Saturday, July 20, 2024

The 2024 Ennies Nominees Are Out!

 It's that time of years, RPG Awards Season!  

The Ennies have released their nominees for the 2024 awards, and I feel further from the target demographic than ever.  Sure it might be because I have distanced myself from most of what the kids buy nowadays, but as someone who enjoys new games, voted mail-in every years for the Origins Awards, and meticulously goes over gaming new releases over the last 30 years like a sports nerd reviewed his 80's Rotisserie Baseball League, the pendulum has swung from a popularity contest to a hipster phallic comparison challenge.  

I've forgotten more about the awards than I remember, but even with the omission of the 800-lb gorilla (WotC, who probably didn't submit anything).  The Paizos and Chaosiums are sturdy islands in a sea of I have no clue what half this stuff is... and anyone voting is in the same boat or worse... so it's still a popularity contest... without the popular kids.

That rant aside, the organizers have done a nice job linking the various products so voters can get a chance to educate themselves a bit.  

Voting is open as of right now, and I can't find when it closes.  Voting is restricted to once per IP address.

So, here are the nominees for this years awards, winner to be presented a GenCon: I've highlighted the ones my ignorant self has voted for (spoilers: I don't vote for all of them).


Judges’ Spotlight Winners

Joe Blankenship– The Wassailing of Claus Manor, Clear Keep & Plus One EXP
Author: Mike Martens, Michael Van Vleet, Brian Sago

James Surano – Essence 20 Roleplaying System Field Guide to Action and Adventure Crossover Sourcebook Power Rangers G.I. JOE Transformers, Renegade Game Studios
Authors: Ryan Costello, Ben Heisler, Ginny Loveday, Bryan C.P. Steele

Amelia Antrim – OBSCURE: Found Footage Inspired Horror TTRPG, Sunzenaut
Author: Tommy Sunzenauer

Tom King – Gods of the Forbidden North: Volume 1, Pulp Hummock Press
Authors: Robert Alderman, Chris Cotgrove, The Scrying Dutchman, Joel Hines

Shauna Ratliff – CHEW: The Roleplaying Game, Imagining Games
Authors: Pete Petrusha, Justin Forest, Justin Ford, Steve Dee, Joseph Weaver

Never a good sign that none of the Judge's Spotlight interest me in the slightest
.  

Best Adventure – Long Form

Call of Cthulhu: Alone Against the Static, Chaosium Inc.
Author: B.W. Holland

***Delta Green: God’s Teeth, Arc Dream Publishing  Author: Caleb Stokes***

Heckna! Campaign Book, Hit Point Press
Authors: Ashley Warren, TR Rowe, Ryan Servis, Jordan Richer, Jay Jackson, Verity Lane

The Devil’s Bridge, Yellow Madhouse
Authors: Hristo Hristov, Martin Hristov, Lucas Iliev, Stoil Monev, Nikolay Salutski

The Bloom, Space Penguin Ink
Author: Josh Domanski and Goblin Archives

God's Teeth, is fantastic, and I'm also impressed with The Devil's Bridge.
.

Best Adventure – Short Form

Eat The Reich, Rowan, Rook and Decard
Author: Grant Howitt

***Losing Face, Pelgrane Press  Author: Kevin Kulp***

One-Shot Wonders, Roll & Play Press
Authors: Sam Bartlett, Beth Davies, Destiny Howell

The Well of All Fear, Miskatonic Repository
Author: Kat Clay

Vineyard RPG: The Undead Gala, Is Friday Productions LLC
Authors: Luna Petra Giannotta, Friday Strout

Best Aid/Accessory – Digital

Fantasy Complete IV, Monument Studios
HEXROLL 2E, Pen, Dice & Paper
Historica Arcanum: Empires of the Silk Road Soundtrack Album, Metis Creative
LegendKeeper, LegendKeeper / Algorific LLC
The Zone RPG · Digital Version, Laughing Kaiju

No Vote
.

