Indie RPG Awards
Encyclopedia
The Indie RPG Awards are annual, creator-based awards for Indie role-playing game
products. The creator of the Awards is Andy Kitkowski. It was established on 2002.
For the purposes of the Awards, there exists a following "definition" of an Indie role-playing game:
Indie role-playing game
An indie role-playing game is a role-playing game published outside of traditional, "mainstream" means. Varying definitions require that commercial, design, or conceptual elements of the game stay under the control of the creator, or that the game should just be produced outside of a corporate...
products. The creator of the Awards is Andy Kitkowski. It was established on 2002.
For the purposes of the Awards, there exists a following "definition" of an Indie role-playing game:
- A game where the creator is the person who has written at least 50% of the actual game content.
- A game where the creator has full control of content and publishing. They can say, "I'd like to print 200 more copies" or "I'll drop the price by 50%", "I think this game needs more ninjas..." and do so without asking permission or checking with anyone else.
- A game where the creator is the publisher: They alone are responsible for paying all the costs of printing, art, advertising, etc. They also have full executive receipt and full control over the disbursement of profits.
Categories
The following categories for nominations were used throughout the awards history:- Indie Game of the Year - main award for Indie Games.
- Indie Supplement of the Year - sub-award for best Supplements of Indie Games.
- Best Free Game - sub-award for free Indie Games.
- Best Support - sub-award for publisher who displayed best support for previously published game or supplement.
- Best Production - sub-award for best written and most attractive Indie Games.
- Most Innovative Game - sub-award for games that stretch the RPG experience in new ways.
- Andy's Choice Award - Awards creator personal award; presented only in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
- People's Choice Award - sub-award decided by popular vote rather than by peers for best game and best supplement; presented only in 2004.
- Best Synergy - sub-award for a game for which the game rules have been tailor-made to reflect the setting they take place in, and the setting is clearly reflected in the rules; presented only in 2002 and 2003.
- Indie RPG "Human of the Year" - sub-award for Indie RPG creators and supporters rather than games; presented only in 2002 and 2003.
- Best Use of the d20 License - presented only in 2002
- Indie RPG Zine of the Year - presented only in 2002
2002
- Indie Game of the Year: Dust DevilsDust DevilsDust Devils is an independently published role-playing game set in the Old West, written by Matt Snyder. It was voted the 2002 Indie RPG of the Year; it also won the Best Synergy of Game and Rules category, as well as placing in the Best Production and Most Innovative Game categories.The game uses...
- Runners-up: The Riddle of SteelThe Riddle of SteelThe Riddle of Steel is a role-playing game created by Jacob Norwood and published by Driftwood Publishing...
(2nd), Cartoon Action HourCartoon Action HourCartoon Action Hour is a role-playing game designed to emulate classic action-adventure cartoons, such as ThunderCats, He-Man, Transformers, G.I...
(3rd) - Finalists: Children of the Sun, Cartoo Action Hour, Lightspeed, InSpectresInSpectresInSpectres is a paranormal investigation-themed role-playing game by Jared Sorensen, independently published by Memento Mori Theatricks.- System :Like most roleplaying games, InSpectres has a method of conflict resolution using dice...
, Donjon
- Runners-up: The Riddle of Steel
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Charnel GodsSorcerer (role-playing game)Sorcerer is an award winning occult-themed indie role-playing game written by Ron Edwards and published through Adept Press. The game focuses on sorcerers who summon, bind, and interact with demons, which are powerful non-human entities who work with and against the sorcerer.-Setting:The game has...
- Runners-up: JAGS C-13: The Colonies (2nd), Vendetta (3rd)
- Finalists: Demon CopsSorcerer (role-playing game)Sorcerer is an award winning occult-themed indie role-playing game written by Ron Edwards and published through Adept Press. The game focuses on sorcerers who summon, bind, and interact with demons, which are powerful non-human entities who work with and against the sorcerer.-Setting:The game has...
