XYZZY Awards (Best Writing)

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 Writing Winners

• 1996 Best Writing: So Far (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
• 1997 Best Writing: Sunset Over Savannah (Ivan Cockrum; TADS 2).
• 1998 Best Writing: Photopia (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
• 1999 Best Writing: For a Change (Dan Schmidt; Z-code).
• 2000 Best Writing: Metamorphoses (Emily Short; Z-code).
• 2001 Best Writing: Fallacy of Dawn (Robb Sherwin; Hugo).
• 2002 Best Writing: The Moonlit Tower (Yoon Ha Lee; Z-code).
• 2003 Best Writing: Narcolepsy (Adam Cadre; Glulx).
• 2004 Best Writing: Blue Chairs (Chris Klimas; Z-code).
• 2005 Best Writing: Vespers (Jason Devlin, Z-code).
• 2006 Best Writing: Delightful Wallpaper (Andrew Plotkin as "Edgar O. Weyrd"; Z-code).
• 2007 Best Writing: Lost Pig (Admiral Jota as "Grunk"; Z-code).
• 2008 Best Writing: Violet (Jeremy Freese; Z-code).
• 2009 Best Writing: Alabaster (John Cater, Rob Dubbin, Eric Eve, Elizabeth Heller, Jayzee, Kazuki Mishima, Sarah Morayati, Mark Musante, Emily Short, Adam Thornton, and Ziv Wities; Glulx).
• 2010 Best Writing: Hoist Sail for the Heliopause and Home (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
• 2011 Best Writing: Cryptozookeeper (Robb Sherwin).
• 2012 Best Writing: howling dogs (Porpentine, Twine).
• 2013 Best Writing: Their angelical understanding (Porpentine; Web browser).
• 2014 Best Writing: With Those We Love Alive (Porpentine, Brenda Neotenomie; Web browser)
• 2015 Best Writing: Birdland (Brendan Patrick Hennessy; 01-Oct-2015; Web browser).
• 2016 Best Writing: Take (Katherine Morayati as "Amelia Pinnolla")
• 2017 Best Writing: Eat Me (Chandler Groover)
• 2018 Best Writing: Animalia (Ian Michael Waddell)

