The 2013 Vidya Gaem Awards

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Pixels Are Art Award

for most pretentious indie game

Pick your nominees
This title would have been a fine oddity if it weren't for its misty written entries, being fantastically insightful as they were also kind of annoying.
Antichamber
Alexander Buce
A title of tragic proportions doesn't excuse some questionable control issues and being all around trapped in tragedy.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Starbreeze Studios
There isn't much to criticize Gone Home for because there's very little to it. $20 for a 2-hour runtime, single badly designed level, and a complete lack of player inclusion doesn't make for a game worth playing. But with forced emotion and false importance, it's the Oscar bait of modern vidya.
Gone Home
The Fullbright Company
Let's face it: Papers, Please is a glorified "spot the difference" game. It may have a great visual aesthetic and interesting game design, but there isn't much beyond the core gameplay mechanic. Add-in the typical 80s dystopic cliche and you get a game that lacks actual depth.
Papers, Please
Lucas Pope
The woods are a metaphor for the Armenian Genocide. Slender is the Turkish government and the notes represent the uncaring Western press of the early 20th Century.
Slender: The Arrival
Blue Isle Studios
I'd rather have a buffalo take a diarrea dump in my ear.
The Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures
FreakZone Games
Self-indulgent tale about some ghost watching a dude write a novel. Sounds like a short story from a third rate writer and yet we find it on the Indie game cake trolly. No surprises there.
The Novelist
Orthogonal Games
The idea of using a narrator to confirm (or contradict) every action of the player is an admittedly interesting idea. But a $20 game? With nothing but British snobbery and half-assed Source engine maps? It worked better as a mod and should have stayed that way.
The Stanley Parable
Galactic Cafe
Except he's not. He's a fucking cube.
Thomas Was Alone
Mike Bithell
 
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The Awards

Most Hated Award

for most hated game of the year

Least Worst Award

for least worst game of the year

Press X To Win The Award

for worst gameplay

"Actually Kind of Fun" Award

for best gameplay

Fanfiction Award

for most atrocious writing

Reading Rainbow Award

for best writing

You're Waifu Award

for worst character

Doomguy Award

for best character

Blunder of the Year

for setting a new standard for failure

Not in Another Castle Award

for a great sequel

"We're Sorry®" Award

for most egregious technical problem

Hyperbole Award

for best trailer

Pixels Are Art Award

for most pretentious indie game

/v/irgin Award

for best new IP

4chan Pass Award

for biggest cashgrab

Golden Voice Award

for best voice acting performance

Challenger Award

for the worst console launch

Cranky Kong Award

for best soundtrack

Precipitation Award

for biggest emotional impact

IP Twist Award

for best new implementation of an old franchise

Plot & Backstory Award

for the best representation of women

Eye Candy Award

for best visual aesthetics

Shareholder's Award

for betraying your own industry

SammyClassicSonicFan Award

for least cancerous vidya personality

/v/ Grammy Award

for the best song from /v/ - The Musical