Much like "indie" music, indie games are a mixed bag. Most of them are a mess, all but unplayable, pieces of dross. But occasionally, if you sift through enough terrible, you get a diamond--a game that's not indie because money would run away from it, but instead features gameplay and/or subject matter are just too cool for the mainstream.

Luckily, you don't have to sift any more, as the nominees for Independent Games Festival awards are all rad and they're all at the end of this post. So with a little googling, you too could spend the day playing indie games, then vote.

Finalists are competing for over $50,000 in prizes, including the $20,000 Seumas McNally Grand Prize and the $2,500 Audience Award, the latter of which fans vote on at IGF.com. Games will be shown at the IGF Pavilion, February 20-22 during Game Developers Conference 2008 in San Francisco. Winners will be announced on February 20.

Seumas McNally Grand Prize:

* Audiosurf, by Invisible Handlebar, LLC
* Crayon Physics Deluxe, by Kloonigames
* Hammerfall, by GKosh
* Noitu Love 2: Devolution, by Konjak
* World of Goo, by 2D Boy, LLC


Best Web Browser Game:

Globulos.com, by GlobZ
 Iron Dukes, by One Ton Ghost
* Tri-Achnid, by TriAchnid Inc

Design Innovation Award:
* Battleships Forever, by WYRDSYM Games
* Fez, by Kokoromi
* Fret Nice, by Bits & Pieces Interactive
* Snapshot Adventures: Secret Of Bird Island, by Large Animal Games
* World Of Goo, by 2D Boy, LLC


Excellence in Visual Art:

* Clean Asia!, by Cactus?
* Fez, by Kokoromi
* Hammerfall, by GKosh
* Synaesthete, by DigiPen Institute of Technology
* The Path, by Tale of Tales


Excellence in Audio:

* Cinnamon Beats, by Secret Exit
* Fret Nice, by Bits & Pieces Interactive
* Audiosurf, by Invisible Handlebar, LLC
* Clean Asia!, by Cactus?
* OokiBloks, by Studio Work3 / Hermit Games


Technical Excellence:

* World of Goo, by 2D Boy, LLC
* Audiosurf, by Invisible Handlebar, LLC
* Goo!, by PillowFort
* Axiom: Overdrive, by Reflexive Entertainment
* Gumboy Tournament, by CINEMAX, s.r.o.