Valve is set to offer the finalists of this year's Independent Game Festival, the chance to accept a distribution deal with Steam. This agreement is the same that was in place at last year's IGF, the finalists of which included the creators of Gone Home and MirrorMoons EP.

There is no doubting that this is a prestigious award, but also the chance to be offered a Steam distribution agreement is just every game creators dream come true. This means a chance to get their game out on one of the most popular digital download services on the market. There are five main categories that this applies to, and they are: Seamus McNally Grand Prize, and the Excellence in Art, Narrative, Audio, and Design Awards. There is also the coveted Nuovo Award up for grabs.

Deadlines for IGF 2014 are October 19th, with student showcase entries must be entered by 31st October. The finalists will be announced in January, with the winners crowned 2 months later at the Game Developers Conference. I think these types of deals are great for the up and coming game creators, who have great ideas for games but lack the funding to get started. Comment below on your thoughts.