Friday, April 18, 2014

2014 Origins Award Nominations

The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design has announced the nominees for the 2014 Origins Awards.  It looks like the voting will take place ONLY at Origins and the winners announced on Saturday. 

The subtitle of this post should be, "I'm so freakin' out of the loop."

Best Roleplaying Game
13th Age – Pelgrane Press
FATE Core System – Evil Hat Productions, LLC
Mummy: the Curse – White Wolf Game Studio
Numenera - Monte Cook Games
Shadowrun: Core Rulebook – Catalyst Game Labs

My first thought when looking at this list was, "Good Lord, it's the mid-90's all over again!"  Numenera should win, but I was mighty impressed with FATE Core when I perused it.

Best Roleplaying Supplement
DC Adventures Universe – Green Ronin Publishing
Heart of the Wild – Cubicle 7 Entertainment
Transhuman – Posthuman Studios
Night’s Watch – Green Ronin Publishing
Eternal Lies – Pelgrane Press

Outside of obviously being aware of  DC Adventures, I haven't a clue what any of these are.

Best Board Game
Trains – Alderac Entertainment Group
Time n Space – Stronghold Games
Space Cadet: Dice Duel – Stronghold Games
Krosmaster Arena – Japanime Games
City of Iron – Red Raven Games

I may have to go through the last year and a half of my Apathy columns, because I don't remember putting any these under my "Imaginary Store" list.  That certainly doesn't say they aren't all great games, but somewhere the presentation was missing.

Best Collectible Card Game
Pokemon Black & White Legendary Treasures – The Pokemon Company, Intl.
Pokemon Red Genesect Collection – The Pokemon Company, Intl.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Battle Pack 2 – Konami Digital Entertainment
Yu-Gi-Oh! Super Starter V for Victory – Konami Digital Entertainment
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legendary Collection 4: Joey’s World – Konami Digital Entertainment

I have a strong feeling that certain companies didn't submit products towards the nominating committee.  These two games may very well last as long, if not longer, than Magic. 

Best Traditional Card Game
Love Letter– Alderac Entertainment Group
DC Comics Deck-Building Game – Cryptozoic Entertainment
Boss Monster - Brotherwise Games
Clubs – North Star Games
Marvel Legendary: Dark City - Upper Deck

Outside of the general comic book buzz associated with Marvel/DC releases, Love Letter looked like a great concept.

Best Children’s, Family, Party Game
Walk the Plank – Mayday Games
Three Little Pigs – Iello
My Happy Farm – 5th St. Games
ROFL – Cryptozoic Entertainment
Choose One! – Looney Labs

The only one of these that I was aware of was ROFL, and that's simply because I follow John Kovalic on Facebook and Twitter and he did the art (and lots of shameless self-promotion) for it.  I would abstain.

Best Game Accessory
Krosmaster: Fire & Ice – Japanime Games
Shadowrun GM Screen – Catalyst Game Labs
Fate Dice – Evil Hat Productions, LLC
Space Gaming Mat – HC+D Supplies
Pathfinder Battles: Skull and Shackles – WizKids Games

Nary a clue...  I can't justify dice specifically used for one system, a gaming mat, or a GM screen, unless it's in the realm of the Hackmaster 4th Edition monstrosity.  I would abstain again.

Best Miniature Figure Rules
Marvel HeroClix: Avengers Vs X-men Starters – WizKids Games
Battletech Alpha Strike – Catalyst Game Labs
Judge Dredd – Warlord Games

Did they revamp the HeroClix rules so the Avengers vs X-Men is considered "new?"  I haven't seen or heard of anyone playing Judge Dredd, and my little involvement with Battletech gives a mediocre grade on the Alpha Strike rules.  Abstaining again.

Best Historical Miniature Figure/Line
Fife & Drum: Revolutionary War - Fife & Drum
Highlander Force – North Star Military Figures
Fate of a Nation: Arab Israeli Wars – Battlefront Miniatures
Red Army: 28mm Russian Infantry – Wargames Factory
Devil Dogs and Dragons – Empress Miniatures

Fife and Drum, hands down.  Clean, scale proportioned, and not horribly overpriced.  Not even close.
Best Historical Board Game
SOS Titanic – Ludonaute
Navajo Wars – GMT, designed by: Joel Toppen
Freedom: The Underground Railroad – Academy Games
1775: Rebellion – Academy Games
Francis Drake – Eagle Games

Back to the Apathy columns, because with the exception of the Underground Railroad game, I don't remember any of these.

Best Historical Miniature Rules Supplements
SAGA: Varjazi & Basileus – Gripping Beast
Flames of War: Fate of a Nation – Battlefront Miniatures
Force on Force: Classified – Osprey Publishing

Again, another case of no one submitting product for nomination?   They aren't even the best products of the respective companies for 2013.

Best Historical Miniature Rules
Fields of Fire 2nd Edition – Proving Ground Games
Fire and Sword – Wargamer
Chain of Command –Too Fat Ladies

Ditto

Best Miniature Figure Line
Malifaux: The Guild’s Judgement– Wyrd Miniatures
HeroClix: Wolverine and the X-men – WizKids Games
MERCs Mini’s (Shock Trooper, Spy, Eagle, Beacher) – MegaCon Games

Ditto to the nomination process, but I would vote for Malifaux.  Not my personal preference of figures, but it is a nice product.

Best Game Related Publication
Khan of Mars – Evil Hat Books
Fire for Effect – Catalyst Game Labs
ICv2 - Editor: Milton Griepp
Dork Tower – Editor: John Kovalic
TableTop – Wil Wheaton, Felicia Day

Fiction, Comics, and Web videos?  I gotta go with TableTop on this one....


WHEEEAAATTTTTOOOOOOOOON!

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