XYZZY Awards (Best Game)

Browse the XYZZY Awards either by year:

• 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Or by category:

• Best Game | Best Writing | Best Story | Best Setting | Best Puzzles | Best NPCs | Best Individual Puzzle | Best Individual NPC | Best Individual PC | Best Use of Medium (1997–2009) | Best Implementation (2010–) | Best Use of Innovation (2010–) | Best Technological Development (2010–) | Best Supplemental Materials (2010–2013) | Best Use of Multimedia (2014–) | Other awards

See also:

• Statistics

Best Game Winners

• 1996 Best Game: So Far (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
• 1997 Best Game: I-0 (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
• 1998 Best Game: Spider and Web (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
• 1999 Best Game: Varicella (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
• 2000 Best Game: Being Andrew Plotkin (J. Robinson Wheeler; Z-code).
• 2001 Best Game: All Roads (Jon Ingold; Z-code).
• 2002 Best Game: Savoir Faire (Emily Short; Z-code).
• 2003 Best Game: Slouching Towards Bedlam (Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster; Z-code).
• 2004 Best Game: Blue Chairs (Chris Klimas; Z-code).
• 2005 Best Game: Vespers (Jason Devlin; Z-code).
• 2006 Best Game: The Elysium Enigma (Eric Eve; TADS 3).
• 2007 Best Game: Lost Pig (Admiral Jota as "Grunk"; Z-code).
• 2008 Best Game: Violet (Jeremy Freese; Z-code).
• 2009 Best Game: Blue Lacuna (Aaron A. Reed; Glulx).
• 2010 Best Game: Aotearoa (Matt Wigdahl; Glulx).
• 2011 Best Game: Cryptozookeeper (Robb Sherwin).
• 2012 Best Game: Counterfeit Monkey (Emily Short, Glulx).
• 2013 Best Game: Coloratura (Lynnea Glasser; Glulx).
• 2014 Best Game: 80 Days (inkle, Meg Jayanth; iOS, Android)
• 2015 Best Game: Birdland (Brendan Patrick Hennessy; 01-Oct-2015; Web browser).
• 2016 Best Game: Superluminal Vagrant Twin (C.E.J. Pacian; 01-Oct-2016; Glulx).
• 2017 Best Game: The Wizard Sniffer (Buster Hudson; 01-Oct-2017; Glulx).
• 2018 Best Game: Bogeyman (Elizabeth Smyth)
• 2019 Best Game: Crème de la Crème (Hannah Powell-Smith) and Zozzled (Steph Cherrywell) (tie)
• 2020 Best Game: Vampire: The Masquerade — Night Road (Kyle Marquis)
• 2021 Best Game: What Heart Heard Of, Ghost Guessed (Amanda Walker)

