The Silver Award for Excellence in Indie Game Development

“This convention gives cash instead of trophies.”

– Sarah Lanzing, Clockwork Colossus Games

The Silver Award for Excellence in Indie Game Development offers a $1,500 prize pool plus recognition for great new games.

Silv-E Eligibility and Rules

  1. The Silv-E awards are opened to games that had 10 or less developers and a budget of $10,000 or less. The game must be either unreleased or have only entered distribution in the current year.
  2. Entries must have the rights to and allow the GGDA to freely livestream their games and put video of them online. Entries must be willing to discuss their game development with the Silv-E winners. Entries must provide judges ways to play the game.
  3. Games that have already won a Silv-E award are not eligible in future years, but the developers can enter new games and sequels.
  4. No game can win more than two Silv-E categories. The “Best Game” winner is not eligible for any other award.
  5. To be eligible for the “Best Student Game” award, all developers must have been enrolled in an accredited school (college or lower) during the development process.
  6. The submission must not contain material that promotes bigotry, racism, hatred or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age; and
  7. The GGDA reserves the right to reject any game from consideration for a Silv-E award.
  8. Submitting your game for consideration indicates your acceptance of these rules.
  9. Current awards include: Best Game $500, Made in Georgia $100, Best Production $100, Best Design $100, Most Fun $100, Best Student Game $100, Best Analog Game $100, Best Audio $100, Best Art $100, Audience (SIEGE) Choice $100 
  10. Submit HERE by Sept. 15, 2022
The Silver Excellence in Indie Game Development Award

2023 Winners

Best Game

  1. From Nava
  2. Void Souls
  3. Grenade Junky

Audience Choice

  1. Edge of Allegoria
  2. Stellar Watch
  3. LightBreak

Best Art

  1. Bonbon
  2. Paradell
  3. Cardboard Tanks

Best Audio

  1. Keepsake County
  2. Bonbon
  3. Fruit 66

Best Design

  1. Mush-Whom
  2. Paradell
  3. Keepsake County

Best Production

  1. Keepsake County
  2. Paradell
  3. Crystal Ball Critters

Best Student Game

  1. Barkane: The Folds of Calamity
  2. Figure It Sprout
  3. Bonbon

Best Made in GA

  1. Grenade Junky
  2. 7 tied for second

Most Fun

  1. Grenade Junky
  2. Keepsake County
  3. GoNet FPS Arena

2022 Winners

Audience Choice: LightBreak

Best Booth: LightBreak

Best Costume: Sarah Lanzing

Made in Georgia: Athanasia

Best Analog Game: Dalarna

Best Production: LightBreak

Best Design: Flower Fusion

Most Fun: Clue Formula

Best Student Game: Coalescence

Best Art: Guardian

Best Audio: LightBreak

Best Game: Seneca 7: A Cyberpunk Odyssey

2021 Winners

Audience Choice: The Balloonatics of Gusty Gulch

Best Booth: Hiccup Interactive

Best Costume: Brook Burgh

Made in Georgia: Panic Porcupine

Best Analog Game: The Balloonatics of Gusty Gulch

Best Production: Vertical Shift

Best Design: The Balloonatics of Gusty Gulch

Most Fun: Potato Party

Best Student Game: Payload

Best Art: Thin Ice

Best Audio: There You Are

Best Game: Urchins & Ink

2020

Best Overall ($500) Video Hole

Made in Georgia ($100) Zap Blastum

Best Production ($100) Zap Blastum

Most Fun ($100) Pushamo

Best Multiplatform Game ($100) Baby Adopter

Best Student Game ($100) Heirloom

Best Design ($100) Pushamo

Best Art ($100) Potato Paradox Plus

Best Audio ($100) Heirloom

Best Mobile ($100) TiltBill

Best Narrative Design ($100) Tale of the Gallant Jirayia

Audience Choice ($100) Vertical Shift

2019

Four winners of the 2019 Silver Excellence in Indie Games (Silv-E) award received the news (and checks) at SIEGE. The winners are:

Best Design: Malintent, Hiccup Interactive

Best Production: Justice Rises, Justice Rises VR

Most Fun: Mop Boy, Mop Boy Studios

Best in Show: Zap Blastum, Shiny Dolphin Games