Best Aid/Accessory – Non – Digital

Arkham Investigator’s Wallet, H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society
Atlas, Moonlight Maps
Epic Encounters: Local Legends – Tavern Kit, Steamforged Games
Hexcrawl Toolbox, Games Omnivorous
Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition The Book of Nod Deluxe Artifact Edition, Renegade Game Studios

No Vote
.

Best Art, Cover

Click here to see the nominees collage

Across a Thousand Dead Worlds, Blackoath Entertainment
Artist: Vladimir Manyukhin
Eat The Reich, Rowan, Rook and Decard
Artist: Will Kirkby
***Koriko: A Magical Year, Mousehole Press  Artist: Deb JJ Lee***
Not The End – Stories, Mana Project Studio
Artist: Pietro Bastas
Tomorrow City: Dieselpunk Roleplaying, Osprey Games
Artist: Biagio D’Alessandro

Best Art, Interior

Cick here to see the nominees collage

***Against the Faerie Queene – Art Book, Adder Stone Games
Artists: Rafa Guisso, Geraldo Prado, Tom Trengrove, Angus Martin, Deren Ozturk***
Astra Fauna: Expeditions, Astra Fauna
Artist: Sarah Dahlinger
Eat The Reich, Rowan, Rook and Decard
Artist: Will Kirkby
Ultraviolet Grasslands 2E, Exalted Funeral Press
Artist: Luka Rejec
Warhammer 40,000 Imperium Maledictum Core Rulebook Collector’s Edition, Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd
Artists: Helge C. Balzer, Alberto Bontempi, Simon Carr, Bartłomiej Fredyczak, Runesael Flynn, Wesley Gardner, Marc Grunert, Tom Hutchings, Dániel Kovács, Sam Manley, JG O’Donoghue, Christian Alias Perez, Aurèle Prandal, Erin Rea, Felix Tisch

Best Cartography

ALIEN RPG – Building Better Worlds, Free League Publishing
Stefan Isberg, Christian Granath, Dave Semark, Clara Fei-Fei Carija
Atlas, Moonlight Maps
***Border Riding, Stout Stoat Press  Eli Spencer***
Dragonbane Core Set, Free League Publishing
Francesca Baerald, Niklas Brandt
Hexcrawl Toolbox, Games Omnivorous
Kevin Cannon

Best Community Content

***Call of Cthulhu: Los Hobos and the Wolves of Carcosa, Critical Hit Publishing (Miskatonic Repository)  Author: Alex Guillotte  ***

Is this a Curse? (DMs Guild)
Author: Jeremy Cheong

The Huangfu Heist, Neo Tokyo Project (DMs Guild)
Author: Jason Koh, Darryl Ho

The Last Dance of Lola Montez: A Call of Cthulhu Modern Adventure (Miskatonic Repository)
Author: David Waldron

The Well of All Fear (Miskatonic Repository)
Author: Kat Clay

Best Family Game / Product

BREAK!! Tabletop RPG, Grey Wizard Press & Naldobean Games
Authors: Grey Wizard, Reynaldo Madriñan

***If I Were A Lich, Man, Hit Point Press Author: Lucian Kahn***

Little Game Masters, Randall Hampton Art and Design
Authors: Randall Hampton, Conor Napier, Adam Johns, Hunter Fell, Devon Chulick, Dr. Megan Connell, Lauren Urban

My Little Pony Roleplaying Game Limited Core Rulebook, Renegade Game Studios
Authors: Ryan Costello, Trivia Fox and Elisa Teague with John Kennedy and Andrew Peregrine

Pinebox Middle School Box Set, Pinnacle Entertainment Group
Authors: Scott Woodard, Preston DuBose, Ed Wetterman, Tracy Sizemore, Jameson McDaniel, Shane Hensley

RANT: As someone who has spent 15 years trying to find the right family RPGs, I just find these selections lacking.  Some are just the evolution of the subject, the cheap Gen X-er that I am find issue with an overpriced licensed product (I do have horrible bias towards the Renegade MLP product) as well as a full Pinnacle treatment with all the bells and whistles for $125 when there are $10-20 versions that you can get the same mileage out of
.  

