There’s a real standout in the 2020 Independent Games Festival Award nominations. Mutazione from Apple Arcade is the clear front runner with nominations in four categories, including the grand prize.

Two other titles from Apple’s gaming service picked up honorable mentions. And four games available in the App Store were also recognized.

The annual Independent Games Festival Awards honor the most influential, innovative and acclaimed projects in independent game development. The winners are to be announced March 18.

Mutazoine leads the pack

Mutazoine, developed by Die Gute Fabrik, is included in the nominees for Excellence in Visual Art, Excellence in Narrative and Excellence in Audio, in addition to being up for the Seumas McNally Grand Prize.

The developer describes its creation as “A mutant soap opera where small-time gossip meets the supernatural. Mutazoine is an adventure game where the juicy personal drama is just as important as the high stakes adventure part of the story.”

It is available now to subscribers of Apple Arcade, a new gaming service with over 100 titles, all of which are playable for a $4.99 subscription fee.

Some Apple Arcade honorable mentions

While no other Apple Arcade title got nearly the recognition in IGF 2020 as Mutazoine, it wasn’t completely alone.

Guildlings got an Excellence in Design Honorable Mention. This invites players to go on a quest through dark tunnels to reach mystical mountain temples. They must match wits with goblins, ghosts and sentient coffee makers.

And Manifold Garden got an Excellence in Audio Honorable Mention. The developer, William Chyr, says: “Explore a beautiful Escheresque world where the laws of physics are different.”

Both are available with a subscription to Apple’s gaming service.

Awards for iOS games not in Apple Arcade

The Independent Games Festival Awards also recognized some titles that aren’t in Apple Arcade but are available on iPhone and iPad.

Astrologaster got honorable mentions for Excellence in Design, Narrative, Audio and even the grand prize.

Song of Bloom pulled in honorable mentions for Excellence in Visual Art, the Nuevo Award, and the grand prize.

Vectronom was nominated for Excellence in Audio, while Alt-Frequencies got an honorable mention in that same category.

