XYZZY Award for Best Game
Encyclopedia
This is a list of XYZZY Awards results, grouped by award rather than year. The XYZZY Awards are the annual awards given by the publication "XYZZYnews" to works of interactive fiction
, serving a similar role to the Academy Awards
for film. The awards were inaugurated in 1997, initially with eight categories: best game, best writing, best story, best setting, best puzzles, best individual puzzle, best NPCs (non-player characters) and best individual NPC. Two others (best individual player-character and best use of medium) were added the following year. Presented in early spring, any game released during the year prior to the award ceremony is eligible for nomination to receive an award. The decision process takes place in two stages: members of the interactive fiction community nominate works within specific categories and sufficiently supported nominations become finalists within those categories. Typically there are four or five finalists in each category. Community members then vote among the finalists, and the game receiving a plurality of votes is given the award in an online ceremony on ifMUD
.
Each entry below lists the winners of each award in each year, followed by other finalists for that year.
.
, narrator, and player character.
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
, serving a similar role to the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for film. The awards were inaugurated in 1997, initially with eight categories: best game, best writing, best story, best setting, best puzzles, best individual puzzle, best NPCs (non-player characters) and best individual NPC. Two others (best individual player-character and best use of medium) were added the following year. Presented in early spring, any game released during the year prior to the award ceremony is eligible for nomination to receive an award. The decision process takes place in two stages: members of the interactive fiction community nominate works within specific categories and sufficiently supported nominations become finalists within those categories. Typically there are four or five finalists in each category. Community members then vote among the finalists, and the game receiving a plurality of votes is given the award in an online ceremony on ifMUD
IfMUD
- External links :**...
.
Each entry below lists the winners of each award in each year, followed by other finalists for that year.
Best game
Given since 1996, the award for Best Game recognizes the game which is the most enjoyable as a whole; other awards recognize merit in particular qualities.- 2010: Aotearoa by Matt Wigdahl
- Hoist Sail for the Heliopause and Home by Andrew Plotkin
- One Eye Open by Colin Sandel and Carolyn VanEseltine
- Rogue of the Multiverse by C. E. J. Pacian
- The Warbler's Nest by Jason McIntosh
- 2009: Blue Lacuna by Aaron A. Reed
- Broken Legs by Sarah Morayati
- Make it Good by Jon Ingold
- The Shadow in the Cathedral by Ian Finley and Jon Ingold
- 2008: VioletViolet (computer game)Violet is a work of interactive fiction by Jeremy Freese. It is a one-room puzzle game. It took first place in the 2008 Interactive Fiction Competition with an average score of 8.53....
by Jeremy Freese- Everybody Dies by Jim Munroe
- Gun Mute by C. E. J. Pacian
- Nightfall by Eric EveEric EveEric Eve is an author, interactive fiction writer, and New Testament scholar at Harris Manchester College in Oxford. He is widely known in the interactive fiction community for his writings on TADS 3, including three tutorial/reference books and several articles for , a site that hosts articles...
- Piracy 2.0 by Sean Huxter
- 2007: Lost PigLost PigLost Pig is a comedic work of interactive fiction about an orc retrieving a pig that escaped from a pig farm. It was written by "Admiral Jota." It took first place in the 2007 Interactive Fiction Competition with an average score of 8.27....
by Admiral Jota- An Act of Murder by Christopher Huang
- Child's Play by Stephen Granade
- Fate by Victor Gijsbers
- Suveh Nux by David Fisher
- 2006: The Elysium Enigma by Eric Eve
- FloatpointFloatpointFloatpoint is a 2006 work of interactive fiction written by Emily Short about a diplomat sent to an endangered colony to discuss evacuation options and terms of cohabitation...
by Emily ShortEmily ShortEmily Short is the pseudonym of an interactive fiction writer, perhaps best known for her debut game Galatea and her use of psychologically complex NPCs, or non-player game characters... - The Baron (a.k.a. De Baron) by Victor Gijsbers
- The Primrose Path by Nolan Bonvouloir
- The Traveling Swordsman by Mike Snyder
- Floatpoint
- 2005: VespersVespers (computer game)Vespers is an interactive fiction game written in 2005 by Jason Devlin that placed first at the 2005 Interactive Fiction Competition. It also won the XYZZY Awards for Best Game, Best NPCs, Best Setting, and Best Writing.-Summary:...
