• Developer: Amanita Design
  
• Nominations: Excellence in Visual Art
  
• Under Development
  

Machinarium is a full-scale point and click adventure game being developed by the creators of the famed Samorost web game series. Not much is known about the game yet – aside from information gleaned via interviews and screenshots – but the story of robo-drama combined with the charming hand-drawn artwork typical of these Czech developers has secured it a spot amongst the IGF finalists. The Samorost games have featured in previous IGF competitions and have left an impact on players due to their unique style and great visuals, so fans have high hopes for Machinarium – due for release later this year.

• Developer: Twisted Pixel
  
• Nominations: Technical Excellence
  

A cute and interesting little offering, The Maw is an action/adventure 3D title centred around the adventures of an alien named Frank and a blob called Maw – also known as The Deadliest Organism In The Universe. The Maw uses the basic "you are what you eat" philosophy, granting the player abilities based on the types of creatures consumed. Some have cited the game as being too short and easy, but its technical presentation is beyond reproach. The Maw is available on the Xbox Live Arcade.

• Developer: Ratloop
  
• Nominations: Innovation Award
  
• Free to play
  
• Dev.Mag played
  

Mightier is an innovative title which encourages players to think out of the box – or at least, out of the computer screen. The crowd-winning feature of this title is its use of scanners and printers to present players with pen and paper puzzles that actually affect what occurs in the game. Instead of solving challenges within the game, a map of each level can be physically printed out and changed by drawing on the physical sheet of paper, which is then fed back to the game with a scanner. The game features a fairly high level of customisation (you can even draw your own versions of the avatar and equipment) and for those who aren't within reach of a printer or any spare paper, less adventurous ways to solve the puzzles exist through the mouse draw options. This game is free and pretty fun to play – go check it out!

• Developer: KranX Productions
  
• Nominations: Excellence in Audio, Excellence in Design
  
• Demo Available
  

Musaic Box is an aurally-based puzzle game which has you solving geometric puzzles by listening to musical melodies and gathering the puzzle pieces in such a way that you construct the full audio sample. Those who struggle with sound, however, can still attempt to solve the puzzle visually. A free 1-hour trial enables you to try before you buy – available from Big Fish Games and similar casual portals.