The votes have been tallied and we are now almost at the end of the XYZZY Awards 2021. One final round of voting remains, however, so that we may find the victors amidst the 41 finalists. So what are you waiting for? Pen and paper?
Now, while the number of interactive tales of fictional content has been reduced from 328 to 41, the category count remains at a solid 13 – including the usual one for tech, Best Technological Development – and getting as many people to vote as humanly possible is equally important. Perhaps even more so, because, you know, final round and all.
As always, you’ll need to either create an account (or, you know, login if you already have one), after which… did I mention the voting? Wait, no. Something’s missing. Hmm… ah! Right. Play the games before casting any votes! No really, that’s how the system works, and you don’t want to be messing with the system, now do you?
This final round of voting will end on… let’s see… ah, December 17th. Best of luck to all the finalists!
(Source)
Best Game
- And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One, by B.J. Best
- The Best Man, by Stephen Bond
- Even Some More Tales from Castle Balderstone, by Ryan Veeder
- The Faeries Of Haelstowne, by Christopher Merriner
- The Libonotus Cup, by Nils Fagerburg
- The Weight of a Soul, by Chin Kee Yong
- What Heart Heard Of, Ghost Guessed, by Amanda Walker
Best Story
- And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One, by B.J. Best
- The Best Man, by Stephen Bond
- Excalibur, by J. J. Guest, G. C. Baccaris, and Duncan Bowsman
- Off-Season at the Dream Factory, by B.J. Best (writing as “Carroll Lewis”)
- What Heart Heard Of, Ghost Guessed, by Amanda Walker
Best Setting
- Even Some More Tales from Castle Balderstone, by Ryan Veeder
- The Faeries Of Haelstowne, by Christopher Merriner
- The Golden Heist, by George Lockett and Rob Thorman
- The Weight of a Soul, by Chin Kee Yong
Best Puzzles
- Dr Horror’s House of Terror, by Ade McT
- Grooverland, by Mathbrush
- Gruesome, by Robin Johnson
- The Song of the Mockingbird, by Mike Carletta
- What Heart Heard Of, Ghost Guessed, by Amanda Walker
Best NPCs
- And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One, by B.J. Best
- Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires, by E. Joyce and N. Cormier
- Mean Mother Trucker, by Bitter Karella
Best Individual Puzzle
- Dead Armadillo: Mean Mother Trucker, by Bitter Karella
- Hair Swap: The Libonotus Cup, by Nils Fagerburg
- The moveable stage with the laserfight: Grooverland, by Mathbrush
- The statuette puzzle: The Golden Heist, by George Lockett and Rob Thorman
Best Individual NPC
- Cécile: The Libonotus Cup, by Nils Fagerburg
- The Green Knight: At King Arthur’s Christmas Feast, by Travis Moy
- Liz: Sting, by Mike Russo
- Melpomene: Lady Thalia and the Seraskier Sapphires, by E. Joyce and N. Cormier
- Ottoline: The Faeries Of Haelstowne, by Christopher Merriner
- Riley: And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One, by B.J. Best
- Skeleton: Gruesome, by Robin Johnson
- The Witch: And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One, by B.J. Best
Best Individual PC
- Aiden Tunney: The Best Man, by Stephen Bond
- Big Ester: Mean Mother Trucker, by Bitter Karella
- Emerson: And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One, by B.J. Best
- Marid: The Weight of a Soul, by Chin Kee Yong
Best Implementation
- And Then You Come to a House Not Unlike the Previous One, by B.J. Best
- Dr Horror’s House of Terror, by Ade McT
- Even Some More Tales from Castle Balderstone, by Ryan Veeder
- The Libonotus Cup, by Nils Fagerburg
- Open Sorcery: Sea++, by Abigail Corfman
- The Weight of a Soul, by Chin Kee Yong
Best Use of Innovation
- 4×4 Archipelago, by Agnieszka Trzaska
- Even Some More Tales from Castle Balderstone, by Ryan Veeder
- Excalibur, by J. J. Guest, G. C. Baccaris, and Duncan Bowsman
- Fish & Dagger, by grave snail games
- The Last Night of Alexisgrad, by Milo van Mesdag
- What Heart Heard Of, Ghost Guessed, by Amanda Walker
Best Use of Multimedia
- Cygnet Committee, by P.B. Parjeter
- Fish & Dagger, by grave snail games
- Off-Season at the Dream Factory, by B.J. Best (writing as “Carroll Lewis”)
- [PYG]MALION*, by C.J.