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| D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |
| First awarded | 2004 |
| Currently held by | Cocoon |
| Website | www |
The D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game is an award presented annually by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the D.I.C.E. Awards. This is "awarded to a game that embodies the independent spirit of game creation, representing a higher degree of risk tolerance and advances our media with innovative gameplay and experiences".[1] All active creative/technical, business, and affiliate members of the Academy are qualified to vote for this category.[2]
The award's most recent winner is Cocoon, developed by Geometric Interactive and published by Annapurna Interactive.
Past Variations
The Academy introduced the computer genre award of Downloadable Game of the Year for the 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.[3] "Downloadable games are those games in which the user must download a copy to their hard drive of their computer to play. These games sometimes feature a username and password to play, but are not a requirement for entry".[4] 2006 was the first year that did not offer separate console and PC genre categories, so console and PC games were eligible.[5] The nomination packet for the 2007 awards listed a genre category for Casual Game of the Year. The category description matched the description for "Downloadable" and even used past finalists as examples.[6] Finalists were still listed for "Downloadable" instead of "Casual".[7] Casual Game of the Year was officially offered for the 2009 awards.[8][9] Some of the past finalists for "Downloadable" were listed as examples for "Casual". Casual games were defined as "titles that are designed to appeal to novice or experienced players; are produced with low-cost budget targets; are available through online or retail distribution; and may be played on console, computer, or mobile platforms".[10] Downloadable Game of the Year was reintroduced for the 2012 awards as a "Game of the Year" category; recognizing the "game where the sole form of distribution is through a digital marketplace on PC or console".[11] Both awards for "Downloadable" and "Casual" would not be offered for the 2015 awards. That same year, the Academy introduced the D.I.C.E. Sprite Award which was "awarded to a game having disproportionate resources for development and exposure (as compared to AAA titles), represent a higher degree of risk tolerance and advances our media with innovative gameplay and experiences. Examples include: The Walking Dead, Limbo, and Fez".[12] The D.I.C.E. Sprite Award would be replaced with Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game for the 2019 awards ceremony.[13]
- Downloadable Game of the Year (2004—2008, 2012—2014)
- Casual Game of the Year (2009—2014)
- D.I.C.E. Sprite Award (2015—2018)
- Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game (2019—present)
Winners and nominees
| Indicates the winner |