LOS ANGELES, January 16, 2026 — While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated headlines at recent gaming awards, a smaller, intensely challenging title is finally getting the recognition it deserves: Baby Steps.
A Physics-Based Triumph Receives Long-Awaited Accolades
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The 2026 Independent Games Festival Awards nominated “Baby Steps” in five categories, signaling a shift towards recognizing innovative, challenging gameplay.
- The 2026 Independent Games Festival Awards announced its nominees on January 8, highlighting independent game development.
- Baby Steps received nominations for Excellence in Audio, Excellence in Design, Excellence in Narrative, the Nuovo Award, and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize.
- The game’s unique, frustrating, and ultimately rewarding physics-based gameplay has garnered a dedicated following.
- This year’s festival includes a new award honoring women and gender-marginalized developers, with a $2,000 bonus for each category winner and $20,000 for the grand prize.
The 2026 Independent Games Festival Awards released its list of nominees on January 8, showcasing the incredible work of developers outside the AAA space. Baby Steps managed to pick up nominations in five categories: Excellence in Audio, Excellence in Design, Excellence in Narrative, the Nuovo Award (for “experiences that make the awards jurors think differently about games as a medium”), and the prestigious Seumas McNally Grand Prize.
What makes “Baby Steps” so compelling despite its difficulty? The game places players in the role of Nate, inexplicably transported from the squalor of his parents’ basement to a bizarre world populated by creatures with…unusual anatomy, and Australians. Navigating this strange landscape, particularly on PlayStation 5, requires precise control of Nate’s feet using the controller’s triggers, combined with leaning using the control stick. Even walking feels like a monumental achievement, and the challenge intensifies when faced with slippery slopes and precarious rockfaces.
The recognition is particularly gratifying for fans of the “rage game” genre, a niche practically invented by Baby Steps co-developer Bennett Foddy, known for previous titles QWOP and Getting Over It. But Baby Steps is more than just frustrating gameplay; it cleverly interrogates the very concept of difficulty in video games, both through its mechanics and its narrative. Play it, and remember: Baby Steps doesn’t want you to rage, it wants you to love yourself.
Other Nominees Shine
Baby Steps wasn’t the only indie title to receive attention. Offbeat local TV broadcast simulator Blippo+, surreal strategy game Titanium Court, and the controversial Horses also earned multiple nominations. After the focus on mainstream titles like Clair Obscur at the Game Awards, the Game Developers Choice Awards, and the DICE Awards, it’s refreshing to see an awards show dedicated to exploring the full spectrum of game development.
This year’s Independent Games Festival also introduces a new category, the WINGS Award, honoring games created by women and other gender-marginalized developers in collaboration with Wings Interactive. Each award in this category comes with a $2,000 bonus, with the grand prize winner receiving $20,000.
2026 Independent Games Festival Awards Nominees
Best Student Game
- BubbleBeast DigiDungeon (EchoLane)
- Kiloton (Jack Morehart)
- Poco (Whalefall, Micah Boursier)
- Prší (Herdek)
- Sip Fisher (Syphon Software)
- SPRKLS.exe (PesiiDom)
Excellence in Audio
- Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
- BALL x PIT (Kenny Sun & Friends, Devolver Digital)
- Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
- Eclipsium (Housefire, CRITICAL REFLEX)
- Morsels (Furcula, Annapurna Interactive)
- Wheel World (Messhof, Annapurna Interactive)
Excellence in Design
- Angeline Era (Analgesic Productions)
- Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
- Öoo (NamaTakahashi, tiny cactus studio, Tsuyomi)
- Skin Deep (Blendo Games, Annapurna Interactive)
- Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
- Time Flies (Playables, Panic)
Excellence in Narrative
- Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
- Perfect Tides: Station to Station (Three Bees)
- Promise Mascot Agency (Kaizen Game Works)
- Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
- Type Help (William Rous)
- Wednesdays (The Pixel Hunt, ARTE France)
Excellence in Visual Arts
- Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
- CARIMARA: Beneath the forlorn limbs (Bastinus Rex, CRITICAL REFLEX)
- Eclipsium (Housefire, CRITICAL REFLEX)
- Loco Motive (Robust Games, Chucklefish)
- Morsels (Furcula, Annapurna Interactive)
- Skate Story (Sam Eng, Devolver Digital)
Nuovo Award
- Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
- Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
- HORSES (Andrea Lucco Borlera, Santa Ragione)
- Mini Mini Golf Golf (Three More Years)
- Plum Road Tea Dream (Reveal Game Studio)
- Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
- kevin’s PLAYING in berlin (Kevin Du)
- Wednesdays (The Pixel Hunt, ARTE France)
WINGS Award
- Ambrosia Sky (Soft Rains)
- Backpack Battles (PlayWithFurcifer, IndieArk)
- The Wandering Village (Stray Fawn Studio, Stray Fawn Publishing, Whisper Games)
- Yes, Your Grace 2: Snowfall (Brave at Night)
- 13Z: The Zodiac Trials (Mixed Realms Pte Ltd)
Seumas McNally Grand Prize
- Baby Steps (Gabe Cuzzillo, Maxi Boch, Bennett Foddy, Devolver Digital)
- Angeline Era (Analgesic Productions)
- Blippo+ (YACHT, Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Panic)
- HORSES (Andrea Lucco Borlera, Santa Ragione)
- Titanium Court (AP Thomson, Fellow Traveller)
- Perfect Tides: Station to Station (Three Bees)
The 2026 Independent Games Festival Awards will be held on Wednesday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m. PST and broadcast live on Twitch.
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