If there’s one thing we know, it’s that independent games feed the need for fresh, new content when mainstream developers have taken over the market. That’s not to say mainstream games aren’t the way to go. It’s just nice to be able to experience a gaming experience that breaks the status quo of the video game market, and to get a feel of what small-time developers, first-time builders, and students have to deliver to the ever growing network of players across the globe.

In a world where there are dozens upon dozens of independent games out there just waiting to be played, there comes a conference where indie developers get to gather together, share the fruits of their labor, and show off exactly what they can do to appeal to such a vast audience. Enter the Independent Games Festival (IGF), a perennial gala where players get to experience and decide on who gets to walk away a champion and deliver to us all a shiny new gameplay experience that’s fun for all!

IGF 2017 welcomes a remarkable lineup of over 650 entrants! – https://t.co/NiZ9p1lWmy

— GDC (@Official_GDC) November 4, 2016

This festival is co-located with Game Developers Conference and has been a must-see experience that’s been growing in popularity for a few years now. What makes this particular event so noteworthy, however, is the fact that this coming festival will be featuring over 600 entrants, all battling it out to win as the coming year’s top awards. Some of the more notable games that will be featured at the Independent Games Festival are Quadrilateral Cowboy (Blendo Games), Superhypercube (Kokoromi) and  Imbroglio (A title by developer Michael Brough). These are just some of the 650 entrants that will be featured at the coming celebration, and all of them look like they are going to be outstanding games with some tough competition going against each other.

This year, each of the IGF 2017 Competition award categories will feature six finalists, except the Nuovo Award, which will have eight. The IGF finalists will be announced in January 2017, and all will be available in playable form at the IGF pavilion on the GDC 2017 show floor. ~ IGF Conference

Unfortunately, game developers who have not submitted their work to Independent Games Festival will no longer be able to submit for the 2017 event, though tickets to attend and take part in the festivities are still going on. The entire Game Developer/IGF conference will be running from February 27th through March 3rd. The summit will take place on February 27th and 28th, and the winners of the competition will be announced during the Game Developer Expo on March 1st-3rd. The event takes place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, so if you’re in the area, or are just looking for a cool place to travel to in the spring, head on over and give those games a try!

To get an idea of just how extraordinary independent games can be, check out these beautiful games to recently be funded Make Sail and Lost Ember to get a taste of what you might expect at the coming conference. It’s looking to be a really cool experience, and an exciting venture for indie developers from all walks of life.

Independent Games are the fuel that keeps our gaming industry alive. When mainstream developers are busy keeping us stocked up on the popular titles, Indie developers keep the arena fresh and provide some seriously epic titles for us to enjoy. What do you think of the idea of an Independent Game festival? Will you be attending this event yourselves? What are your favorite indie games to play right now? Let us know in the comments below, and game on!