2023 ENnies: And the Awards Go To…
Now that Gen Con is a fading memory of stale sweat in a packed convention hall, here are the winners of this year’s ENnies.
Gen Con has come and gone. And with it, we got the winners of this year’s ENnie awards. For a full list of winners and nominees, be sure and check out the ENnie Awards site. But here are some of the standouts from this year’s awards!
Best Adventure
Vaesen RPG – Seasons of Mystery – Gold Winner
Seasons of Mystery is a collection of four different mysteries for players to investigate in Vaesen RPG. The game of Nordic Horror roleplaying was present throughout the ENnies, so you might see the name crop up. Adventures include strange events in a remote village, a conflict between ancient traditions and modernity on the moors of Denmark, and a mystery by Free League’s Co-Founder and CEO, Tomas Härenstam.
Journeys through the Radiant Citadel – Silver Winner
Radiant Citadel will be familiar to D&D fans for sure. This is an anthology of adventures set across a variety of planes. Featuring writers of color behind every adventure, this book explored themes and cultures that aren’t the normal medieval Europe pastiche.
Best Electronic Book
Brindlewood Bay – Gold Winner
Brindlewood Bay is a roleplaying game that dares to ask: what if Murder, She Wrote was also a Cthulhu? You play as elderly women who are all members of the Murder Mavens Mystery Book Club, and when strange things that are best left slumbering start to awaken in the sleepy town of Brindlewood Bay, it’s time to get detecting.
Host and Hostility: Three Regency Call of Cthulhu Scenarios – Silver Winner
Cthulhus won big in the “electronic book” category this year. Host and Hostility is three mysteries that blend Jane Austen’s setting and character types, with a smattering of eldritch horror. And then some. Is it a truth, universally acknowledged that that which is not dead, eternal can lie, and with strange aeons even death may die? You’ll have to play to find out.
Best Game
Fabula Ultima – Gold Winner
We’ve covered Fabula Ultima here on BoLS before. This is the JRPG-inspired roleplaying game of fantasy adventure that you didn’t know you wanted until it came along. It won best game for a reason.
Trophy RPG – Silver Winner
Trophy is another title that had multiple ENnie nominations. It’s a game of doomed wanderers in the dark, hungry woods. If you like your horror dark and disturbing, this RPG is for you. It’s not one you play to see your characters survive necessarily.
Best Rules
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game – Gold Winner
Avatar Legends is one of the better adaptations out there right now. And as the winners of best rules, you’ll see how flexible the PBTA framework can get. With heroes that range from Benders to people who just use technology, it’s got a lot of options for playing any sort of hero who might fit in the Avatar Universe.
Rivers of London: The Roleplaying Game – Silver Winner
This year is all about mysteries and magic. And the Rivers of London RPG is set in the world of the novels with the same name. You play as cops working in the magic division of the London Metropolitan Police, and it’s up to you to deal with all of that nonsense now.
Product of the Year
Vaesen RPG – Mythic Britain & Ireland – Gold Winner
Finally, product of the year goes to Vaesen’s book of British and Irish folklore. Dark fantasy inspired by real-world myths and folklore. This book is a setting expansion for the original Vaesen and comes with new mysteries, character options, and more.
Fabula Ultima – Silver Winner
If you’ve been looking for a sign to try Fabula Ultima, consider that it also won silver for product of the year.
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!