Best Writing Winners and Finalists

• 1996 Best Writing: So Far (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Aayela (Magnus Olsson; 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: Tapestry (Daniel Ravipinto; Z-code).
• 1997 Best Writing: Sunset Over Savannah (Ivan Cockrum; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Babel (Ian Finley; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: I-0 (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
  • Finalist: She's Got a Thing for a Spring (Brent VanFossen; Z-code).
  • Finalist: The Space Under the Window (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
• 1998 Best Writing: Photopia (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Anchorhead (Michael Gentry; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Little Blue Men (Michael Gentry; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Muse: An Autumn Romance (Christopher Huang; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Spider and Web (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
• 1999 Best Writing: For a Change (Dan Schmidt; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Exhibition (Ian Finley; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Lunatix: The Insanity Circle (Mike Snyder; MS-DOS).
  • Finalist: Varicella (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Worlds Apart (Suzanne Britton; TADS 2).
• 2000 Best Writing: Metamorphoses (Emily Short; Z-code).
  • Finalist: My Angel (Jon Ingold; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Rameses (Stephen Bond; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Shade (Andrew Plotkin as "Ampe R. Sand"; Z-code).
  • Finalist: You are a Chef! (Dan Shiovitz; TADS 2).
• 2001 Best Writing: Fallacy of Dawn (Robb Sherwin; Hugo).
  • Finalist: All Roads (Jon Ingold; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Best of Three (Emily Short; Glulx).
  • Finalist: No Time To Squeal (Robb Sherwin and Mike Sousa; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Pytho's Mask (Emily Short; Z-code).
• 2002 Best Writing: The Moonlit Tower (Yoon Ha Lee; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another Sky (Paul O'Brian; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Savoir-Faire (Emily Short; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Till Death Makes a Monk-Fish Out of Me! (Jon Ingold and Mike Sousa; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: When Help Collides (J. D. Berry; Z-code).
• 2003 Best Writing: Narcolepsy (Adam Cadre; Glulx).
  • Finalist: City of Secrets (Emily Short; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venus (Dan Shiovitz and Emily Short; TADS 3).
  • Finalist: Slouching Towards Bedlam (Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster; Z-code).
  • Finalist: To Hell in a Hamper (J. J. Guest; ADRIFT).
• 2004 Best Writing: Blue Chairs (Chris Klimas; Z-code).
  • Finalist: The Dreamhold (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Future Boy! (Kent Tessman; Hugo).
  • Finalist: Gamlet (Tomasz Pudlo; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Necrotic Drift (Robb Sherwin; Hugo).
• 2005 Best Writing: Vespers (Jason Devlin, Z-code).
  • Finalist: Bolivia By Night (Aidan Doyle; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Chancellor (Kevin Venzke; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Mix Tape (Brett Witty; TADS 3).
  • Finalist: Tough Beans (Sara Dee; Z-code).
• 2006 Best Writing: Delightful Wallpaper (Andrew Plotkin as "Edgar O. Weyrd"; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Floatpoint (Emily Short; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Legion (Jason Devlin as "Ian Anderson"; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Pantomime (Robb Sherwin; Hugo).
  • Finalist: The Baron a.k.a. De Baron (Victor Gijsbers; Z-code; English and Dutch).
• 2007 Best Writing: 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: Deadline Enchanter (Alan DeNiro as Anonymous; Z-code).
  • Finalist: The Chinese Room (Joey Jones and Harry Giles; Glulx).
• 2008 Best Writing: 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).
• 2009 Best Writing: Alabaster (John Cater, Rob Dubbin, Eric Eve, Elizabeth Heller, Jayzee, Kazuki Mishima, Sarah Morayati, Mark Musante, Emily Short, Adam Thornton, and Ziv Wities; 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).
  • Finalist: Walker & Silhouette (C.E.J. Pacian; TADS 3).
• 2010 Best Writing: Hoist Sail for the Heliopause and Home (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: The Blind House (Amanda Allen as "Maude Overton"; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Gris et Jaune (Jason Devlin as "Steve van Gaal"; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Hoosegow (Ben Collins-Sussman and Jack Welch; Z-code).
• 2011 Best Writing: Cryptozookeeper (Robb Sherwin).
  • Finalist: Mentula Macanus: Apocolocyntosis (Adam Thornton).
  • Finalist: Taco Fiction (Ryan Veeder).
  • Finalist: Zombie Exodus (Jim Dattilo).
• 2012 Best Writing: howling dogs (Porpentine, Twine).
  • Finalist: Bee (Emily Short, Varytale).
  • Finalist: Dinner Bell (Jenni Polodna, Z-code).
  • Finalist: Eurydice (Anonymous, Z-code).
• 2013 Best Writing: Their angelical understanding (Porpentine; Web browser).
  • Finalist: Coloratura (Lynnea Glasser; Glulx).
  • Finalist: You Will Select a Decision (Brendan Patrick Hennessy; Web browser).
• 2014 Best Writing: With Those We Love Alive (Porpentine, Brenda Neotenomie; Web browser)
  • Finalist: Eidolon (A.D. Jansen; Web browser)
• 2015 Best Writing: Birdland (Brendan Patrick Hennessy; 01-Oct-2015; Web browser).
  • Finalist: Laid Off from the Synesthesia Factory (Katherine Morayati)
  • Finalist: Midnight. Swordfight. (Chandler Groover)
  • Finalist: SPY INTRIGUE (furkle)

• 2016 Best Writing: Take (Katherine Morayati as "Amelia Pinnolla")
  • Finalist: 500 Apocalypses (Phantom Williams)
  • Finalist: Cactus Blue Motel (Astrid Dalmady)
  • Finalist: Open Sorcery (Abigail Corfman)
  • Finalist: The Queen's Menagerie (Chandler Groover)
  • Finalist: Stone Harbor (Liza Daly)

• 2017 Best Writing: Eat Me (Chandler Groover)
  • Finalist: Absence of Law (mathbrush)
  • Finalist: American Angst (m3g1dd0)
  • Finalist: dripping with the waters of SHEOL (Lady Isak Grozny)
  • Finalist: Known Unknowns (Brendan Patrick Hennessy)
  • Finalist: Will Not Let Me Go (Stephen Granade)

• 2018 Best Writing: Animalia (Ian Michael Waddell)
  • Finalist: Alias 'The Magpie' (J. J. Guest)
  • Finalist: Bogeyman (Elizabeth Smyth)
  • Finalist: Human Errors (Katherine Morayati)
  • Finalist: Tethered (Linus Åkesson)

Links

• XYZZY Award for Best Writing at Wikipedia