, InSpeckersInSpectresInSpectres is a paranormal investigation-themed role-playing game by Jared Sorensen, independently published by Memento Mori Theatricks.- System :Like most roleplaying games, InSpectres has a method of conflict resolution using dice...
- Best Free Game: Nicotine GirlsNicotine GirlsNicotine Girls is a indie role-playing game by Paul Czege, published by Half Meme Press. It was awarded with the 2002 Indie RPG award for Best Free Game. Player characters in the game are 16 to 19 year-old females....
- Runners-up: Active Exploites (2nd), Shadows (3rd)
- Finalists: Metal Opera, Console
- Best Use of the d20 License: The Kid's Colouring Book o Critters - Celebrity Edition
- Runners-up: Deeds not Words (2nd), 101 Mundane Treasures (3rd)
- Finalists: Thee Compleat Librum ov Gar'Udok's Necromantic Artes, d20Zine!
- Best Production: Children of the Sun
- Runners-up: Dust Devils (2nd), octaNeOctaneOctane is a hydrocarbon and an alkane with the chemical formula C8H18, and the condensed structural formula CH36CH3. Octane has many structural isomers that differ by the amount and location of branching in the carbon chain...
- Finalists: The Colonies, TrollbabeTrollbabeTrollbabe is an indie role-playing game by Ron Edwards, cofounder of The Forge. It is an outworking of his Narrativist design philosophy. Edwards self-publishes it as a PDF through his Adept Press website....
- Runners-up: Dust Devils (2nd), octaNe
- Best Support: The Riddle of Steel
- Runners-up: Cartoon Action Hour (2nd), InSpectres (3rd)
- Finalists: Mean Streets, Trollbabe
- Best Synergy: Dust Devils
- Runners-up: KayfabeKayfabeIn professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
(2nd), InSpectresInSpectresInSpectres is a paranormal investigation-themed role-playing game by Jared Sorensen, independently published by Memento Mori Theatricks.- System :Like most roleplaying games, InSpectres has a method of conflict resolution using dice...
(3rd) - Finalists: Nicotine Girls, The Riddle of Steel
- Runners-up: Kayfabe
- Most Innovative Game: UniversalisUniversalisUniversalis is a role-playing game from Ramshead Publishing that stresses interactive storytelling. The game uses a unique system, based on "coins" that are used to make additions to the game, which allows the entire group to participate in the creation of the setting and events in play without a...
- Runners-up: Soap: The Game of Soap Opera Mayhem (2nd), Donjon (3rd)
- Finalists: Dust Devils, Trollbabe,
- Indie RPG "Human of the Year": Ron EdwardsRon Edwards (game designer)Ronald Edwards is a game designer, theorist, and an influential member of the indie role-playing game community. Notably, he is the creator of the Sorcerer RPG, the GNS Theory of gameplay, and The Big Model....
- Runners-up: Brett Bernstein (2nd), Clinton R. Nixon (3rd)
- Finalists: Jared A. Sorensen
- Indie RPG Zine of the Year: The Shadowrun Supplemental
- Runners-up: Places to go, People to meet (2nd), Critical Miss (3rd)
- Finalists: Roleplaying Tips Weekly, d20Zine!
- Andy's Choice: Charnel Gods
- Nod: PaladinPaladinThe paladins, sometimes known as the Twelve Peers, were the foremost warriors of Charlemagne's court, according to the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. They first appear in the early chansons de geste such as The Song of Roland, where they represent Christian martial valor against the...
- Nod: Paladin
2003
- Indie Game of the Year: My Life with MasterMy Life with MasterMy Life with Master is an independently published role-playing game written by Paul Czege and published by Half Meme Press ....
- Runners-up: UnbiddenUnbiddenUnbidden is a standalone modern horror role-playing game by Politically Incorrect Games . The company has also released it as a setting for their genreDiversion 3E universal role-playing system....
(2nd), Fate (3rd) - Finalists: vs Monsters, WushuWushu (role-playing game)Wushu is a free universal role-playing game by Dan Bayn released under the Creative Commons license.Wushu is a non-traditional role-playing game. In a traditional game, a player would describe his character's action, and then roll dice to see if it succeed. In Wushu, a player describes what his...