Best Free Game / Product

***Heckin’ Good Doggos – Someone’s Last Day at the Track, Wet Ink Games, LLC
Author: Matthew Orr, Brandon K. Aten, Sarah Orr Aten***

Level 1 The Free RPG Day Indie RPG Anthology 2023, 9th Level Games
Author: Mark Kennedy, Dustin Blottenberger, KJ Lappin, CJ Lappin, M. Belanger, Rue Dickey, Nat Mesnard, Gabrielle Rabinowitz, Noah Lemelson, H. L. Black, Brigitte Winter, Sylvia Gimenez, Zak Eidsvoog, Ian Rickett, Goat Song Publishing, Helena Real

Losing Face, Pelgrane Press
Author: Kevin Kulp

Mazes Zero Prep Introduction to Fantasy Roleplaying, 9th Level Games

Rivers of London: The Domestic, Chaosium, Inc.
Authors: Gavin Inglis, Lynne Hardy

I've got to admit, I like all of these nominees!
.

Best Game

Kobolds Ate My Baby – The Orange Book, 9th Level Games
Author: Chris O’Neill, Bug Boll, Jon Maness
Art: John Kovalic
Editing: Heather O’Neill, Adriel Wilson
Layout/Design: Chris O’Neill

Not The End, Mana Project Studio
Author: Claudio Pustorino, Fabio Airoldi, Claudio Serena
Art: Pietro Bastas
Editing: Claudio Serena
Layout/Design: Claudio Pustorino

Outgunned, Two Little Mice
Authors: Riccardo “Rico” Sirignano, Simone Formicola
Art: Daniela Giubellini
Editing: Simone Formicola, John Marron
Layout/Design: Luca Carbone, Sabrina Ceccon

***Salvage Union, Leyline Press
Author: Panayiotis Lines, Aled Lawlor
Art: Alex Connolly, Hamish Frater, Francesco Silva, Aled Lawlor
Editing: Jarrett Crader (MRC), Panayiotis Lines
Layout/Design: Aled Lawlor ***

Shadowdark RPG, The Arcane Library
Author: Kelsey Dionne
Art : Lucas Korte, Brandish Gilhelm, Jessee Egan, Yuri Perkowski Domingos, Matt Morrow, Matt Ray, Mark Lyons, Abdul Latif
Layout/Design: Kelsey Dionne


Best Layout and Design

***BREAK!! Tabletop RPG, Grey Wizard Press & Naldobean Games  Grey Wizard, Reynaldo Madriñan ***

CBR+PNK: Augmented, Mythworks
Emanoel Melo, Raul Rinaldi

Not The End – Corebook, Mana Project Studio
Claudio Pustorino

Shadowdark RPG, The Arcane Library
Kelsey Dionne

TEETH, Big Robot Ltd
Marsh Davies

Best Monster/Adversary

***Big Bads – Yku, Hit Point Press
Author: I-Hsien Sherwood
Art: Thomas Fowler, Lucas Elliott ***

MONSTROUS, Cloud Curio
Authors: Kyle Latino, Kenny Webb
Art: Kyle Latino

Runecairn Bestiary, By Odin’s Beard RPG
Author: Colin Le Sueur
Art: Goran Gligović, Brandon Yu, Kim Diaz Holm, Felipe Faria, Jeffrey Koch, Dean Spencer, Perplexing Ruins

VR Dead, Space Penguin Ink
Author: Daniel Hallinan
Art: MACKLE, Neetols, Ben Guldenhoys, Manos Lagouvardos

Warhammer 40,000 Wrath & Glory Threat Assessment Xenos, Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd
Authors: Christopher Colston, Michael Duxbury, Chris Edwards, Chris Handley, Travis Legge, Ciarán O’Brien, Sven Truckenbrodt
Art: LJ Koh, Sam Manley, JG O’Donoghue, Stefan ‘Storykillinger’ Ristik, and Michael Savier

