And there we have it, all 16 categories with shortlisted nominees have been revealed!
Huge thanks to @gamemaker.io who have sponsored the IGAs for a second year running. We couldn’t do it without their support
And don’t forget YOU can attend IRL for free: debugawards.com [limited spaces available]
The 'Best New Studio' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; AdHoc Studio, D-CELL GAMES, Evil Trout, Inc., Little Sewing Machine, Space Colony Studios, and Space Lion Studios
The shortlisted nominees for 'Best New Studio' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
AdHoc Studio
D-CELL GAMES
Evil Trout, Inc.
Little Sewing Machine
Space Colony Studios
Space Lion Studios
Thank you to @gamemaker.io for making our 2026 ceremony possible. See you there IRL on 25 April 2026!
The 'Retro World Award' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; Buck and the Cursed Cartridge, D*Fuzed, Earthion, Gas Station Story, Mavericks Baghdad Extraction, Self Simulated
New stuff to play on your old stuff! The nominees for 'Retro World Award' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
Buck and the Cursed Cartridge
D*Fuzed
Earthion
Gas Station Story
Mavericks Baghdad Extraction
Self Simulated
Once again, a huge thank you to @gamemaker.io for supporting the IGAs
The 'Free Play Award' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; an unplayable game?!, Old Timer Transport, Pin-Up Solitaire, Poco, Tablecraft, and Type Help
Free, but certainly not lacking in value! The shortlisted nominees for 'Free Play Award' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
an unplayable game?!
Old Timer Transport
Pin-Up Solitaire
Poco
Tablecraft
Type Help
The Debug IGAs are made possible thanks to the support of @gamemaker.io
The 'Physical Release of the Year' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; Absolum: Special Edition, D*Fuzed, Foolish Mortals: Big Box Edition, Make Way, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound - Special Edition, Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog
Let's get physical! The shortlisted nominees for 'Physical Release of the Year' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
Absolum: Special Edition
D*Fuzed
Foolish Mortals: Big Box Edition
Make Way
Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound - Special Edition
Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog
- Sponsored by @gamemaker.io
The 'Innovation & Creativity' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; Banquet for Fools, CYCLIA JOURNEY, DEAD LETTER DEPT., Deck of Haunts, Into the Restless Ruins, Ruffy and the Riverside
Looking for something different? The shortlisted nominees for 'Innovation & Creativity' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
Banquet for Fools
CYCLIA JOURNEY
DEAD LETTER DEPT.
Deck of Haunts
Into the Restless Ruins
Ruffy and the Riverside
Debug's IGAs are proudly sponsored by @gamemaker.io
The 'Best UK Indie' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; Cabernet, Citizen Sleeper 2, Into the Restless Ruins, ROUTINE, Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog, Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter
The shortlisted nominees for 'Best UK Indie' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
Cabernet
Citizen Sleeper 2
Into the Restless Ruins
ROUTINE
Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter
Made possible thanks to @gamemaker.io - Join us for the IRL ceremony on 25 April 2026!
The 'Best VR Game' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; Arken Age, Banners & Bastions, Ghost Town, Laser Dance, My Monsters, and The Midnight Walk
Get those headsets ready! The shortlisted nominees for 'Best VR Game' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
Arken Age
Banners & Bastions
Ghost Town
Laser Dance
My Monsters
The Midnight Walk
Big up our friends at @gamemaker.io for making our 2026 ceremony possible. See you there?
The 'Best Gameplay' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; Axyz, GlitchSPANKR, Into the Restless Ruins, Katanaut, Spooky Express, The Knightling
The shortlisted nominees for 'Best Gameplay' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
Axyz
GlitchSPANKR
Into the Restless Ruins
Katanaut
Spooky Express
The Knightling
Thank you to @gamemaker.io for making our 2026 ceremony possible. See you there IRL on 25 April 2026!
The 'Best Art Direction' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; Bye Sweet Carole, Dreams of Another, Gloomy Eyes, ROUTINE, The Séance of Blake Manor, UNBEATABLE
The shortlisted nominees for 'Best Art Direction' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
Bye Sweet Carole
Dreams of Another
Gloomy Eyes
ROUTINE
The Séance of Blake Manor
UNBEATABLE
Thank you to @gamemaker.io for making our 2026 ceremony possible. See you there IRL on 25 April 2026!
The 'Best Voice Acting' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; Arctic Awakening, Dispatch, Rosewater, The Drifter, The Haunting of Joni Evers, and UNBEATABLE
The shortlisted nominees for 'Best Voice Acting' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
Arctic Awakening
Dispatch
Rosewater
The Drifter
The Haunting of Joni Evers
UNBEATABLE
Our live ceremony is made possible thanks to @gamemaker.io - Will we see you there IRL on 25 April 2026?