Best Game Winners and Finalists

• 1996 Best Game: So Far (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: The Light: Shelby's Addendum (Colm McCarthy; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Lost New York (Neil deMause; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: The Meteor, the Stone and a Long Glass of Sherbet (Graham Nelson; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Time: All Things Come to an End (Andy Phillips; Z-code).
• 1997 Best Game: I-0 (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Babel (Ian Finley; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: A Bear's Night Out (David Dyte; Z-code).
  • Finalist: The Edifice (Lucian P. Smith; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Glowgrass (Nate Cull; TADS 2).
• 1998 Best Game: Spider and Web (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Anchorhead (Michael Gentry; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Little Blue Men (Michael Gentry; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Once and Future (Gerry Kevin Wilson; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Photopia (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
• 1999 Best Game: Varicella (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
  • Finalist: For a Change (Dan Schmidt; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Lunatix: The Insanity Circle (Mike Snyder; MS-DOS).
  • Finalist: The Mulldoon Legacy (Jon Ingold; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Worlds Apart (Suzanne Britton; TADS 2).
• 2000 Best Game: Being Andrew Plotkin (J. Robinson Wheeler; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Galatea (Emily Short; Z-code).
  • Finalist: LASH -- Local Asynchronous Satellite Hookup (Paul O'Brian; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Rameses (Stephen Bond; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Shade (Andrew Plotkin as "Ampe R. Sand"; Z-code).
• 2001 Best Game: All Roads (Jon Ingold; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Best of Three (Emily Short; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Fallacy of Dawn (Robb Sherwin; Hugo).
  • Finalist: First Things First (J. Robinson Wheeler; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Pytho's Mask (Emily Short; Z-code).
• 2002 Best Game: Savoir-Faire (Emily Short; Z-code).
  • Finalist: 1893: A World's Fair Mystery (Peter Nepstad; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another Sky (Paul O'Brian; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Lock & Key (Adam Cadre; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Till Death Makes a Monk-Fish Out of Me! (Jon Ingold and Mike Sousa; TADS 2).
• 2003 Best Game: Slouching Towards Bedlam (Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster; Z-code).
  • Finalist: City of Secrets (Emily Short; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Risorgimento Represso (Michael Coyne; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Scavenger (Quintin Stone; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: To Hell in a Hamper (J. J. Guest; ADRIFT).
• 2004 Best Game: Blue Chairs (Chris Klimas; Z-code).
  • Finalist: The Dreamhold (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Future Boy! (Kent Tessman; Hugo).
  • Finalist: Necrotic Drift (Robb Sherwin; Hugo).
  • Finalist: Return to Ditch Day (Michael J. Roberts; TADS 3).
• 2005 Best Game: Vespers (Jason Devlin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: All Hope Abandon (Eric Eve; TADS 3).
  • Finalist: Chancellor (Kevin Venzke; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Distress (Mike Snyder; Hugo).
  • Finalist: Finding Martin (Gayla Wennstrom; TADS 2).
• 2006 Best Game: The Elysium Enigma (Eric Eve; TADS 3).
  • Finalist: Floatpoint (Emily Short; Glulx).
  • Finalist: The Baron a.k.a. De Baron (Victor Gijsbers; Z-code; English and Dutch).
  • Finalist: The Primrose Path (Nolan Bonvouloir; Z-code).
  • Finalist: The Traveling Swordsman (Mike Snyder; Hugo).
• 2007 Best Game: Lost Pig (Admiral Jota as "Grunk"; Z-code).
  • Finalist: An Act of Murder (Christopher Huang as "Hugh Dunnett"; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Child's Play (Stephen Granade; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Fate (Victor Gijsbers; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Suveh Nux (David Fisher; Z-code).
• 2008 Best Game: Violet (Jeremy Freese; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Everybody Dies (Jim Munroe; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Gun Mute (C.E.J. Pacian; TADS 3).
  • Finalist: Nightfall (Eric Eve; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Piracy 2.0 (Sean Huxter; Z-code).
• 2009 Best Game: Blue Lacuna (Aaron A. Reed; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Broken Legs (Sarah Morayati; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Klockwerk: The Shadow in the Cathedral (Ian Finley and Jon Ingold; publisher: Textfyre; FyreVM).
  • Finalist: Make It Good (Jon Ingold; Z-code).
• 2010 Best Game: Aotearoa (Matt Wigdahl; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Hoist Sail for the Heliopause and Home (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: One Eye Open (Colin Sandel and Carolyn VanEseltine; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Rogue of the Multiverse (C.E.J. Pacian; TADS 3).
  • Finalist: The Warbler's Nest (Jason McIntosh; Z-code).
• 2011 Best Game: Cryptozookeeper (Robb Sherwin).
  • Finalist: Mentula Macanus: Apocolocyntosis (Adam Thornton).
  • Finalist: Six (Wade Clarke).
  • Finalist: Zombie Exodus (Jim Dattilo).
• 2012 Best Game: Counterfeit Monkey (Emily Short, Glulx).
  • Finalist: Andromeda Apocalypse (Marco Innocenti, Glulx).
  • Finalist: Bee (Emily Short, Varytale).
  • Finalist: howling dogs (Porpentine, Twine).
• 2013 Best Game: Coloratura (Lynnea Glasser; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Horse Master (Tom McHenry; Web browser).
  • Finalist: Their angelical understanding (Porpentine; Web browser).
  • Finalist: ULTRA BUSINESS TYCOON III (Porpentine; Web browser).
• 2014 Best Game: 80 Days (inkle, Meg Jayanth; iOS, Android)
  • Finalist: Choice of Robots (Kevin Gold; ChoiceScript)
  • Finalist: Hadean Lands (Andrew Plotkin; Glulx, iOS)
  • Finalist: Hunger Daemon (Sean M. Shore; Glulx)
  • Finalist: With Those We Love Alive (Porpentine, Brenda Neotenomie; Web browser)
• 2015 Best Game: Birdland (Brendan Patrick Hennessy; 01-Oct-2015; Web browser).
  • Finalist: Birdland (Brendan Patrick Hennessy)
  • Finalist: Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! (Steph Cherrywell)
  • Finalist: Hollywood Visionary (Aaron A. Reed)
  • Finalist: Midnight. Swordfight. (Chandler Groover)
  • Finalist: SPY INTRIGUE (furkle)
• 2016 Best Game: Superluminal Vagrant Twin (C.E.J. Pacian; 01-Oct-2016; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Cactus Blue Motel (Astrid Dalmady)
  • Finalist: Detectiveland] (Robin Johnson)
  • Finalist: Foo Foo (Buster Hudson)
  • Finalist: Open Sorcery (Abigail Corfman)
• 2017 Best Game: The Wizard Sniffer (Buster Hudson; 01-Oct-2017; Glulx).
  • Finalist: American Angst (m3g1dd0)
  • Finalist: Eat Me (Chandler Groover)
  • Finalist: Known Unknowns (Brendan Patrick Hennessy)
  • Finalist: The Owl Consults (Thomas Mack)
• 2018 Best Game: Bogeyman (Elizabeth Smyth; 01-Oct-2018; Web browser)
  • Finalist: Alias 'The Magpie' (J. J. Guest)
  • Finalist: Cannery Vale (Hanon Ondricek)
  • Finalist: Cragne Manor (Ryan Veeder, Jenni Polodna, et al.)
  • Finalist: I.A.G. Alpha (Serhii Mozhaiskyi)
• 2019 Best Game: Crème de la Crème (Hannah Powell-Smith; 27-Nov-2019; Web browser) and Zozzled (Steph Cherrywell; 01-Oct-2019; Glulx) (tie)
  • Finalist: Skybreak! (William Dooling)
  • Finalist: Turandot (Victor Gijsbers)
• 2020 Best Game: Vampire: The Masquerade — Night Road (Kyle Marquis; 24-Sep-2020; Web browser)
  • Finalist: The Impossible Bottle (Linus Åkesson)
  • Finalist: A Rope of Chalk (Ryan Veeder)
  • Finalist: Tavern Crawler (Josh Labelle)
  • Finalist: Vain Empires (Thomas Mack, Xavid)
• 2021 Best Game: What Heart Heard Of, Ghost Guessed (Amanda Walker; 1-Oct-2021; Glulx)
  • Finalist: And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One (B.J. Best)
  • Finalist: The Best Man (Stephen Bond)
  • Finalist: Even Some More Tales from Castle Balderstone (Ryan Veeder)
  • Finalist: The Faeries Of Haelstowne (Christopher Merriner)
  • Finalist: The Libonotus Cup (Nils Fagerburg)
  • Finalist: The Weight of a Soul (Chin Kee Yong)

Links

• XYZZY Award for Best Game at Wikipedia.