Apple celebrates indie titles with new Indie Games Showcase hub

A new section called "Indie Game Showcase" is now live on the App Store's homepage, an initiative by Apple to highlight iOS games made by independent developers.

"Often made up of just a few dedicated members, independent studios prove that what really matters is the size of your dream," the section's description reads. "In each Indie Game Showcase, we celebrate a popular game and its creative team, highlighting the developer's titles along with their favorite games from other studios."

The first studio and game in the spotlight is Simogo and its interactive fiction puzzle title Device 6, which was nominated for the Innovation Award and Best Handheld/Mobile Game categories at the recent Game Developers Choice Awards. Simogo has been "crafting outstanding games exclusively for the App Store" since its formation, states Apple, highlighting adventure title Year Walk and rhythm game Beat Sneak Bandit as examples.

"With Device 6, the team harnessed everything they'd learned and delivered an incredible hybrid of text adventure and puzzle game that lets you explore an interactive novel," the statement reads. "It's an experience tailor-fit for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, and Device 6's unique gameplay made it one of our runners-up for 2013's Game of the Year."

To coincide with the Independent Games Festival and the Game Developers Conference last week, Apple also rolled out a "10 Essential Indie Games" section on the App Store's Games category. The company announced in January that more than $10 billion was spent on Apple's App Store last year. A few of the most popular games on the App Store in 2013 were Candy Crush Saga, Puzzles and Dragons, Minecraft, QuizUp and Clumsy Ninja.