The 37th Annual Origins Awards nominees announced

[Ghostwind]

Origins Awards

Best Roleplaying Game
DC Adventures - Green Ronin Publishing
Designer: Steve Kenson

Dragon Age, Set 1 - Green Ronin Publishing
Designer: Chris Pramas

The Dresden Files RPG - Evil Hat Productions
Designers: Leonard Balsera, Jim Butcher, Genevieve Cogman, Robert Donoghue, Fred Hicks, Kenneth Hite, Ryan Macklin, Chad Underkoffler, Clark Valentine

Fiasco - Bully Pulpit Games
Designer: Jason Morningstar

Gamma World RPG - Wizards of the Coast
Designers: Rich Baker, Bruce Cordell

Best Roleplaying Supplement
A Song of Ice and Fire Campaign Guide (A Song of Ice and Fire RPG) - Green Ronin Publishing
Designers: David Chart, Joshua Frost, Brian Kirby, Jon Leitheusser, Anthony Pryor, Robert J. Schwalb, Owen K.C. Stephens

Our World (The Dresden Files RPG) - Evil Hat Productions
Designers: Leonard Balsera, Jim Butcher, Genevieve Cogman, Robert Donoghue, Fred Hicks, Kenneth Hite, Ryan Macklin, Chad Underkoffler, Clark Valentine

Advanced Player's Guide (Pathfinder RPG) - Paizo Publishing
Designers: Judy Bauer, Jason Bulmahn, Christopher Carey, James Jacobs, Steve Kenson, Hal Maclean, Rob McCreary, Erik Mona, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K. Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, Owen K.C. Stephens, Lisa Stevens, James L. Sutter, Russ Taylor, Vic Wertz

Sixth World Almanac (Shadowrun RPG)- Catalyst Game Labs
Designers: Jason Hardy, John Heifers, John Dunn

Sunward: The Inner System (Eclipse Phase RPG) - Posthuman Studios
Designers: Rob Boyle, Brian Cross, Adam Jury

Best Board Game
Castle Ravenloft - Wizards of the Coast
Designer: Bil Slaviciek, Mike Mearls

Defenders of the Realm - Eagle Games
Designer: Richard Launius

Fresco - Queen Games
Designer: Wolfgang Panning, Marco Ruskowski, Marcel Süßelbeck

Lords of Vegas - Mayfair Games
Designer: James Ernest, Mike Selinker

Nuns on the Run - Mayfair Games
Designer: Fréderic Moyersoen

Best Traditional Card Game
Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer - Gary Games
Designer: Justin Gary

Back to the Future: The Card Game - Looney Labs, Inc.
Designer: Andrew Looney

Hecho - Glowfly Games
Designers: Brian Knudsen, Brent Knudsen

Hex Hex XL - Smirk & Dagger Games
Designers: Curt Covert, Justin Brunetto

Railways of the World: The Card Game - Eagle Games
Designer: James Eastham, Steve Ellis

Best Family, Party or Children's Game
Ligretto Dice - Playroom Entertainment
Designers: Inka Brand, Markus Brand

Telestrations - USAopoly, Inc.
Designer: USAopoly

Wits and Wagers Family Edition - North Star Games
Designer: Dominic Crapuchettes

Word on the Street Junior - Out of the Box Publishing
Designer: Jack Degnan

Zombie Dice - Steve Jackson Games
Designer: Steve Jackson

Best Gaming Accessory
Color Primer: Dragon Red - The Army Painter
Designer: Bo Penstoft, Jonas Faering

Adventurers Tiles - Battle Bunker Games
Designer: Tony Ironmonger, Daniel Hinkle

Battlefield XP Swamp Tufts - The Army Painter
Designer: Bo Penstoft, Jonas Faering

Cthulhu Dice Bag - Steve Jackson Games
Designer: Alex Fernandez

BattleTech Hex Pack: Lakes & Rivers - Catalyst Game Labs
Designer: Randall N. Bills

Best Miniatures Rules
Adventures in the Lost Lands - Two Hour Wargames
Designer: Ed Teixeira

BattleTech Technical Readout: 3085 - Catalyst Game Labs
Designer: Joel Bancroft-Conners