- Runners-up: Unbidden
- Indie Supplement of the Year: JAGS Have-Not
- Runners-up: Island Nations & DaedalusDaedalusIn Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
(2nd; tie), Sex & Sorcery (3rd; actually 4th but listed as 3rd) - Finalists: Smuggler's RunSmuggler's RunAlthough some reviews criticize the game for being repetitive and frustrating, the overall response was positive. It achieved an average score of 79/100 on review aggregator Metacritic. -External links:*...
, A Cast of Thousands
- Runners-up: Island Nations & Daedalus
- Best Free Game: Fate
- Runners-up: The Basic System (2nd), Active Exploites, 2nd editionActive ExploitsActive Exploits is a diceless set of role-playing game rules by Precis Intermedia Gaming. The core rules are distributed for free as a pdf file, or for a fee as a printed book...
(3rd) - Finalists: vs Monsters, The Valedictorian's Death,
- Runners-up: The Basic System (2nd), Active Exploites, 2nd edition
- Best Production: My Life with Master
- Runners-up: vs Monsters(2nd), Unbidden
- Finalists: OrbitOrbitIn physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
, Daemon Codex, Daedalus]]
- Best Support: Fate
- Runners-up: Active Exploits, second edition(2nd), Pax DraconisPax DraconisPax Draconis is a science fiction role-playing game designed by Justin Dagna and published by Technicraft Design. The game utilizes the d100 system, where the outcome of any particular action is determined by a percentile. Set in the far future and another galaxy amidst a backdrop of civil war,...
- Finalists: Wushu, My Life with Master,
- Runners-up: Active Exploits, second edition(2nd), Pax Draconis
- Best Synergy: My Life with Master
- Runners-up: Promised Sands (2nd), Wushu(3rd)
- Finalists: Orbit, The Valedictorian's Death
- Most Innovative Game: My Life with Master
- Runners-up: Orbit(2nd), Tooth and Claw (3rd)
- Finalists: Wushu, The Valedictorian's Death
- Indie RPG "Human of the Year": Luke Crane (spelled as Power of the Year)
- Finalists (no runners-up): Matt SnyderMatt SnyderMatt Snyder is a Canadian football quarterback. He has played for the semi-pro London Silverbacks of the North American Football League and for the University of Windsor Lancers...
, Cynthia Celeste Miller, Phil ReedPhil ReedPhil Reed was a New York City Council Member from 1998 to 2005, when term limits forced him out of office. He represented Council District 8, encompassing Manhattan neighborhoods of East Harlem and Manhattan Valley, and a portion of the South Bronx, as well as Randall's Island / Wards Island and...
, Ron Edwards, Jay Libby, S. John Ross, Jason L Blair, Paul Czege, Mike HolmesMike HolmesMichael James Holmes is a Canadian professional contractor. He is the host of television show Holmes on Homes, where he rescues homeowners from renovations gone wrong; and its successor TV series, Holmes Inspection...
, Andy Kitkowski, Samantha Downing, Todd Downing, Steve Darlington, Paul TuckerPaul TuckerPaul Tucker is the name of:* Paul Tucker , UK musician, creator and member of the band Lighthouse Family* Paul Tucker , UK economist* Paul Tucker , Canadian comic book artist...
, Marco Chacon, Jared Sorenson, Matt Forbeck, Mike Rennaker, Jay Carpio AKA Carpio Dregg, Jeremy McHugh, Sandy AntunesSandy AntunesAlexander "Sandy" Antunes is a Maryland-area astronomer, author, and role playing game designer. He graduated from Boston University in 1989 with a dual major in astronomy and physics, received a Masters in astronomy from Penn State in 1992, and received his PhD in computational astrophysics from...