Best Online Content

Alexandrian, Dream Machine Productions
Alphastream Game Design Blog
Dave Thaumavore RPG Reviews
Skeleton Code Machine, Exeunt Press
***TTRPG Creator Resources Masterpost 2.0, Starshine Scribbles***

Given that your reading this on my crappy blog I've been piecing together for 15 years,  Starshine Scribbles felt like it had tangible content, event if it didn't always connect with me.   To be nice, if the others were yogurt, they wouldn't even be vanilla, they'd just be plain... but yogurt is a flavor all its own
.

Best Production Values

Arkham Investigator’s Wallet, H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society

Hexcrawl Toolbox, Games Omnivorous

Koriko: A Magical Year, Mousehole Press

Outcast Silver Raiders Box Set, Esoteric Ludology LLC

***Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition The Book of Nod Deluxe Artifact Edition, Renegade Game Studios ***

I don't know if it's worth $300, but The Book of Nod is freakin' impressive!
.

Best RPG Related Product

Experience Points – The Lost Chapters from Monsters, Aliens, & Holes in the Ground, Exalted Funeral Press  Authors: Stu Horvath, Ed Coleman

KOBOLD Guide to Roleplaying, Kobold Press
Authors: Keith Ammann, Ginny Di, Clint McElroy, Erin Roberts, Michael E. Shea, Gail Simon, B. Dave Walters, Bryan Camp, Luke Hart, Chris Kluwe, Christopher M. Cevasco, Sage Stafford, Basheer Ghouse, Shanna Germain, Shareff Jackson, Luke Gygax, Rajan Khanna, Curtis C Chen, Sharang Biswas, Scott Lynch, Robert Mason, John Joseph Adams

My Little Kobold Plush, 9th Level Games

RPG Stamps, Weird Works

So You Want to Be a Game Master: Everything You Need to Start Your Tabletop Adventure for Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, and Other Systems, Page Street Publishing Co.  Author: Justin Alexander

I'm a fan a Stu Horvath, more than I am voting for a plush Kobold, even if it's for King Torg (ALL HAIL KING TORG!!!)
.

Best Rules

Action 12 Cinema, Plus D12 Games
Author: Michael K. Ross

Not The End – Corebook, Mana Project Studio
Authors: Claudio Pustorino, Fabio Airoldi, Claudio Serena

Pathfinder Player Core, Paizo Inc
Authors: Alexander Augunas, Kate Baker, Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Carlos Cabrera, Calder CaDavid, James Case, Adam Daigle, Eleanor Ferron, Steven Hammond (II), Joan Hong, Vanessa Hoskins, James Jacobs, Jenny Jarzabski, Jason Keeley, Erik Keith, Dustin Knight, Lyz Liddell, Luis Loza, Erik Mona, Patchen Mortimer, Dennis Muldoon, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Mikhail Rekun, David N. Ross, Michael Sayre, Mark Seifter, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Mark Thompson, Clark Valentine, Andrew White, Landon J. Winkler, Linda Zayas-Palmer

***Salvage Union, Leyline Press
Authors: Panayiotis Lines, Aled Lawlor***

Shadowdark RPG, The Arcane Library
Author: Kelsey Dionne

We all know the 400-lb gorilla will win the popularity contest, but Salvage Union intrigues me
.

