How judging works
Only critics and journalists from the specialist games press judge VIGMA. A seven-member council selects the jury, every game is reviewed by several jurors, and no juror judges a game they helped make or market. Every juror is bound by the VIGMA manifesto.
Who judges
VIGMA's entries are judged only by professional critics and journalists from the specialist games press - the model many respected festivals around the world follow.
How the jury is chosen
The main decisions on the jury are made by a council of seven. Each council member proposes jurors, the council discusses every name, and the jury is formed by the council's vote.
How games are judged
Each juror plays a limited number of games. Assignments overlap, so every game is reviewed by several jurors: with around 30 jurors, for example, each game might be assessed by 7 to 10 of them. Games are distributed so that no juror has a stake in the games they judge or took part in making or marketing them.
The manifesto
Every juror is bound by the VIGMA manifesto: judging free of personal taste or interest, respect for every developer, and results kept confidential until they are announced.
Award categories
The main festival has eight awards: Game of the Year, Best Ongoing Game, Best Game Design, Best Story and Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Music and Sound, Most Creative Game and Most Anticipated Game. Games from a previous edition can compete for Best Ongoing Game if they received several updates in the past year.