Indie of the Year is the largest celebration of hobbyist, amateur and professional Indie developers. With record attendance and a massive number of updates, releases and new projects 2010 was a year like no other, packed to bursting with goodies to make anyone who is tired of the boring triple A games excited again!

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Indie of the Year 2010 Players Choice - Indie of the Year

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The time has finally arrived, the moment everyone on IndieDB has been waiting for. After countless days spent voting, promoting and deciding it all comes down to this. 10 final placements for the very best indie games that 2010 has seen. The victor will be the very first winner of our first annual IOTY contest and all the bragging rights that comes with it! A big thanks to all those people who voted, its been a hell of a year and what better way to end it then announcing the Indie of the Year 2010.



10Zombie Driver
fight your way through the streets of a zombie infested city to save the survivors of a disastrous chemical accident that changed most of the city's population into mindless brain hungry monsters. Time is the enemy and your car is a weapon as you race through the streets smashing everything on your way.

9Gang Garrison
presents the player with 9 unique classes to use in frenetic, cooperative multiplayer action in a stylish and unique 8-bit style. Battle with your friends or others you encounter online through a whole range of vibrant maps; TF2 maps reimagined in 2D as well as a multitude of maps with all sorts of different looks and settings.

8Limbo
is a puzzle-platform video game and the premiere title of independent Danish game developer Playdead Studios. The game was released in July 2010 on Xbox Live Arcade. Limbo is a 2D sidescroller, incorporating a physics system that governs environmental objects and the player character.

7The Ball
is an Unreal Engine 3 singleplayer action/puzzle game. You play as an archaeologist working on the slopes of a dormant volcano somewhere in Mexico, and a technical malfunction gets you stuck in a cavern. It doesn't take long before you realize this is more than just a cave. You reveal ancient ruins that have been hidden from outsiders for centuries and discover a mysterious artifact, a gold and metal shelled Ball.

6VVVVVV
is a 2D puzzle platform video game, built using Adobe Flash for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. Featuring a gravity flipping game mechanic, the game was developed by Terry Cavanagh and was released in 2010 alongside an online demo.

5Dwarf Fortress
puts the player in charge of a band of 7 dwarven settlers, fresh from the mountain homes. The object is to create a thriving civilization in a location of the player's choosing and incur as much or as little fun as desired.

4Mount & Blade: Warband
expands on the original game by introducing a sixth faction, increasing the political options, allowing players to start their own faction, and incorporating multiplayer modes. Reveiews of the game were generally favourable, with the addition of multiplayer the most highly praised element.

3Super Meat Boy
take on the role of a small animated cube of meat named Meat Boy who must save his girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the evil Dr. Fetus. Players must use sharp reflexes to guide Meat Boy to the end of each level, using his wall clinging ability, while avoiding buzzsaws, salt, and other various death bringing obstacles. The game will contain about 350 levels, which are split across various chapters.

2Amnesia: The Dark Descent
puts you in the shoes of Daniel as he wakes up in a desolate castle, barely remembering anything about his past. Exploring the eerie pathways, you must also take part of Daniel's troubled memories. The horror does not only come from the outside, but from the inside as well. A disturbing odyssey into the dark corners of the human mind awaits.

1Minecraft
is a sandbox construction game. It involves players creating and destroying various types of blocks in a three dimensional environment. The player takes an avatar that can destroy or create blocks, forming fantastic structures, creations and artwork across the various multiplayer servers in creative mode, or fending off zombies, skeletons, spiders and creepers in survival.

Post comment Comments  (0 - 50 of 66)
MadMonkey119
MadMonkey119

YAR MINECRAFT! Congrats Notch! Here comes cake!

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SPYFF
SPYFF

Congratz all game! But Amnesia is my fav :D

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ponpat
ponpat

I love the top 3 and voted for all of them... Super Meat Boy is Hard as Hell and you shout "****" as often as in no other game and it is simple and fun... Amnesia eats you from your inside and gives you the feeling of beeing the person you play in this scary masterpiece and minecraft is an idea I have never sean before, it is simple and it works and give me so many houres of fun I can't count it...
All three are so different and I would like to see all three on the first place...
But no game but minecraft promised a cake for wining :)
Btw, My gratulations goes to all ten "winners" and all the other good Indies which just don't get enough vodes what do not say they are bet, just not so well known...

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Mkilbride
Mkilbride

Portal.

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ponpat
ponpat

I mean no game promised a cake for winning the indie of the year award xD But you are right, Portal is the King of the cakes xD

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Expack
Expack

Agreed, ponpat. Each of the top 3 games - nay, ALL 10 games in the Player's Choice IOTY list - deserves to be here. Each is truly unique, innovative, and memorable in their own right. What more is there to say without repeating what's already been said?

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TroHea
TroHea

Super Meat Boy is EASY as hell..
pff

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noname875
noname875

CAKE :D :D :D :D :D
this one better not be a lie.

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SotaPoika
SotaPoika

All great games! Congratz to all, especially Notch.

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Maxen1416
Maxen1416

i hope the cake that Master Notch has promised isn't a lie

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Relifed
Relifed

i knew it :D minecraft for life!!! :D

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fxglobal
fxglobal

minecraft being first isn't a big surprise.

i don't like it much but meh

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nosfer4tu
nosfer4tu

(buried)

Yeah, sure! Just because you are little kiddie who doesnt have paypal to buy minecraft. You didnt ******* try it and i agree that creative mode is complete piece of **** but beta, is masterpiece!

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nosfer4tu
nosfer4tu

(buried)

YAY!!!! OH **** I HAVE AN ******!!! MINECRAFT HAS WON OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!!

