List of XYZZY Awards by category

This is a list of XYZZY Awards results, grouped by award rather than year. The XYZZY Awards are the annual awards given by the publication "XYZZYnews" to works of interactive fiction, serving a similar role to the Academy Awards for film. The awards were inaugurated in 1997, initially with eight categories: best game, best writing, best story, best setting, best puzzles, best individual puzzle, best NPCs (non-player characters) and best individual NPC. Two others, best individual player-character and best use of medium, were added the following year. For the 2010 awards, the best use of medium award was divided into separate awards for best implementation and best use of innovation, while new awards were instituted for non-game creations: best technological development and best supplemental materials. Presented in early spring, any game released during the year prior to the award ceremony is eligible for nomination to receive an award. The decision process takes place in two stages: members of the interactive fiction community nominate works within specific categories and sufficiently supported nominations become finalists within those categories. Typically there are four or five finalists in each category. Community members then vote among the finalists, and the game receiving a plurality of votes is given the award in an online ceremony on ifMUD.

Each entry below lists the winners of each award in each year, followed by other finalists for that year.

Best game

Given since 1996, the award for Best Game recognizes the game which is the most enjoyable as a whole; other awards recognize merit in particular qualities.

Best writing

Like the Best Game award, the Best Writing award has been given since 1996. It recognizes a game which rises above the others in the quality of its descriptive text.

Best story

This award has been given since 1996. It recognizes the game with the deepest or most original story.

Best setting

The award for Best Setting, also given since 1996, recognizes games with the most original or best-described locations.

Best puzzles

The award for Best Puzzles recognizes the game with the most well-crafted, clever, and appropriate puzzles. It has also been given since 1996.

Best NPCs

Another of the original awards, the award for Best NPCs recognizes particularly appropriate, amusing, and well-written casts of non-player characters.

Best individual puzzle

The seventh original award is that for the Best Individual Puzzle. It recognizes a particularly inspired, well-crafted, and intriguing puzzle.

Best individual NPC

The last of the original awards given in 1996 is the award for the Best Individual NPC. This award recognizes a particularly well-implemented and well-written non-player character.

Best individual PC

The award for the Best Individual PC was one of two XYZZY Awards added in 1997. It is intended to recognize particularly well-defined and well-written player characters. The very existence of this award violates the principle of AFGNCAAP, which stresses the importance of leaving certain characteristics of the protagonist intentionally vague to allow the player to more easily envision themselves as the central character. However, many games, such as those listed here, have demonstrated that successful interactive fiction stories can also be told with a more well-defined player character.

Best implementation

The Best Implementation award was introduced in 2010 along with Best Use of Innovation, to replace the Best use of Medium award. It recognizes "completeness of implementation, excellence in parser messages, etc".[1]

Best use of innovation

The Best Use of Innovation award was introduced in 2010 along with Best Implementation, to replace the Best use of Medium award. It recognizes the "most innovative game".[1]

Best use of medium

The Best Use of Medium award, the other XYZZY Award added in 1997, is not a clearly defined award, with no specific criteria given to voters. The interpretation of what particular quality this award recognizes remains open; many voters choose to interpret this award as a recognition of particularly daring interpretations of the limits and abilities of interactive fiction, especially as regards the relationship between the player, narrator, and player character. This award was retired in 2010, when Best Implementation and Best Use of Innovation were introduced as replacements.

Best technological development

The Best Technological Development award was introduced in 2010 to recognize "interpreters, authoring systems, libraries, utilities, and so on".[1]

Best supplemental materials

The Best Supplemental Materials award was introduced in 2010 to recognize outstanding non-game content ("feelies") created to accompany specific games. Eligibility is based on the year when the supplemental materials were released, regardless of the year of release of the game.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "What's new with the XYZZY Awards in 2010?". XYZZY Awards FAQ. Archived from the original on 2012-07-27. Retrieved 2013-12-20.
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