XYZZY Awards (Best Puzzles)

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 Puzzles Winners

1996 Best Puzzles: So Far (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
1997 Best Puzzles: The Edifice (Lucian Smith; Z-code).
1998 Best Puzzles: Spider and Web (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
1999 Best Puzzles: The Mulldoon Legacy (Jon Ingold; Z-code).
2000 Best Puzzles: Ad Verbum (Nick Montfort; Z-code).
2001 Best Puzzles: First Things First (J. Robinson Wheeler; TADS 2).
2002 Best Puzzles: Savoir Faire (Emily Short; Z-code).
2003 Best Puzzles: Gourmet (Aaron A. Reed; Z-code).
2004 Best Puzzles: The Dreamhold (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
2005 Best Puzzles: Distress (Mike Snyder; Hugo).
2006 Best Puzzles: Delightful Wallpaper (Andrew Plotkin as "Edgar O. Weyrd"; Z-code).
2007 Best Puzzles: Suveh Nux (David Fisher; Z-code).
2008 Best Puzzles: Gun Mute (C.E.J. Pacian; TADS 3).
2009 Best Puzzles: Earl Grey (Rob Dubbin and Adam Parrish; Glulx).
2010 Best Puzzles: Aotearoa (Matt Wigdahl; Glulx).
2011 Best Puzzles: PataNoir (Simon Christiansen).
2012 Best Puzzles: Counterfeit Monkey (Emily Short, Glulx).
2013 Best Puzzles: Coloratura (Lynnea Glasser; Glulx).
2014 Best Puzzles: Hadean Lands (Andrew Plotkin; Glulx, iOS)
2015 Best Puzzles: Sub Rosa (Melvin Rangasamy and Joey Jones; 01-Oct-2015; Glulx).
2016 Best Puzzles: 16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonalds (Abigail Corfman; 01-Oct-2016; Twine).
2017 Best Puzzles: The Wand (Arthur DiBianca; 01-Oct-2017; Glulx).
2018 Best Puzzles: Junior Arithmancer (Mike Spivey; 01-Oct-2018; Glulx).