by Jason Devlin- All Hope Abandon by Eric Eve
- Chancellor by Kevin Venzke
- Distress by Mike Snyder
- Finding Martin by Gayla Wennstrom
- 2004: Blue ChairsBlue ChairsBlue Chairs is an interactive fiction game by Chris Klimas. It claimed the #2 prize at the Interactive Fiction Competition 2004, praised for its inventive style and rich storytelling. Subsequently, it received the awards for Best Game, Best Writing and Best Story at the annual Xyzzy Awards...
by Chris Klimas- Future Boy! by Kent Tessman
- Necrotic Drift by Robb Sherwin
- Return to Ditch Day by Michael J. Roberts
- The DreamholdThe DreamholdThe Dreamhold is an interactive fiction game by Andrew Plotkin released in 2004. Its primary purpose is to be a tutorial to IF, and because of that the "core" of the game is relatively easy to finish....
by Andrew PlotkinAndrew PlotkinAndrew Plotkin , also known as Zarf, is a central figure in the modern interactive fiction community. Having both written a number of award-winning games and developed a range of new file formats, interpreters, and other utilities for the design, production, and running of IF games, Plotkin is...
- 2003: Slouching Towards BedlamSlouching Towards BedlamSlouching Towards Bedlam is an interactive fiction game that won the first place in the 2003 Interactive Fiction Competition. It is a collaboration between Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster. Slouching Towards Bedlam was finalist for eight 2003 XYZZY Awards, winning four: Best Game, Setting, Story,...
by Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster- City of Secrets by Emily ShortEmily ShortEmily Short is the pseudonym of an interactive fiction writer, perhaps best known for her debut game Galatea and her use of psychologically complex NPCs, or non-player game characters...
- Risorgimento Represso by Michael J. Coyne
- Scavenger by Quintin Stone
- To Hell in a Hamper by J. J. Guest
- City of Secrets by Emily Short
- 2002: Savoir FaireSavoir-FaireSavoir-Faire is a piece of interactive fiction written by Emily Short, about a magician in 18th-century France searching his aristocratic adoptive father's house...
by Emily ShortEmily ShortEmily Short is the pseudonym of an interactive fiction writer, perhaps best known for her debut game Galatea and her use of psychologically complex NPCs, or non-player game characters...
- 1893: A World's Fair Mystery1893: A World's Fair Mystery1893 is a commercial mystery and educational interactive fiction by Peter Nepstad written in the TADS programming language. It takes place during the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. The exposition is recreated in detail, with archival photographs from the fair and in-depth...
by Peter Nepstad - Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another SkyEarth and SkyEarth and Sky is an interactive fiction trilogy written by Paul O'Brian about the adventures of a brother and sister who gain superpowers while searching for their lost parents. The first part, Earth and Sky was entered in the 2001 annual Interactive Fiction Competition where it finished eighth...
by Paul O'Brian - Lock & Key by Adam Cadre
- Till Death Makes a Monk-Fish out of Me! by Jon Ingold and Mike Sousa
- 1893: A World's Fair Mystery
- 2001: All RoadsAll RoadsAll Roads is a 2001 interactive fiction game by Jon Ingold that placed first at the 2001 Interactive Fiction Competition. It also won the XYZZY Awards for Best Game, Best Setting and Best Story and was nominated for Best Individual Puzzle and Best Writing....
by Jon IngoldJon IngoldJon Ingold is most known as the author of interactive fiction works, but he has also written a number of plays, short stories and novels. He has been nominated for many XYZZY Awards and has won several.-Life and education:...
- Best of Three by Emily ShortEmily ShortEmily Short is the pseudonym of an interactive fiction writer, perhaps best known for her debut game Galatea and her use of psychologically complex NPCs, or non-player game characters...