, Justin Dagna, Dan Bayn, Chad Underkoffler, Nicole Lindross, Ann Dupius, Otto Blix, Andrew Kenrick, James Mathe
- Finalists (no runners-up): Matt Snyder
- Andy's Choice: Fate
- Nods: Barbarians of Lemuria, Wushu
2004
- Indie Game of the Year: Dogs in the VineyardDogs in the VineyardDogs in the Vineyard is an independently published role-playing game based on the history of the Mormons. It was written by D. Vincent Baker and published by Lumpley Games....
- Runners-up (in order): Primetime AdventuresPrimetime AdventuresPrimetime Adventures is a role-playing game by Matt Wilson, independently published by Dog-eared Designs. The players create a TV-show together, establishing setting elements and potential main characters. One player takes on the role of the producer, while the rest of the players take on the role...
, Dead Inside, The Shadow of YesterdayThe Shadow of YesterdayThe Shadow of Yesterday is a narrativist sword and sorcery indie role-playing game, designed by Clinton R...
, Cat, A/State, Hardnova II, Wyrd is Bond, Lacuna, Nine Worlds, Iron Gauntlets, Pulp Fu, Book of Jalan, Conspiracy of Shadows
- Runners-up (in order): Primetime Adventures
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Monster BurnerThe Burning WheelThe Burning Wheel is a fantasy role-playing game independently written and published by Luke Crane. The game uses a dice pool mechanic for resolution, and a system of prior-experience for character generation which tracks the development of the new character from birth up to the point they begin...
- Runners-up (in order): Places to go, people to be, InsideDaedalusIn Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
, Cold Hard World, Fuzion Forum Yearbook 2003, Rune Companion, La Famiglia Amalfi, The Hidden Temple, The Lostfinders Guide to Mire End
- Runners-up (in order): Places to go, people to be, Inside
- Best Free Game: The Shadow of Yesterday
- Runners-up (in order): JAGS-2, Battleaxe, Basic System, Roleplaying Game Designate: Robots, FormlessFormlessFormless is the 2nd album from progressive metal band Aghora, released in December, 2006.-Track listing:# Lotus – 1:14# Atmas Heave – 5:10# Moksha – 5:29# Open Close the Book – 4:58# Garuda – 2:53# Dual Alchemy – 5:36# Dime – 7:00# 1316 – 5:30...
, Have-a-go Heroes
- Runners-up (in order): JAGS-2, Battleaxe, Basic System, Roleplaying Game Designate: Robots, Formless
- People's Choice - Best Game: Dead Inside
- Runners-up: Primetime Adventures(2nd), Dogs in the Vineyard(3rd)
- Finalists (not in order): A/State, No Press RPG Anthology, Conspiracy of Shadows, Monkey Ninja Pirate Robot, the farmThe FarmThe Farm may refer to:In places:* The Farm , a government residence in Canada and home to the Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons* The Farm , a community center in California, U.S....
- People's Choice - Best Supplement: Monster Burner
- Runners-up: Cold, Hard World(2nd), Fuzion Forum Yearbook 2003(3rd)
- Finalists (not in order): Rune Companion, PTGPTB
- Best Production: A/State
- Runners-up (in order): Nine Worlds, Dogs in the Vineyard, Monster Burner, The Shadow of Yesterday, Battleaxe, No Press RPG Anthology & Lacuna & Wyrd is Bond (tie), Primetime Adventures, Code of Unaris
- Best Support: Monster Burner
- Runners-up (in order): Dogs in the Vineyard, A/State, The Shadow of Yesterday, JAGS-2 & Conspiracy of Shadows (tie), Dead Inside, Iron Gauntlets, Battleaxe & Basic System (tie), Hardnova II
- Most Innovative Game: Dogs in the Vineyard
- Runners-up (in order): Primetime Adventures, Lacuna, Code of Unaris, Dead Inside, The Shadow of Yesterday, Fastlane, BonesBonesBones are rigid connective organs that make up the skeleton of vertebrates. Bones may also refer to:* Bones , a forensic crime solving drama TV series* Bones * Bones , a 2001 horror film...
