The 2014 Vidya Gaem Awards

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Niche Award

for best game nobody played

Pick your nominees
This game would best be described as a fair I Wanna Be The Guy. 1001 Spikes is a challenging platformer filled with cruel – but fair – traps with tons of unlockable characters with different abilities, making replaying the same levels a different story.
1001 Spikes
Nicalis
A game for the Sonic fans out there, Freedom Planet manages to capture a good feeling from the Sonic Advance series, providing fun speed and physics combined with great level design, and tight platforming. Against all odds, it is much more than a Sonic clone.
Freedom Planet
GalaxyTrail
A lot of games recently are trying to merge the rogue-like genre with twitch shooter elements. Heavy Bullets does it in an interesting way – and not just because of the art style – ; you have 6 bullets which you have to pick up after you shoot them, forcing you to be careful with your ammo.
Heavy Bullets
Terri Vellmann
Lethal League goes hand in hand with the "easy to learn, hard to master" principle, making it both very accessible and deep. Merging fighting game mechanics with Pong in a pixellated Jet Set Radio inspired world, Team Reptile managed to create an amazingly solid concept that sadly went unnoticed.
Lethal League
Team Reptile
While both pleasing to the eyes, Mercenary Kings doesn't just take inspiration from Metal Slug, it goes further by adding tons of customization options. Want to add a shotgun barrel to your pistol? Sure why the fuck not.
Mercenary Kings
Tribute Games Inc.
A game of pure skill, Nidhogg gives you some of the most thrilling fights an 8-bit style game can give you. Mind games and fumbles, and death as your reward.
Nidhogg
Messhof
Shantae has always been great, but Pirate's Curse feels like it's the game WayForward has been trying to make since the Game Boy Color. Between platforming tighter than Mega Man, graphics that manage sexy and cute at the same time, and the kind of soundtrack you'd expect from Jake Kaufman, there's little to hate and a lot to love.
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
WayForward Technologies
Part platformer, part puzzler, part stealth game, part Metroidvania; Stealth Inc 2 does a wonderful job at all those elements. It even has a level builder allowing you to create, share and rate community levels. Since this game is an indie Wii U exclusive, only a handful of people know about it, let alone bought it.
Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones
Curve Studios
With couch co-op, and twitch gameplay. Towerfall Ascension is incredibly entertaining game to play with your friends.
Towerfall Ascension
Matt Thorson
 
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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

"Not Important" Award

for worst character

Silent Protagonist Award

for best character

Deja Vu Award

for milking your cash cow dry

Not Another Rehash Award

for best sequel

Pixels Are Art 2

for most pretentious indie game

New Challenger Award

for best new IP

Citizen Kane of Gaming Award

for worst writing/story

Journal Update Award

for best writing/story

Beta's Alpha Award

for worst early access game

Jet Set Award

for best soundtrack

Plot and Backstory Award

for best representation of women

IP Twist Award

for best new implementation of an old franchise

Seal of Quality Award

for biggest technical blunder

Niche Award

for best game nobody played

Eyesore Award

for worst graphics

Eye Candy Award

for best visual aesthetics

Shareholder's Award

for crimes against gaming

Hyperbole Award

for best trailer

Please Don't Suck Award

for the 2015 game that we hope won't suck

20/20 Hindsight Award

for the worst /v/GA presentation