- Fallacy of Dawn by Robb Sherwin
- First Things First by J. Robinson Wheeler
- Pytho's Mask by Emily ShortEmily ShortEmily Short is the pseudonym of an interactive fiction writer, perhaps best known for her debut game Galatea and her use of psychologically complex NPCs, or non-player game characters...
- Best of Three by Emily Short
- 2000: Being Andrew PlotkinBeing Andrew PlotkinBeing Andrew Plotkin is a piece of interactive fiction written by J. Robinson Wheeler as a light-hearted parody of both the film Being John Malkovich and of the successful interactive fiction author Andrew Plotkin and his games...
by J. Robinson Wheeler- GalateaGalatea (computer game)Galatea is a work of interactive fiction by Emily Short featuring a modern rendition of the Greek myth of Galatea, the sculpture of a woman which gained life. It took "Best of Show" in the 2000 IF Art Show and won a XYZZY Award for Best Non-Player Character...
by Emily ShortEmily ShortEmily Short is the pseudonym of an interactive fiction writer, perhaps best known for her debut game Galatea and her use of psychologically complex NPCs, or non-player game characters... - LASH by Paul O'Brian
- Rameses by Stephen Bond
- Shade by Andrew PlotkinAndrew PlotkinAndrew Plotkin , also known as Zarf, is a central figure in the modern interactive fiction community. Having both written a number of award-winning games and developed a range of new file formats, interpreters, and other utilities for the design, production, and running of IF games, Plotkin is...
- Galatea
- 1999: VaricellaVaricella (computer game)Varicella is a 1999 work of interactive fiction by Adam Cadre, distributed in z-code format as freeware. It is set in an alternate history which features roughly modern technology mixed with Renaissance-style principalities and court politics...
by Adam CadreAdam CadreAdam Cadre is a U.S. writer. He gained prominence in the world of interactive fiction with works like I-0 , Photopia and Varicella , for which he has won several XYZZY Awards and been the subject of academic study . Photopia additionally won the 1998 Interactive Fiction Competition...
- For a Change by Dan Schmidt
- Lunatix: The Insanity Circle by Mike Snyder
- The Mulldoon Legacy by Jon IngoldJon IngoldJon Ingold is most known as the author of interactive fiction works, but he has also written a number of plays, short stories and novels. He has been nominated for many XYZZY Awards and has won several.-Life and education:...
- Worlds Apart by Suzanne Britton
- 1998: Spider and WebSpider and WebSpider and Web is a piece of interactive fiction written by Andrew Plotkin.Spider and Web begins innocuously enough: the player's character, an apparent tourist, has wandered into a blind alley. Upon trying to leave the alley, however, the character is confronted by a voice sneering that this is a...
by Andrew PlotkinAndrew PlotkinAndrew Plotkin , also known as Zarf, is a central figure in the modern interactive fiction community. Having both written a number of award-winning games and developed a range of new file formats, interpreters, and other utilities for the design, production, and running of IF games, Plotkin is...
- Anchorhead by Michael Gentry
- Little Blue Men by Michael Gentry
- Once and Future by G. Kevin Wilson
- PhotopiaPhotopiaPhotopia is a piece of literature by Adam Cadre rendered in the form of interactive fiction, and written in Inform. It is regarded as a pioneer in narrative-driven, rather than puzzle- or challenge-driven, interactive fiction...
by Adam CadreAdam CadreAdam Cadre is a U.S. writer. He gained prominence in the world of interactive fiction with works like I-0 , Photopia and Varicella , for which he has won several XYZZY Awards and been the subject of academic study . Photopia additionally won the 1998 Interactive Fiction Competition...
- 1997: I-0I-0I-0 is a piece of interactive fiction written by Adam Cadre about the adventures of a teenage girl hitch-hiking on the interstate freeway . It won the Best Game and Best Individual Player Character awards at the 1997 Xyzzy Awards, and was a finalist for six other categories...
by Adam CadreAdam CadreAdam Cadre is a U.S. writer. He gained prominence in the world of interactive fiction with works like I-0 , Photopia and Varicella , for which he has won several XYZZY Awards and been the subject of academic study . Photopia additionally won the 1998 Interactive Fiction Competition...
