, we've already seen some notable AAA games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Skull & Bones, and Pragmata delayed pretty heavily. Because video game release date delays are so common, it can be tough to keep track of every game that has had its launch date shifted in some way.
That's why, just as we did in 2021 and 2022, Digital Trends is rounding up every game delay that's announced throughout 2023. Here are the high-profile ones that have happened so far, listed chronologically by their new intended release dates.
The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR (March 16)

As Until Dawn: Rush of Blood is one of the best games for PlayStation VR, The Dark Pictures: Switchback VR, Supermassive Games' PlayStation VR2 successor, is a highly anticipated launch title for the upcoming VR headset. Unfortunately, it will no longer make PlayStation VR2's February 22 launch and will instead be released on March 16. On Twitter, a message from Supermassive Games says this delay will ensure that players "receive the most polished, terrifying experience possible" at release. The game was released on that date to mixed reviews.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (March 24)

Gaming

Is Remnant 2 cross-platform?

Three characters shoot at a boss in Remnant 2.

Aside from the focus on firearms and integrating some randomly generated environments, the Remnant series sets itself apart from other souls-like games mainly with its focus on co-op. Both titles encourage you to team up with two friends to fight your way through the mutated monsters that await. After so many years of progress in terms of multiplatform games incorporating full cross-platform support, you might assume Remnant 2 will follow suit and let you make a group with anyone regardless of what platform they're on. However, the truth may be a bit more disappointing. Before you make plans with your squad, here's what you need to know about Remnant 2's cross-platform support.
Is Remnant 2 cross-platform?

Unfortunately, Remnant 2 does not have cross-platform play between PS5, Xbox Series X or PC -- and there's no word about it being added in the future.