DC HeroClix Blackest Knight Starter Game - WizKids/NECA
Designers: Eric Engelhard, Jake Theis, Norman Barth, Drew Nolosco

Hordes: Primal MK2 - Privateer Press
Designer: Matt Wilson

MERCS Games Rule - MERCS Miniatures, LLC
Designer: Brian Shotton

Best Historical Board Game
Warlords of Europe - GameBuilders
Designers: Ken Griffin, Kyle Battle, Russ Rupe

Conflict of Heroes: Price of Honour Poland 1939 - Academy Games
Designer: Uwe Eickect

Catan Histories - Settlers of America: Trails to Rails - Mayfair Games
Designer: Klaus Teuber

Panzer General: Allied Assault - Petroglyph Games, Inc.
Designers: Chuck Kroegel, George Chastain

Best Game-Related Publication
No Quarter Magazine - Privateer Press
Editors: Matt Wilson, Aeryn Redel, Privateer Press

Hamlet's Hit Points - Gameplaywright
Author: Robin Laws

Family Games: The 100 Best - Green Ronin Publishing
Editor: James Lowder

Shadowrun: Spells and Chrome - Catalyst Game Labs
Editor: John Helfers

World at War: Revelation - Lock ‘n Load Publishing
Author: Mark H. Walker

For the first time in several years, I feel like we've got a good selection that actually does represent the best in gaming for the past year. It will be interesting to see who the winners are this year.

 

[Thunderfoot]

More to the point, are the Origin awards finally managing to sync up with the ENnies on RPGs. It appears that their front runners might end up being our front runners. If so, it's going to be a very interesting vote count for the ENnies.

There are a lot of strong products on that list. Even the Best Supplement category looks strong. I'm really starting to get amped up for the ENnies this year.

 

[Argyle King]

It's cool to see Zombie Dice on there. I've had a blast with that game. It's been a great gateway game to get people who weren't 'gamers' before interested in some of the other things I have... anything which increases the potential player base for my hobbies is good in my opinion. It also happens to be a very fun game.

Great field overall.

Seeing the DC game there makes me feel better about possibly buying it. I've eyed the book a few times at the local gaming store.

 

[IronWolf]

It's cool to see Zombie Dice on there. I've had a blast with that game. It's been a great gateway game to get people who weren't 'gamers' before interested in some of the other things I have... anything which increases the potential player base for my hobbies is good in my opinion. It also happens to be a very fun game.

Zombie Dice are great! I have a set and the IronPups love to play! Have the app loaded on Mrs. IronWolf's iPod Touch and my iPad as well for times you have a few minutes to "kill". Fun, quick game.

 

[CharlesRyan]

Congrats to a lot of really great games, as well as great designers (and editors, publishers, developers, illustrators, and so on)!

Particular contrats to Jim Lowder, for another great book in Family Games 100. I'm proud of my small part in that one!

(As for Zombie Dice being a great gateway game: A 4-Year-Old Plays Zombie Dice! The Fascinating World of Charles Ryan)

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Kind of sad that there's only one 'original' game in the Best RPG category. 3 licensed properties and a reboot. Not that those are bad games, necessarily -- Dresden Files is great, and probably the best book in terms of writing and layout I've seen in a quite a while.

Wonder if it's just the way the industry is trending, or a fluke.

 

[Princesskeyblade]

More to the point, are the Origin awards finally managing to sync up with the ENnies on RPGs. It appears that their front runners might end up being our front runners. If so, it's going to be a very interesting vote count for the ENnies.

There are a lot of strong products on that list. Even the Best Supplement category looks strong. I'm really starting to get amped up for the ENnies this year.

That really is an excellent list. Having read a majority of these, I can tell you if you have been on the fence about buying any of these games and supplements they are all worth it.

There are some products that came out before the begining of the ENnies entry period (Dragon Age, which I ADORE!). Some are products that the judges have yet to recieve as submissions.

Now may be a good time to remind everyone that the ENnies' Judges can't nominate something that hasn't been submitted. Now would be a great time to check the ENnies website and start letting your favorite publishers know that they should submit your favorite products. They have to be postmarked by May 8.