The Busan Indie Connect Festival Organizing Committee (hereafter BIC) teamed up with Google Play on August 15 at the BEXCO Exhibition Center 1, Hall 2 main stage to host the 'BIC x Google Play Indie Fest Awards'.

With a total prize pool of 50,000,000 KRW, this event was designed to scout standout indie titles from the BIC 2026 roster, aiming to foster the sustainable growth of indie developers while bridging the gap between niche projects and the wider public.

Following the open call for submissions in July, the committee selected a 'TOP 20' based solely on polish and creativity, regardless of whether a game was on PC or mobile. Between August 7 and 11, an online exhibition period allowed a 100-person jury of fans to cast their votes, narrowing the field to the 'TOP 10' who earned their spot to pitch on the main stage.

The final winners were determined by a 50/50 split between a panel of five industry experts—Kim Jeong-eun (CEO, JamJam Therapeutics), Jo Min-geun (CEO of Catsby Studio / Lead at IGG Korea), Kim Hyun-woo (CTO of Indie Drive / Operations at IGG Korea), Gong Sol (PD at Bluehole / Director at Korea Boardgame Association), and Ji Guk-hwan (CEO of Artifact / Google Indie Game Festival 2020 Top 3)—and the scores from the pre-selected 100-person audience jury.

Taking the top spot, Banjiha Games' 'Bojongye' walked away with 30,000,000 KRW. Sandy Floor’s 'PengPong' claimed second place, netting 12,000,000 KRW, while I Am Game’s 'Master of Peace' rounded out the podium in third, receiving 8,000,000 KRW.

Hyunse Jang, Head of Google Play Points Global, noted, "Seeing developers take the stage to prove their games and engage directly with players highlighted the intense passion within the indie game ecosystem." The executive added, "I hope this isn't just a one-off ceremony, but a foundation for a healthy creative ecosystem where great indie games are consistently discovered and lead to future successes."

BIC Organizing Committee Chairman Joo Sung-pil emphasized, "This event went beyond confirming the passion of developers; it was a stage where Google Play's uniquely sincere support for the indie ecosystem truly shone." The Chairman concluded, "We are deeply grateful for Google Play's dedicated sponsorship, which provides a practical growth ladder for indie creators, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration to build the best environment for indie games to flourish."