IGF opens for submissions

Independent game developers, modders, and students can now submit their entries for the 2006 Independent Games Festival (IGF), an annual competition that showcases independently produced games. The deadline for submissions to the main competition is September 6. Entries to the modifications contest and the student showcase are due October 10 and November 15, respectively.

More than $45,000 in cash prizes will be up for grabs this year in the main competition, which includes several categories, including the top prizes of the audience award and game of the year. Last year's winners were Behemoth's Alien Hominid and Gish from Chronic Logic. $10,000 will be awarded in the newly added modifications competition, which is accepting mods for Half-Life 2, Neverwinter Nights, Unreal Tournament 2003, and Doom 3.

The IGF will be held at the annual Game Developers Conference on March 20-24, 2006, in San Jose, California. See the official IGF Web site for more on the competitions.