25 September 2021
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And the winner is…
After a huge number of votes from the public, we’re finally ready to reveal our award winners for the Tabletop Gaming Awards 2021. The competition was really tough, and every single vote of the 1500 readers who shared their favourites counted. Now it's time to meet the winners...
Watch the Tabletop Gaming Awards 2021
Or discover who won each category below.
- BEST ADD-IN ACCESSORY 2021
- MOST NOVEL COMPONENT 2021
- THE ‘I'M SURPRISED I'M STILL PLAYING THIS IN 2021’ AWARD
- THE ‘BEST FOR YOUR GRAN’ AWARD 2021
- BEST WAY TO DIE IN AN RPG AWARD 2021
- BEST INDIE GAME 2021
- BEST PARTY GAME 2021
- BEST CARD GAME 2021
- BEST ROLEPLAYING GAME 2021
- BEST MINIATURES GAME 2021
- BEST BOARD GAME 2021
We’ve also got some very special news – head over here to find out more.
BEST ADD-IN ACCESSORY
This is the award for things that don’t come in the box, apps and other add-ons that you use to improve your gaming.
Nominees:
Box of Adventure – Loke Battlemats
Catan Hexadocks – Gamegenics
Tabletopia – Tabletopida
And the winner is… Tabletopia
Here’s what you had to say about Tabletopia…
“Being able to play games in advance and across the internet especially at present is a worthy of note.”
“Kept the group vibe going during lockdown”
“Tabletopia, as a free alternative for online boardgaming, was a welcomed blessing during the pandemic.”
MOST NOVEL COMPONENT 2021
The award for the best thing in a box this year… that isn’t the actual game.
Nominees:
Mongoose of Truth from Snakesss, Big Potato
The second level, Burgle Bros 2: Casino Capers, Flowers Games
The layered paintings of Canvas, Road to Infamy
And the winner is… Canvas
Here’s what you had to say about Canvas…
“It's just too pretty!”
“It really is cool to create paintings!”
“:)”
THE 'I'M SURPRISED I'M STILL PLAYING THIS IN 2021' AWARD
A celebration of games with staying power, or just those that have stayed on your mind…
Nominees:
Call to Adventure, Brotherwise Games
Detective, Portal Games
Lords of Vegas, Loneshark Games
And the winner is: Call to Adventure, Brotherwise Games
Here’s what you had to say about Call to Adventure…
“So excited anytime someone asks to play games, to be able to show them Call to Adventure. And it's still on my mind when thinking of other games, like ‘this is good but we could be playing Call to Adventure’”
“Love the story crafting element and character creation”
THE 'BEST FOR YOUR GRAN' INTERGENERATIONAL GAMING AWARD 2021
If you’ve played games over the generational divide, this is the one that built a bridge that will stay…
Nominees:
Overboss, Brotherwise Games,
Zombie Teenz Evolution, Scorpion Masque
Linkee, Big Potato
And the winner is: Overboss, Brotherwise Games
Here’s what you had to say about Overboss…
“My grandma loves creating a murder factory”
BEST WAY TO DIE IN AN RPG AWARD 2021
Chris’s favourite award, the one about the best narrative element in any RPG – your character dying…
Nominees:
Alien RPG: Colonial Marines, Free League
Labyrinth: The Adventure Game, River Horse
The Wretched, Loot The Room
And the winner is: Alien RPG: Colonial Marines, Free League
Here’s what you had to say about Alien RPG…
“You know it's coming, but never when!”
“Facehuggers, so cuddly!”
“Goodness me, I melted in aliens because I wore armour. Couldn’t get it off. RIP Todd, you lasted a whole 2 sessions!”
“To die is a way of life”
“They never heard you scream”
- Alien RPG Interview With Tomas Härenstam
- Alien: The Roleplaying Game Review
- Five Space Horror Soundtracks for Alien RPG
BEST INDIE GAME 2021
One for the independents out there, our favourite small publisher games of the year
Nominees:
Streets, Sinister Fish
Escape The Dark Sector, Themeborne
Wanderhome, Possum Creek Game
And the winner is… Escape the Dark Sector, Themeborne
Here’s what you had to say about Escape The Dark Sector…
“Escape the Dark Sector is amazing! Wonderful retro artwork. Easy but suitably complex rules and just plain fun.”
“Completely nails the feel of 80's retro sci-fi adventure and the art is brilliant.”
“Cracking game, quick to learn, hard to master, each game is quite short so allows for the ‘OK one more go!’ feeling”
“An excellent evolution of Escape the Dark Castle and further proof that a million components and complicated rules are not needed to make an atmospheric, endlessly replayable game.”