Best Puzzles Winners and Finalists

1996 Best Puzzles: So Far (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
- Finalist: Frobozz Magic Support (Nate Cull; 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 Puzzles: The Edifice (Lucian Smith; Z-code).
- Finalist: Babel (Ian Finley; TADS 2).
- Finalist: Everybody Loves a Parade (Cody Sandifer; TADS 2).
- Finalist: Heist (Andy Phillips; Z-code).
- Finalist: Zero Sum Game (Cody Sandifer; TADS 2).
1998 Best Puzzles: Spider and Web (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
- Finalist: Anchorhead (Michael Gentry; Z-code).
- Finalist: Enlightenment (Taro Ogawa; Z-code).
- Finalist: Losing Your Grip (Stephen Granade; TADS 2).
- Finalist: Once and Future (Gerry Kevin Wilson; TADS 2).
1999 Best Puzzles: The Mulldoon Legacy (Jon Ingold; Z-code).
- Finalist: Lunatix: The Insanity Circle (Mike Snyder; MS-DOS).
- Finalist: Not Just An Ordinary Ballerina (Jim Aikin; Z-code).
- Finalist: Varicella (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
- Finalist: Worlds Apart (Suzanne Britton; TADS 2).
2000 Best Puzzles: Ad Verbum (Nick Montfort; Z-code).
- Finalist: Augmented Fourth (Brian Uri; Z-code).
- Finalist: Dinner with Andre (Liza Daly; Z-code).
- Finalist: The End Means Escape (Steve Kodat; TADS 2).
- Finalist: Heroine's Mantle (Andy Phillips; Z-code).
- Finalist: Metamorphoses (Emily Short; Z-code).
- Finalist: Nevermore (Nate Cull; Z-code).
2001 Best Puzzles: First Things First (J. Robinson Wheeler; TADS 2).
- Finalist: Degeneracy (Leonard Richardson; Z-code).
- Finalist: The Gostak (Carl Muckenhoupt; Z-code).
- Finalist: Stiffy Makane: The Undiscovered Country (Adam Thornton; Glulx).
- Finalist: Vicious Cycles (Simon Mark; Z-code).
- Finalist: The Weapon (Sean Barrett; Z-code).
2002 Best Puzzles: Savoir Faire (Emily Short; Z-code).
- Finalist: Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another Sky (Paul O'Brian; Glulx).
- Finalist: Lock & Key (Adam Cadre; Glulx).
- Finalist: Out of the Study (Anssi Raisanen; Alan).
- Finalist: Tookie's Song (Jessica Knoch; Z-code).
2003 Best Puzzles: Gourmet (Aaron A. Reed; Z-code).
- Finalist: The Erudition Chamber (Daniel Freas; TADS 2).
- Finalist: Inevitable (Kathleen M. Fischer; Z-code).
- Finalist: Risorgimento Represso (Michael Coyne; Z-code).
- Finalist: Scavenger (Quintin Stone; TADS 2).
2004 Best Puzzles: The Dreamhold (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
- Finalist: All Things Devours (half sick of shadows; Z-code).
- Finalist: Future Boy! (Kent Tessman; Hugo).
- Finalist: Goose, Egg, Badger (Brian Rapp; Z-code).
- Finalist: Square Circle (Eric Eve; TADS 3).
2005 Best Puzzles: Distress (Mike Snyder; Hugo).
- Finalist: Building (Poster; Z-code).
- Finalist: Cheiron (Sarah Clelland and Elisabeth Polli; Glulx).
- Finalist: Finding Martin (Gayla Wennstrom; TADS 2).
- Finalist: Vespers (Jason Devlin; Z-code).
2006 Best Puzzles: Delightful Wallpaper (Andrew Plotkin as "Edgar O. Weyrd"; Z-code).
- Finalist: Möbius (J. D. Clemens; Z-code).
- Finalist: The Elysium Enigma (Eric Eve; TADS 3).
- Finalist: The Traveling Swordsman (Mike Snyder; Hugo).
- Finalist: The Warlord, The Princess & The Bulldog (David Whyld; ADRIFT 4).
2007 Best Puzzles: Suveh Nux (David Fisher; Z-code).
- Finalist: An Act of Murder (Christopher Huang as "Hugh Dunnett"; Z-code).
- Finalist: Child's Play (Stephen Granade; Z-code).
- Finalist: Lost Pig (Admiral Jota as "Grunk"; Z-code).
- Finalist: The Chinese Room (Joey Jones and Harry Giles; Glulx).
2008 Best Puzzles: Gun Mute (C.E.J. Pacian; TADS 3).
- Finalist: Escapade! (Juhana Leinonen; Z-code).
- Finalist: Piracy 2.0 (Sean Huxter; Z-code).
- Finalist: Violet (Jeremy Freese; Z-code).
2009 Best Puzzles: Earl Grey (Rob Dubbin and Adam Parrish; Glulx).
- Finalist: Broken Legs (Sarah Morayati; Glulx).
- Finalist: The Duel That Spanned the Ages (Oliver Ullmann; Z-code).
- Finalist: Make It Good (Jon Ingold; Z-code).
- Finalist: Rover's Day Out (Jack Welch and Ben Collins-Sussman; Glulx).
2010 Best Puzzles: Aotearoa (Matt Wigdahl; Glulx).
- Finalist: Dual Transform (Andrew Plotkin as "Nigel Smith"; Z-code).
- Finalist: Fragile Shells (Stephen Granade; Z-code).
- Finalist: One Eye Open (Colin Sandel and Carolyn VanEseltine; Glulx).
- Finalist: The People's Glorious Revolutionary Text Adventure Game (Taylor Vaughan; Z-code).
2011 Best Puzzles: PataNoir (Simon Christiansen).
- Finalist: Mentula Macanus: Apocolocyntosis (Adam Thornton).
- Finalist: The Race (Andy Why).
- Finalist: Zombie Exodus (Jim Dattilo).
2012 Best Puzzles: Counterfeit Monkey (Emily Short, Glulx).
- Finalist: Bigger Than You Think (Andrew Plotkin, Glulx).
- Finalist: Dinner Bell (Jenni Polodna, Z-code).
- Finalist: Endless, Nameless (Adam Cadre, Z-code).
- Finalist: In a Manor of Speaking (Hulk Handsome, Glulx).
- Finalist: Shuffling Around (Andrew Schultz, Glulx).
2013 Best Puzzles: Coloratura (Lynnea Glasser; Glulx).
- Finalist: Captain Verdeterre's Plunder (Ryan Veeder; Glulx).
- Finalist: Threediopolis (Andrew Schultz; Z-code).
2014 Best Puzzles: Hadean Lands (Andrew Plotkin; Glulx, iOS)
- Finalist: Jacqueline, Jungle Queen! (Steph Cherrywell; Quest 5)
2015 Best Puzzles: Sub Rosa (Melvin Rangasamy and Joey Jones; 01-Oct-2015; Glulx).
- Finalist: Brain Guzzlers from Beyond! (Steph Cherrywell)
- Finalist: Chlorophyll (Steph Cherrywell)
- Finalist: Oppositely Opal (Buster Hudson)
- Finalist: Scroll Thief (Daniel M. Stelzer)
- Finalist: Toby's Nose (Chandler Groover)

Links

XYZZY Award for Best Puzzles at Wikipedia.