, No Press RPG Anthology, Wyrd is Bond, Cat, Nine Worlds
- Runners-up (in order): Primetime Adventures, Lacuna, Code of Unaris, Dead Inside, The Shadow of Yesterday, Fastlane, Bones
- Andy's Choice: Primetime Adventures
- Nods (not in any order): The Shadow of Yesterday, Infinite Legends, LACUNA PART I, Battleaxe, Roma Imperious, Cat: Little Game About Little Heroes, Pie Shop, Dog Town: Core Rules, Dead Inside
2005
- Indie Game of the Year: Polaris
- Runners-up (in order): Truth & JusticeTruth & JusticeTruth & Justice is an "indie" tabletop role-playing game designed to emulate the superhero genre. It was created by Chad Underkoffler and published by Atomic Sock Monkey Press. The game allows players to take the role of superheroes and supervillains....
, The Mountain WitchThe Mountain WitchThe Mountain Witch is a role-playing game by Timothy Kleinert, independently published by Timfire Publishing. The player characters are samurai ronin that have banded together to destroy the Mountain Witch at the top of Mount Fuji. Each character has its own "dark fate", randomly drawn and known...
, Breaking the Ice, With Great Power...With Great Power...With Great Power... is a Silver Age superhero tabletop role-playing game by Michael S. Miller, independently published by Incarnadine Press...
, ArtesiaArtesia: Adventures in the Known WorldArtesia: Adventures in the Known World , is a role-playing game based on the comic book Artesia is written and illustrated by Mark Smylie and published by Archaia Studios Press ....
, Coyote Trail, Bacchanal, Cold Space
- Runners-up (in order): Truth & Justice
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Burning Sands: JihadThe Burning WheelThe Burning Wheel is a fantasy role-playing game independently written and published by Luke Crane. The game uses a dice pool mechanic for resolution, and a system of prior-experience for character generation which tracks the development of the new character from birth up to the point they begin...
- Runners-up (in order): JAGS Wonderland, Conspiracy of Shadows Companion, The Fringe, Dial S for SuperhumansTruth & JusticeTruth & Justice is an "indie" tabletop role-playing game designed to emulate the superhero genre. It was created by Chad Underkoffler and published by Atomic Sock Monkey Press. The game allows players to take the role of superheroes and supervillains....
- Runners-up (in order): JAGS Wonderland, Conspiracy of Shadows Companion, The Fringe, Dial S for Superhumans
- Best Free Game: Perfect20
- Runners-up (in order): Burning Sands: Jihad, JAGS Wonderland, Bacchanal, Dial S for Superhumans, Basic V
- Best Production: Artesia
- Runners-up (in order): The Mountain Witch, Polaris
- Best Support: Truth & JusticeTruth & JusticeTruth & Justice is an "indie" tabletop role-playing game designed to emulate the superhero genre. It was created by Chad Underkoffler and published by Atomic Sock Monkey Press. The game allows players to take the role of superheroes and supervillains....
- Runners-up (in order): With Great Power..., Cold Space, Breaking the Ice, Polaris, Burning Sands: Jihad, The Mountain Witch
- Most Innovative Game: Polaris
- Runners-up (in order): Breaking the Ice, The Mountain Witch, Bacchanal, With Great Power..., Truth & Justice
2006
- Indie Game of the Year: Spirit of the CenturySpirit of the CenturySpirit of the Century is a pulp role-playing game published by Evil Hat Productions, and based on Evil Hat's FATE system. It is billed as a 'pick-up' game that can be played quickly, with little preparation....
- Runners-up (in order): Burning EmpiresBurning Empires (role-playing game)Burning Empires is an American science fiction role-playing game, designed by Luke Crane and published by Key 20 Publishing in 2006. The epic game is based on Christopher Moeller's two critically acclaimed Iron Empires graphic novels, Faith Conquers and Sheva's War...
, The Zorcerer of ZoThe Zorcerer of ZoThe Zantabulous Zorcerer of Zo is a fairy tale-themed independently published role-playing game created by Chad Underkoffler and published by Atomic Sock Monkey Press...
