Thirteen Categories Later: the ‘XYZZY Awards 2021’ Winners

December 23rd, 2022 Wraithkal News

The time has come: votes have been cast, tallied, and… the winners of the 2021 XYZZY Awards have been found!

Go on, continue reading, and have a glance at the glorious victors…

Best Game: What Heart Heard Of, Ghost Guessed (Amanda Walker)
Best Writing: Sting (Mike Russo)
Best Story: What Heart Heard Of, Ghost Guessed (Amanda Walker)
Best Setting: The Weight of a Soul (Chin Kee Yong)
Best Puzzles: Grooverland (Mathbrush)
Best NPCs: Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires (E. Joyce, N. Cormier)
Best Individual Puzzle: The hair swap, in The Libonotus Cup (Nils Fagerburg)
Best Individual NPC: Liz, in Sting (Mike Russo)
Best Individual PC: Marid, in The Weight of a Soul (Chin Kee Yong)
Best Implementation (tie): The Libonotus Cup (Nils Fagerburg); The Weight of a Soul (Chin Kee Yong)
Best Use of Innovation (tie): 4×4 Archipelago (Agnieszka Trzaska); Excalibur (J.J. Guest, G.C. Baccaris, Duncan Bowsman); The Last Night of Alexisgrad (Milo van Mesdag)
Best Technological Development: Gruescript (Robin Johnson)
Best Use of Multimedia: Fish & Dagger (grave snail games)

Whenever a big AAA title claims it'll "innovate with groundbreaking features", it usually turns out to be a snore-fest; one which simply mimics other games (poorly). This is where my interest indie game interest comes from: pick a random title from a pile of these, and chances are you’ll end up with something genuinely unique - often for well less than $60 too.

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