The winners of the Indie Cup Europe ’24 Awards have finally been announced, showcasing the best upcoming projects from independent studios and solo developers from across the continent. After a hard-fought four-month voting process, many great-looking games share the prizes.

Only one game received eight awards and won multiple awards: the captivating puzzle adventure Phonopolisset in a hand-painted 3D world made of cardboard. The biggest award of the evening, however, went to The darkest filesa World War II-era detective game from Paintbucket Games.

I had the honour of being part of the jury this year alongside over 100 judges from the industry and it’s a surprisingly intense experience. In my judging category, the Critics’ Choice Award, we had to independently whittle down a list of over 200 nominees to just 20, who were then shortlisted based on popularity to 11 titles. In all honesty, 40 or 50 could have been in the running for the top prize – a testament to the creativity of small teams and solo projects.

However, there can only be a limited number of winners. Find out who took home the big prizes here.

All winners of the Indie Cup Europe 2024

Award for outstanding gaming quality: The darkest files

Paintbucket Games returned to the ceremony after winning awards at Indie Cup Germany 2023, and it’s no surprise that they didn’t go home empty-handed this time. The darkest files was characterized as a historically charged combination of The Return of Obra Dinn And Phoenix Wright: Ace Lawyerincluding the iconic line “OBJECTION!” It’s been in development for some time, but there’s no release window yet – but one to add to your wishlist.

Critics’ Award: Phonopolis

There is no doubt that Phonopolis feels very special – Czech studio Amanita Design has created one of the most visually unique experiences of the last five years. This story of “rising up against the leader’s oppression” has beautiful art direction and plenty of great puzzle ideas and mechanics.

How The darkest files, Phonopolis has no planned release date, but deserves all the time it needs to reach the heights it is clearly capable of. It also had to compete against a strong field, though; other personal favorites include the wacky sandbox adventure Henry HalfheadHigh Speed ​​Longboard Sloth Racer Driftwood (currently in Early Access) and brutal RPG shooter Terror Hunters.

Creator’s Choice Award: INCREDIBLE

Another outstanding runner-up in the “Critics’ Choice Award” category finally received the recognition it deserves in the “Creators’ Choice” field. INCREDIBLEthe brainchild of German duo Sven Ahlgrimm and Mathilde Hoffmann, is one of the most creative, beautiful and relaxing games to be released in 2024, not to mention the Indie Cup. Even better, INCREDIBLE was released on Steam yesterday (August 15th), and you should check it out – especially since it costs less than $10.

Awarded as “Rising Star”: Yes, Your Grace: Snowfall

Brave At Night’s take on the kingdom management RPG genre looks great, and there’s every reason to believe that this offers a nice alternative to a popular formula. It’s scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2025 – so not long to wait.

Award for artistic excellence: Phonopolis

PhonopolisThe second award of the evening was by far the more deserved of the two – nothing looks or plays like it.

Award for the most experimental game: Clouded blood

Juggler Games’ strange turn-based roguelite RPG is odd, to say the least—but it’s different in all the right ways. In it, you “serve the ancient protector tree,” slaying giant enemies to harvest their essence.

Award for the next big thing: Hollow home

In this award for games in the early stages of development, including pre-alphas and prototypes, Twigames’ Hollow home understandably stood out from the crowd. In this isometric narrative RPG, you take on the role of a teenager trapped in an occupied city. You’ll learn survival skills, build relationships, and make difficult daily decisions as you respond to tragedy.

WINGS Award: Two Waterfalls (Nishu Takuatshina)

As the last “special competition” of the friends and partners of the Indie Cup Europe, Two casesby Unreliable Narrators, puts you in the middle of the 17th century Canadian wilderness as Jeanne, a French woman who has crossed the Atlantic for a new life, and Maikan, an Innu hunter trying to figure out what’s causing the problems in the forest. The film is set to be released later this year and, like everything else on this list, looks great.