, Lacuna Part 1 (second attempt), Don't Rest Your Head, A Thousand and One Nights, Shock: Social Science FictionShock: Social Science FictionShock: Social Science Fiction is a pen-and-paper indie RPG about the effects of the shock of cultural change on the individuals who make up that culture...
, Faery's Tale & The Shab-al-Hiri Roach & In Harm's Way: A Napoleonic Naval Roleplaying Game (tie)
- Runners-up (in order): Burning Empires
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Dictionary of MuSorcerer (role-playing game)Sorcerer is an award winning occult-themed indie role-playing game written by Ron Edwards and published through Adept Press. The game focuses on sorcerers who summon, bind, and interact with demons, which are powerful non-human entities who work with and against the sorcerer.-Setting:The game has...
- Runners-up (in order): Push Volume 1, Steampunk Musha
- Best Free Game: JAGS Revised
- Runners-up (in order): EABAlite, Mexican StandoffMexican standoffA Mexican standoff is a slang term defined as a stalemate or impasse; a confrontation that neither side can foreseeably win. The term is most often used in lieu of "stalemate" when the confrontational situation is exceptionally dangerous for all parties involved.In popular culture, the Mexican...
, UnistatUnistatThe Unistat computer program is a statistical data analysis tool featuring two modes of operation: The stand-alone user interface is a complete workbench for data input, analysis and visualization while the Microsoft Excel add-in mode extends the features of the mainstream spreadsheet application...
, Simple20, Beat the ClockBeat the ClockBeat the Clock is a Goodson-Todman game show which has aired on American television in several versions since 1950.The original show, hosted by Bud Collyer, ran on CBS from 1950–1958 and ABC from 1958–1961. The show was revived in syndication as The New Beat the Clock from 1969–1974, with Jack Narz...
, Inntil vi synker, ChimaeraChimaeraChimaeras are cartilaginous fish in the order Chimaeriformes, known informally as ghost sharks, ratfish , spookfish , or rabbitfishes...
, Kazekami Kyoko Kills Kublai Khan
- Runners-up (in order): EABAlite, Mexican Standoff
- Best Production: Burning Empires
- Runners-up (in order): Spirit of the Century, Dictionary of Mu
- Best Support: Burning Empires
- Runners-up (in order): Spirit of the Century, The Zorcerer of Zo, JAGS Revised
- Most Innovative Game: Lacuna Part 1, second attempt
- Runners-up (in order): Don't Rest Your Head, A Thousand and One Nights, Shock: Social Science Fiction, Agon
2007
- Indie Game of the Year: Grey RanksGrey Ranks (role-playing game)Grey Ranks is a role-playing game by Jason Morningstar, independently published by Bully Pulpit Games. The game is designed for three to five players and puts each of them in the shoes of child soldiers during the Warsaw Uprising, serving as members of the Grey Ranks .- Game play :Play is conducted...
- Indie Supplement of the Year: The Blossoms are Falling
- Best Free Game: Classroom Deathmatch
- Best Production: ReignReignA reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation or of a people . In most hereditary monarchies and some elective monarchies A reign is the term used to describe the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office...
- Best Support: The Blossoms are Falling
- Most Innovative Game: Grey Ranks
2008
- Indie Game of the Year: Mouse Guard
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Don't Lose Your Mind
- Best Free Game: Sea Dracula and Sufficiently Advanced (tie)
- Best Production: Mouse Guard
- Best Support: Mouse Guard
- Most Innovative Game: Sweet Agatha
2009
- Indie Game of the Year: Kagematsu
- Indie Supplement of the Year: The Day after Ragnarok
- Best Free Game: Lady Blackbird: Adventures in the Wild Blue Yonder
- Best Production: Lady Blackbird: Adventures in the Wild Blue Yonder
- Best Support: FiascoFiasco (role-playing game)- Overview :Fiasco is a role-playing game by Jason Morningstar, independently published by Bully Pulpit Games. It is a GM-less game for 3-5 players, designed to be played in a few hours with six-sided dice and no preparation...
- Most Innovative Game: A Penny for My Thoughts