2012 Categories

This is a list of all possible categories for the 2012 ENnies. Please remember that just because a category is listed here does not mean that it will be a final category in 2012. If there are not enough submissions to fill a particular category, it will not be a final category in 2012.

From the FAQ: Q: How is it decided which products are nominated under which category? The judges must come to a consensus when it comes to nominations. They decide which products are nominated under certain categories. A publisher can request to not be nominated under a specific category, but they can’t request to be nominated under a specific category. This will not happen until after the cutoff date for the current submission period.

• Best Website - Awarded for an RPG web site.

• Best Blog – Awarded for an RPG blog.

• Best Cartography – Awarded for the individual product containing the best art or technique of making maps or charts.

• Best Interior Art – Awarded for the book containing the best artwork between the covers.

• Best Cover Art – Awarded for the book with the best cover.

• Best Production Values – Awarded for the book exemplifying the best production values, from graphic design and layout, editing, paper, binding; all the factors that combine to create the look and feel of the product.

• Best Writing – Awarded for the book containing the best prose and descriptive text (i.e. “cream” or “fluff”).

• Best Rules – Awarded for the book containing the best game design and mechanics (i.e. “crunch”).

• Best Supplement- Awarded for a product which adds supplementary rules or details to the game.
  • Products nominated for Best Supplement or any of its child categories (Adventure or Monster) may not be nominated as Best Game.
  • Products nominated in the Supplement child categories may not be nominated for Best Supplement or other Supplement child categories unless they contain sufficient additional quality and quantity of material as determined by the judges.
  • If insufficient entries are received in the child categories, submissions may be merged with Best Supplement.

• Best Adventure – Awarded for a product that is primarily an adventure, adventure ideas, or seeds.

• Best Monster/Adversary – Awarded for a product whose primary focus is monsters or adversaries.

• Best Setting – Awarded for a product detailing a setting.  Best Settings may be contained within a core rulebook or as a separate stand-alone product.

• Best Aid/Accessory- Awarded for the best product used to complement role playing game play.
  • RPG books are not eligible for this category.
  • If insufficient entries are received in the child categories (Miniature, RPG Related Product, or Software), submissions may be merged with Best Aid/Accessory.

• Best Miniature - Awarded for the best miniature or miniature line. Miniatures must be appropriate for RPG play.
  • If not enough actual miniatures are received, this category can be used for products related specifically to miniatures.

• Best RPG Related Product – Awarded for the best product which, while it does not complement role playing game play, does enhance the lives of RP gamers. RPG Fiction, RPG Video Games, Videos, RPG Board Games, miniature painting accessories, etc. are all possibilities for entries in this category.

• Best Software – Awarded to the best RPG software or utility.

• Best Podcast – Awarded to the best Podcast.

• Best Free Product - Awarded for the best free product.

• Best Electronic Book – Awarded for the best book released electronically. Products submitted for Best Electronic Book must have been released exclusively in electronic format to be eligible, although small-run (fewer than 50 copies) Print on Demand will not invalidate an entry in this category. Please note that this is for electronic books only; software has its own category, and other electronic products (such as digital counter collections) still belong in Aid/Accessory or Miniatures.

• Best Game – Awarded for the best role-playing game. The Best Game winner brings together art, writing, rules, feeling, playability; everything that makes up a role playing game. Entries in this category must be complete enough to play as-is, from character creation to rules of play. Best Game and Best Supplement are mutually-exclusive categories. Best Game and Best New Game are not mutually exclusive categories.

• Product of the Year – Awarded to the best product. All products submitted will be automatically considered for this category. Ten products will be nominated.

• Fans’ Choice for Best Publisher – Awarded to a publisher whose body of work during the eligibility period was deemed best overall, with other, often less tangible factors taken into consideration. Customer support, quality and frequency of updates of their web site, their accessibility and gaming-in-general communities will be all part of the qualities of Best Publisher. This is a Fans’ Choice Award. This is the only category in which a publisher who did not submit any product for consideration to the ENnies can qualify (if they receive the nomination).