Origins Award 2023 Winners

What is the Origins Awards?

The Origins Awards are one of America's biggest awards for the tabletop gaming industry. They celebrate the best of best in tabletop gaming from the previous calendar year. After a three-year hiatus, one of the oldest awards in tabletop gaming returned to its home of Wisconsin, Ohio, as the Origins Game Fair kicked off last Friday. The Origins Awards traces its lineage back to 1975 and is awarded by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design (which just sounds cool), itself a subsidiary of Game Manufacturer’s Association.
 

How are the Origins Awards winners selected?

 The award runs in a very similar way to the prestigious Oscars. Any games or products released through retail channels (i.e., must be available to buy, not just sent out to crowdfunding backers) between January 1st and December 15th of the previous year are eligible to be nominated, with the finalists announced during GAMA EXPO in March. Between March and June, all members of AAGAD are able to vote in each category to determine who wins.

 

Who won the Origins Award Game of the Year 2023?

2023’s winner for Game of the Year (as voted by the retailer members of AAGAD) was the cute cat game Boop by Smirk & Dagger Games, whilst the Fan Favourite award went to the delightful dragon game Flamecraft by Cardboard Alchemy. "It only took 20 years and now I'm an overnight success!" says Curt Covert, founder of Smirk & Dagger. "Scott Brady and I caught lightning in a bottle with Boop. It was a true collaboration where the sum exceeded all of the parts. We couldn't be more delighted to be named Game of the Year!"

Who were the Hall of Fame Inductees for 2023?

This year also saw more inductees to AAGAD’s Hall of Fame, which celebrates significant members of the gaming industry and landmark games. All members of the Hall of Fame also get to vote on what they feel deserves an Origins Award in any future year.

 

The class of 2023 includes Mark Rosewater (Head Designer for Magic: The Gathering), Martin Wallace (designer of Brass: Birmingham) and Jeff Easley (graphic artist responsible for many early Dungeons and Dragons books, including the first ever Monster Manual and all of the 2^nd Edition Core Books.) 1829 and Cyberpunk were added to the product Hall of Fame.

The winner of the Rising Star title was Ark Nova designer Mathias Wigge.

Who won the Origins Awards 2023? The Full List of Winners

The full winners for the various categories are listed below:

 

Game of The Year: Boop by Smirk & Dagger Games

 

Fan Favourite Game Award: Flamecraft by Cardboard Alchemy.

 

Best Social/Light Strategy Board Game: Creature Comforts by Kids Table Board Gaming

 

Best Strategy Board Game: Planet Unknown by Adam’s Apple Games

 

Best Thematic Board Game: Dead Reckoning by Alderec Entertainment Group

 

Best Card Game: Scout by Oink Games

 

Best Children’s Game: HONK! by Sinister Fish Games

 

Best Miniature Game: Lion Rampant: Second Edition by Osprey Games

 

Best RPG Core Book/System: Coyote & Crow by Coyote & Crow

 

Best RPG Supplement: Agents of Dune for Dune – Adventures in the Imperium by

Modiphius Entertainment

 

Best Collectables Game Release: Magic: The Gathering - Universes Beyond: Warhammer 40,000 by Wizards of the Coast

 

Best 2D Art & Illustration: Cowboys with Big Hearts by Bully Pulpit Games

 

Best 3D Art: Fallout: Wasteland Warfare - Super Mutants: Swan by Modiphius Entertainment

 

Best Graphic Design: Pathfinder Savage Worlds Boxed Set by Pinnacle Entertainment Group

 

Best Board Game Accessories: Deluxe Board Game Train Sets by Little Plastic Train Co.

 

Best Review: Mind MGMT by Board Game Quest

 

What's the next big awards for tabletop gaming?

The next big awards for the tabletop gaming industry are Spiel Des Jahres being announced on July 15th, with our own Tabletop Gaming Awards for 2022 already online.

 

Which of these games have you had the chance to play? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter how you feel about this year's winners!