BEST PARTY GAME 2021
For those of us who could get together, here’s what we loved the most…
Nominees:
A Game of Cat and Mouth, Exploding Kittens
Herd Mentality, Big Potato Games
Master Word, Scorpion Masque
And the winner is: A Game of Cat and Mouth, Exploding Kittens
Here’s what you said about A Game of Cat and Mouth…
“Ridiculous in concept, but ridiculously fun.”
“Such a fun game. The whole family enjoys it.”
“My daughters love this game”
And now, on to the big four – the ‘BEST OFS’… some of these were so hotly contested that you can probably see the steam still coming off them.
BEST CARD GAME 2021
This is the place we honour trading card games, deck builders and anything worth a shuffle…
Nominees:
Arkham Horror The Card Game: Edge of the Earth Expansion, Fantasy Flight Games
Magic the Gathering: Adventures in Forgotten Realms, Wizards of the Coast
Veilwraith, Hall or Nothing Games
And the winner is: Arkham Horror The Card Game
“The narratives which emerge keep Arkham peak of its class”
“I’m a huge fan of the Arkham Horror franchise – and the card game is very good. The expansion adds some interested twists.”
“Love the new format of expansion and the art is gorgeous!”
BEST ROLEPLAYING GAME 2021
For those games that helped us tell important stories this year…
Nominees:
Agon, Evil Hat Productions
Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, Modiphius
Wicked Ones, Bandit Camp
And the winner is: Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, Modiphius
Here’s what you had to say about Dune: Adventures in the Imperium…
“Dune is a very simple game which will be fun for people that are fans of the franchise or just starting”
“Gorgeous artwork and all the tools needed for a deep roleplay in the universe.”
“Politics and Intrigue never worked so well.”
“Gorgeous presentation and thoughtful exploration of themes makes a fitting extension of Herbert's work.”
“Absolutely beautiful to look at and the Dune RPG system is a joy to play and is soooo different to any other system and yet remains true to the core 2d20 mechanic. Fabulous game!”
“The spice must flow”
BEST MINIATURES GAME 2021
For any game that brought miniatures to our tabletops this year
Nominees:
Carnevale, TTCombat
Stargrave, Osprey Games
Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms, Modiphius
And the winner is: Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms, Modiphius
Here’s what you had to say about Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms…
“Anything Elder Scrolls and I'm there!”
“A lot of game modes (solo, cooperative, pvp) and the miniatures are sick.”
“Simple rules and elegant system that runs a game using a franchise we've always wanted to see on the table.”
“A great miniatures game, which helped me during the pandemic, having to play alone. A mix between role playing game and skirmish game.”
“Great detailed miniatures, fantastic feel of immersion when playing, diverse gameplay that brings the spirit of the video game to life on the table.”
“Elder Scrolls is an amazing game, and continues to develop and get deeper with each new expansion”
“I’ve never played a game that allows for more balls-to-the-wall nonsense. I love this game to pieces.”
BEST BOARD GAME 2021
It’s simply the best…
Nominees:
Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile, Leder Games
Lost Ruins of Arnak, Czech Games Edition
Dwellings of Eldervale, Breaking Games
And the winner is… Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile, Leder Games
Here’s what you had to say about Oath…
“Simply a masterpiece that combines everything we love about permanence and legacy, and then squeaks an evocative wargame-meets-story-engine on to the table”
“Oath is the most innovative and beautiful looking game”
“The persistent world and evolving timeline is an interesting idea – and thankfully the gameplay is interesting enough to carry it along!”
“There isn't another game in the world that does what Oath does”
“A clear winner for its immensely creative take on the normal war game, how it remembers every game after its end, how everything thematically works in the narration after a game has been played and you write it down. It should also be mentioned that I believe this to be the most beautiful game I have ever played, not just aesthetically, the components are also some of the best I've seen!”
“Super deep narrative reward for playing. Absolutely gorgeous art that creates but doesn't define a world (the gameplay lets the players do that!).”
“A superb, groundbreaking game. As gorgeous as it is innovative as it is fun. Its chronicle system will leave a lasting impact on game design for decades.”
“Innovative. Polarising. Gorgeous. Transparent development.”
“Oath merges the thematic and mechanistic elements of the board game in such a wonderful and creative way. It submerges the players in a world where they dictate the story through creative card play. Everything fits together so well. It definitely has become one of my favourite board games. It also is a masterpiece in terms of production. It’s a beautiful game to bring to the table and it just makes playing it all the more fun.”
“Never played a game like Oath before. It effortlessly builds its own unique story and lore, and evolves in a way that feels shocking and magical with each subsequent play. Not to mention, the visual design cannot be beat.”
And that’s a wrap. Thank you to all the winners, all the nominees, and you, the readers who voted on these awards and made it all possible.
We’ll see you next year, in Manchester.
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