Inscryption had a big night at this year’s GDC and IGF Awards

It’s the first to win the big award at both ceremonies

The 22nd Game Developers Choice Awards and 24th annual Independent Games Festival Awards were held last night in San Francisco. Many different games were honored, but Inscryption made history by taking both big awards of the night.

Daniel Mullins Games’ Inscryption won Game of the Year at the 2022 GDC Awards and the Grand Prize at the IGF Awards. It’s the first game to ever do so. The narrative deckbuilding game also won for Excellence in Design, Audio, and Narrative at the IGF Awards.

Other big winners include Unpacking, Valheim, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, each of which took home two GDC Awards apiece. Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Steven Spohn was recognized with the Ambassador Award for his work in advocating for and improving accessibility in games.

Yuji Horii accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at #GDCA22 for his work developing and growing Dragon Quest, and ushering a new wave of immersive roleplaying games #GDC22 pic.twitter.com/4Dn5PXXGkU

— GDC 2025 (@Official_GDC) March 24, 2022

Here’s the full list of winners, for both the GDC and IGF Awards.

2022 Game Developers Choice Award winners:

• Best Debut: Valheim (Iron Gate Studio)
• Best Visual Art: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Best Audio: Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble Games)
• Best Narrative: Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine Productions / Xbox Game Studios)
• Social Impact Award: Boyfriend Dungeon (Kitfox Games)
• Innovation Award: Unpacking (Witch Beam / Humble Games)
• Best Technology: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games / Sony Interactive Entertainment)
• Best Design: It Takes Two (Hazelight Studios / Electronic Arts)
• Audience Award: Valheim (Iron Gate Studio / Coffee Stain Publishing)
• Game of the Year: Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games / Devolver Digital)
• Ambassador Award: Steven Spohn
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Yuji Horii

2022 Independent Games Festival Award winners:

• Best Student Game: Live Adventure (Live Adventure Team)
• Excellence in Design: Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)
• Excellence in Visual Art: Papetura (Petums)
• Excellence in Audio: Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)
• Nuovo Award: Memory Card (Lily Zone)
• Excellence in Narrative: Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)
• Audience Award: Mini Motorways (Dinosaur Polo Club)
• Seumas McNally Grand Prize: Inscryption (Daniel Mullins Games)