Papers, Please wins top honors at Independent Games Festival

2013 was a pretty great year for games, and when it came down to picking the best of them, we here at Gamezebo had our hands full last December. Above all of the others, though, there were three games that stood out as simply amazing: Papers, Please, Device 6 and Kentucky Route Zero. These games made up our top 3 picks for the year, and while there was a definite #1, #2, #3 order to them, really, any would have been fair to call our Game of the Year.

It looks like the annual Independent Games Festival Awards (a great indie celebration that takes place at GDC) happens to agree. Last night, Lucas Pope’s Papers, Please took home the Seamus McNally Grand Prize for Best Indie Game (as well as two additional awards: Excellence in Design and Excellence in Narrative).

news

By
Share this
  • Share this on Facebook
  • Share this on Twitter

2013 was a pretty great year for games, and when it came down to picking the best of them, we here at Gamezebo had our hands full last December. Above all of the others, though, there were three games that stood out as simply amazing: Papers, Please, Device 6 and Kentucky Route Zero. These games made up our top 3 picks for the year, and while there was a definite #1, #2, #3 order to them, really, any would have been fair to call our Game of the Year.

It looks like the annual Independent Games Festival Awards (a great indie celebration that takes place at GDC) happens to agree. Last night, Lucas Pope’s Papers, Please took home the Seamus McNally Grand Prize for Best Indie Game (as well as two additional awards: Excellence in Design and Excellence in Narrative).

news

And that’s not all! The game also picked up the title of Best Downloadable Game (and an Innovation Award) at the Game Developer’s Choice Awards last night. It didn’t net an actual “Game of the Year” award here – that honor went to the PS3-exclusive The Last of Us – but I don’t think the lack of acknowledgement there is really going to rain on Lucas’ parade this morning.

If you haven’t played it yet, there’s really no better time than the present. It’s a brilliant blend of Soviet parody, time management, and sobering reality.

Congratulations, Mr. Pope! Now get back to work and make another game for your adoring public. 

Jim Squires is the Editor-in-Chief of Gamezebo. Everything you see passes his eyes first, so we like to think of him as "the gatekeeper of cool stuff." He likes good games, great writing, and just can't say no to a hamburger. Also, he is not a bear.