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justgoaway
justgoaway

Kid... drugs are bad

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DR-Jeckle
DR-Jeckle

(buried)

OH HELL YES!! OH MY GOD!!!! OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD!!! OH MY GOD!!! CAAKKKEEE FFORR ALLL!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOT!!!! YEAAAA!!! OMG!!! OH MY GOD!!!! MINECRAFT PWNZ U ALL!!! WOOO!!! WOO!!! WOOOO!!! WOOOO!!! WOOO!!! HELL YEA!!!! CONGRATS NOTCH!!!! WOOOOO!!!! WOOO

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nosfer4tu
nosfer4tu

(buried)

TOTALLY AGREE HIGHFIVE!!11

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DR-Jeckle
DR-Jeckle

*highfives*

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nosfer4tu
nosfer4tu

(buried)

oh **** you forgot to click reply to comment

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DR-Jeckle
DR-Jeckle

I LOVE YOU NOTCH!!!

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nosfer4tu
nosfer4tu

(buried)

Oh **** you're gay.

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No_Frags
No_Frags

make world a better place and delete this guy from modDB..

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Tunkman
Tunkman

**** yes GG2 got 9th, great job guys

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sexbad
sexbad

I enjoy Minecraft but I was really hoping Amnesia would win. Dear God it's an achievement to come in second though.

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Mkilbride
Mkilbride

(buried)

******* Minecraft.

So ******* sick of it.

Congrats Amnesia, the TRUE winner. (And Warband)

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Coconutdoobie
Coconutdoobie

So am I, and although I like it, I'm ******* tired of seeing it everywhere.

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Relifed
Relifed

maybe it's everywhere because it's awesome :D

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Awesome_ninja
Awesome_ninja

(buried)

@relifed: your face against the wall is awesome too

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Relifed
Relifed

cool i didn't know :)

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Awesome_ninja
Awesome_ninja

(buried)

seconded, it's a ******* gay game. Sure being creative if fun, but when its laggy as ****, with graphics worse than lego.... Congratz Amnesia!

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Draakon
Draakon

Graphics don't make a game. Gameplay does.

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bluluxabica
bluluxabica

couldnt agree more with draakon

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q1kyle25
q1kyle25

whooaaa okay hold on there, i was fine then you went a wee too far. the game was MEANT to look retro, clearly you are one of those graphic whores, and if it doesnt appeal to you that much get a damn texture pack. And btw if your computer lags, thats your fault. But alas, its your opinion and your choice so eh. I agree partially that amnesia shouldve gotten some reawrd since they were in a crisi. and guys CALM THE **** DOWN.(to haters and fanboys) its just a game.

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Tatsur0
Tatsur0

I really loved this line up especially considering Dwarf Fortress was up there and for anyone who has played it they'd know why immediately. I have to say I was hoping to see Limbo in the top 5 but I suppose that's more because of it's limitations in regards to platforms. I don't think anyone has gone a week without hearing about Minecraft (more love than hate, much much more) and while I'm afraid it will steal my soul if I got it I have to again say I'm both happy with the list and the winners. Great job guys, can't wait for next year. Happy Holidays.

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ArturoPahua
ArturoPahua

if you love horror games, and you haven´t played Amensia...

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Bakscratch
Bakscratch

Woah minecraft won, I never saw that coming.....

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fxglobal
fxglobal

inorite

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d3monslay3r4
d3monslay3r4

(buried)

****** UH UH UH OHYEAH **** YES CHEST BUMP **** YEAH FIST BUMP HIGHFIVE cake time bitch

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Vindicator209
Vindicator209

Minecraft is great.

Too bad notch already has millions of dollars, and that the $1000 prize doesn't go to a developer that actually needs it.

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ixnari
ixnari

You have a point. But if it makes anyone feel better, he did donate 2000$ to The Humble Indie Bundle #2.

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Theon
Theon

Minecraft! :,D

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Cake_
Cake_

Lol, I look at all the people whinging, (minecraft sucks) (OMG F*** MINECRAFT FTW)

Seriously, calm DOWN! Minecraft is awesome, but it's good to be open minded too, and if your thoughts either make another person feel uncomfortable or yelling at them makes them reply angrily(Kinuhadi) you shouldn't post a comment like that.

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Mkilbride
Mkilbride

No, it's not that I don't like it. Minecraft is great.

The problem is that it's becoming like Halo, WoW, Call of Duty in terms of fanbase.

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Draakon
Draakon

Welcome to the World Wide Web.

And you shouldn't rate the game by it's fanbase.

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Kizzycocoa
Kizzycocoa

I must begrudgingly agree. the demand on minecraft to update is just stupid, and even then, we have people wanting flying creepers that hug you.

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Draakon
Draakon

That's the thing with the Internet. Since the beginning of it, we got a lot of a****** people around the web. Yes, a fanbase does make a game popular, but that's what it does only. Make it popular. Not make the game itself. I even thought I vote for some Half Life mods, not because of the fanbase(which I have to say, it's much worse in-game then on forums), but because of the gameplay itself. But I didn't, because I dislike Half-Life.

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nosfer4tu
nosfer4tu

You spelled my name wrong.

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Broadsword530
Broadsword530

Dwarf Fortress will always be #1... in my heart.

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jmancube
jmancube

I was happy to see dwarf fortress up there, and I totally expected minecraft to win. Minecraft is pretty cool, congrats on winning. I was hoping for Dwarf Fortress (I know, longshot), but I am glad another cool indie game took the first.

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linfosoma
linfosoma

Congrats to the winner, and nice to see several of my favorite games of 2010 in the list!

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