Rules
These awards are limited to RPG products, RPG games and RPG accessories.
Products submitted for consideration must be samples of those primarily available to the general public. If a product sells out, a PDF substitute is not acceptable.**
Only products that have been submitted for judging by the publisher will be considered for nominations. Authors, artists and other contributors to products as well as fans are allowed to enter products that meet all the submission requirements, provided they supply the required number of copies, and include proof the publisher does not object to the entry of the product.
The Judges reserve the right to dispose of all products entered (upon completion of the judging) as they deem appropriate. The sixth copy of each entry shall be used as a library copy for reference by the Board of Directors during judging, and may be disposed of under the same provisions as the judges copies.
Podcast Guidelines
Products being submitted for the Best Podcast category must fill out the Podcast Submission Form. This year, those submitting podcasts will choose five episodes broadcast within the submission dates for submission. Judges may screen non-submitted episodes for background, but primary judging will focus on the submitted episodes.
Categories
Products may be entered in as many categories for which they are eligible; being entered in one category does not disqualify a product from being entered in another category. If a product contains sufficient quality and quantity of material to be worthy of consideration in multiple categories (as determined by the judges on a case by case basis), it may be considered for multiple categories.
Products that contain material from products considered in previous years will not be considered unless they contain a significant portion of new material. For this purpose, the determination of which material is being considered is according to the category, i.e., percentage of game text for content related categories, art for art related categories. If submitting a revised product, please indicate on the entry form the location and scope of changes.
The Judges have the right to place entries into categories which they deem the product eligible. If you do not wish to be considered for specific categories, please indicate this upon submission. The placement of entries in the final categories is at the discretion of the judges and Board. Their combined decision is final.
Because the number of entrants in a particular category fluctuates considerably from one year to the next, the ENnies Board, in consultation with the judging panel, reserves the right to divide, merge or otherwise alter the categories in which awards are given. These alterations are made for the primary purpose of ensuring that every product entered has the opportunity to receive recognition for its specific achievements in a field of no less than six competitors.
The following is the list of sample categories:
- Best Fan Site - Awarded for an RPG web site or web comic run by fans, for fans, i.e. not by a publisher and not for profit.
- 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 Adversary/Monster Product - 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 or 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, Regalia, Software), submissions may be merged with Best Aid/Accessory.
- Best Miniature Product - Awarded for the best miniature, miniature line, or miniature accessory. Unlike in previous years, miniatures need only be appropriate for RPG play, but not exclusive thereto.
- Best Regalia - 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 or Web Enhancement - Awarded for the best free product or web enhancement. A company's entire site could be nominated so long as there were considerable updates and content added during the eligibility period.
- 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 Product.
- 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, and thus d20 books are not eligible. Best Game and Best Supplement are 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.
- 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 contributions to the EN World 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).
