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accepting the 2007 IGF grand prize
Aquaria is a sidescrolling action-adventure game designed by Alec Holowka and Derek Yu, who published it independently in 2007. The game features the voice of Jenna Sharpe as Naija, an aquatic humanoid woman, as she explores the underwater world of Aquaria. The gameplay focuses on swimming, combat, and special songs that can move items, affect plants and animals, and change Naija's physical appearance. After more than two years of development, the game was first released in late 2007 for Windows, followed by ports for Macintosh, Linux, iPad and Android users. In 2009, an Aquaria soundtrack album was released. Reviews of the game were generally positive. Critics praised the visuals, music and atmosphere. The controls and gameplay were also lauded, while negative critiques centered on the map system and limited variety of objectives. The game won the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival (pictured) in March 2007. (Full article...)