The 'Best Sound Design' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; Arctic Awakening, Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson, ROUTINE, Skate Story, The Knightling, and UNBEATABLE
The shortlisted nominees for 'Best Sound Design' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
Arctic Awakening
Fretless: The Wrath of Riffson
ROUTINE
Skate Story
The Knightling
UNBEATABLE
Thank you to @gamemaker.io for making our 2026 ceremony possible. See you there IRL on 25 April 2026!
The 'Best Soundtrack' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; Cabernet, Dispatch, Knights in Tight Spaces, OFF, The Knightling, and UNBEATABLE
Next up: Best Soundtrack!
Cabernet
Dispatch
Knights in Tight Spaces
OFF
The Knightling
UNBEATABLE
Thank you to @gamemaker.io for making our 2026 ceremony possible. See you there IRL on 25 April 2026!
The 'Award for Accessibility' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring; Adventure to Fate: Dungeons, an unplayable game?!, Laser Dance, Squeakross: Home Squeak Home, Trash Goblin, and Wednesdays
The shortlisted nominees for 'Award for Accessibility' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
Adventure to Fate: Dungeons
an unplayable game?!
Laser Dance
Squeakross: Home Squeak Home
Trash Goblin
Wednesdays
Thank you to @gamemaker.io for making our ceremony possible. See you there 25 Apr 2026!
The 'Award for Mental Health' nominees for Debug's Indie Game Awards 2026, featuring: and Roger, Citizen Sleeper 2, Constance, Wanderstop, Wednesdays, and Without a Dawn
The shortlisted nominees for 'Award for Mental Health' at Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards are...
and Roger
Citizen Sleeper 2
Constance
Wanderstop
Wednesdays
Without a Dawn
Thank you to @gamemaker.io for making our 2026 ceremony possible. See you there IRL on 25 April 2026!
The shortlisted nominees for Debug's 2026 Indie Game Awards - Sponsored by GameMaker have been chosen, and we're going live Right Now to reveal all of them!
🔴 YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNck...
🟣 Twitch: twitch.tv/debugmagazine
This is one not to be missed 🤩
Our first issue is confirmed to have over 12,000 individual readers now. That’s a lot of people discovering new indies 😊
Almost 3 years since the release of Debug #1 and new readers are still discovering the awesome games within!
One of the biggest indies in existence (Undertale / Deltarune) is using GameMaker, and continues to use it.
It really is about simply using the most appropriate tool for your requirements.
To receive such a great review of my #indiegame in one of my fav #gaming magazines, is one hella achievement for me!
Thanks @debugmag.com !
#gamedev #debug #indiedev
character select screen type beat (i should really finish this....)
To all (Belgian) fans of @offtherpg.com and @mortisghost.bsky.social: There will be a live signing session at New Game + this Friday!
📍 Where: New Game +, Brussels
🗓️ When: Friday 3 April, 17:00-20:00
You can buy the Physical Switch Game at the shop (so you can get it signed)
But you’re still doing better than most by having your website listed on the game’s Steam page
There’s a two part answer to this question. For getting in touch with us, both of those options work. They ultimately go to the same place, just different methods (not everyone has an email client installed)
For you, it might be worth looking into a LinkTree or similar (like this: moreinfo.gg/9yl8)
Good question. There are multiple reasons.
We try our hardest to operate by consent. Some devs don’t want coverage yet, and this way they can communicate that.
We also at least try to include Q&A in our preview pieces.
Access to keys, pre-release code.
We can’t run a cover without permission.
The point is, we usually go the extra mile (to a certain limit) but not every publication will.
Truthfully, having worked for big site editors in the past, many won’t try that hard at all.
Simpsons meme featuring a bus driver dressed in blue. The bus driver speaks “Don’t make me tap the sign.” The sign reads “We can’t cover your game if we can’t message you.”
We once had to buy some merch just so we could get in contact with a developer.
Remove friction, reap the rewards.
You’d be surprised how much harder some folks are making it for themselves…
Look Gary, there I am!!
Just found out that Foldy popped up in @debugmag.com Issue 13, in the Hype Machine section! Super grateful to be featured alongside several other awesome-looking games in such a great publication :) Thanks very much @mostlyalright.com !
#indiegame #indiedev #gamedev
Wouldn’t be a proper magazine without the slightly questionable headlines 👀
Under Par Golf Architect is looking really good so far!