Best Setting

Dead Air: Seasons, The World Anvil Publishing
Authors: Luca Vanin, Federico Scattolin, Enrico Pasotti, Tommaso De Benetti

Heckna! Campaign Book, Hit Point Press
Authors: Ashley Warren, TR Rowe, Ryan Servis, Jordan Richer, Jay Jackson, Verity Lane

Outcast Silver Raiders Box Set, Esoteric Ludology LLC
Author: Isaac VanDuyn

Pathfinder Lost Omens: Tian Xia World Guide, Paizo Inc
Authors: Eren Ahn, Jeremy Blum, Alyx Bui, James Case, Banana Chan, Connie Chang, Rick Chia, Hans Chun, Theta Chun, Hiromi Cota, Dana Ebert, Basheer Ghouse, John Godek III, Sen H.H.S., Joan Hong, Michelle Jones, Joshua Kim, Daniel Kwan, Dash Kwiatkowski, Jacky Leung, Jesse J. Leung, Monte Lin, Jessie “Aki” Lo, Luis Loza, Adam Ma, Liane Merciel, Ashley Moni, Kevin Thien Vu Long Nguyen, Andrew Quon, Danita Rambo, K Arsenault Rivera, Christopher Rondeau, Joaquin Kyle “Makapatag” Saavedra, Kienna Shaw, Philip Shen, Tan Shao Han, Mari Tokuda, Ruvaid Virk, Viditya Voleti, Grady Wang, Emma Yasui, and Jay Zhang

***The Valley of Flowers, Phantom Mill Games Authors: Jedediah Berry, Andrew McAlpine ***


Modern streaming content hasn't been in my demographic for years.  I will admit that Episode 3 of The Party had the right amount of humor, empathy, realism, and cringe.  Not adding them to my subscriptions, but I certainly enjoyed it
. 

Best Supplement

***ALIEN RPG – Building Better Worlds, Free League Publishing Authors: Andrew E.C. Gaska, Dave Semark ***

Corpus Malicious – The Codex of Evil for 5E, Dream Realm Storytellers LTD
Authors: Alican Develioğlu, Ekin Topanoğlu, İzel Irem Aydin, Bartu Ağca, Barkin Tokalak, Eyüp Emre Erdem

Not The End – Stories, Mana Project Studio
Authors: Claudio Pustorino, Fabio Airoldi, Claudio Serena, Andrea Felicioni, Andrea Buzzi, Chiara Listo, Giuseppe Vitale, Andrea Rossi, Andrea Lucca, Alessandro Savino, Luca Carbone, Edoardo Cremaschi, Roberto de Luca, Alice Luidelli, Genitori de Ruolo, Dario Lazzari, Enrico Pasotti, Tommaso de Benetti, Martu Palavrini

The Griffon’s Saddlebag – Book Two, Hit Point Press
Authors: Griffin Macaulay, Willow Christensen

This and That Collection, Sneak Attack Press
Authors: Matthew J. Hanson, William Fischer

Best Writing

Call of Cthulhu: Alone Against the Static, Chaosium Inc.
Author: B.W. Holland
Editing: James Coquillat & Mike Mason

***Cloud Empress: Land of Cicadas, worlds by watt
Author: watt
Editing: Roz Leahy***

Kobolds Ate My Baby – The Orange Book, 9th Level Games
Authors: Chris O’Neill, Bug Boll, Jon Maness
Editing: Heather O’Neill, Adriel Wilson

Koriko: A Magical Year, Mousehole Press
Author: Jack Harrison
Editing: Neil Kingham

Musketeers Vs Cthulhu, Nightfall Games
Authors: Bill Heron, Benn Graybeaton, Mark Rapson, Chris McAuley, Claudia Christian
Editing: Benn Graybeaton

Product of the Year

CBR+PNK: Augmented, Mythworks

Eat The Reich, Rowan, Rook and Decard

Koriko: A Magical Year, Mousehole Press

Not The End, Mana Project Studio

Outcast Silver Raiders Box Set, Esoteric Ludology LLC

Outgunned, Two Little Mice

Salvage Union, Leyline Press

Shadowdark RPG, The Arcane Library

***The Valley of Flowers, Phantom Mill Games***

Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition The Book of Nod Deluxe Artifact Edition, Renegade Game Studios

Out of the options provided, Valley of Flowers is my obvious choice.  Great material, sufficient page length, good price point. 


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