- Babel by Ian Finley
- A Bear's Night Out by David Dyte
- The Edifice by Lucian P. Smith
- Glowgrass by Nate Cull
- 1996: So FarSo Far (interactive fiction)So Far is an interactive fiction game written in 1996 by Andrew Plotkin. It's known for its challenging puzzles and surreal imagery. So Far won the 1996 XYZZY Awards for Best IF Game, Best Writing, Best Puzzles, and Best Individual Puzzle....
by Andrew PlotkinAndrew PlotkinAndrew Plotkin , also known as Zarf, is a central figure in the modern interactive fiction community. Having both written a number of award-winning games and developed a range of new file formats, interpreters, and other utilities for the design, production, and running of IF games, Plotkin is...
- The Light: Shelby's Addendum by Colm McCarthy
- Lost New York by Neil deMauseNeil deMauseNeil deMause is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. He has been a writer for Baseball Prospectus since 2003, contributing occasional articles about stadium building and baseball finance. He is co-author of the 1999 book Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money into...
- The Meteor, the Stone, and a Long Glass of Sherbet by Graham NelsonGraham NelsonGraham A. Nelson is a British mathematician and poet and the creator of the Inform design system for creating interactive fiction games. He has also authored several IF games, including the acclaimed Curses and Jigsaw , using the experience of writing Curses in particular to expand the range of...
- Time: All Things Come to an End by Andy Phillips
Best writing
Like the Best Game award, the Best Writing award has been given since 1996. It recognizes a game which rises above the others in the quality of its descriptive text.- 2010: Hoist Sail for the Heliopause and Home by Andrew Plotkin
- The Blind House by Amanda Allen as "Maude Overton"
- Gris et Jaune by Jason Devlin as "Steve van Gaal"
- Hoosegow by Ben Collins-Sussman and Jack Welch
- 2009: Alabaster by Emily Short et al.
- Broken Legs by Sarah Morayati
- Make it Good by Jon Ingold
- The Shadow in the Cathedral by Ian Finley and Jon Ingold
- Walker & Silhouette by C. E. J. Pacian
- 2008: Violet by Jeremy Freese
- Everybody Dies by Jim Munroe
- Nightfall by Eric Eve
- Gun Mute by C. E. J. Pacian
- 2007: Lost Pig by Admiral Jota
- An Act of Murder by Christopher Huang
- Child's Play by Stephen Granade
- The Chinese Room by Harry Giles and Joey Jones
- Deadline Enchanter by Alan DeNiro
- 2006: Delightful Wallpaper by Andrew Plotkin
- Floatpoint by Emily Short
- Legion by Jason Devlin
- Pantomime by Robb Sherwin
- The Baron by Victor Gijsbers
- 2005: VespersVespers (computer game)Vespers is an interactive fiction game written in 2005 by Jason Devlin that placed first at the 2005 Interactive Fiction Competition. It also won the XYZZY Awards for Best Game, Best NPCs, Best Setting, and Best Writing.-Summary:...
by Jason Devlin- Bolivia by Night by Aidan Doyle
- Chancellor by Kevin Venzke
- Mix Tape by Brett Witty
- Tough Beans by Sara Dee
- 2004: Blue Chairs by Chris Klimas
- Future Boy! by Kent Tessman
- Gamlet by Tomasz Pudlo
- Necrotic Drift by Robb Sherwin
- The Dreamhold by Andrew Plotkin
- 2003: Narcolepsy by Adam Cadre
- City of Secrets by Emily Short
- Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venus by Dan Shiovitz and Emily Short
- Slouching Towards Bedlam by Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster
- To Hell in a Hamper by J. J. Guest
- 2002: The Moonlit Tower by Yoon Ha Lee
- Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another SkyEarth and SkyEarth and Sky is an interactive fiction trilogy written by Paul O'Brian about the adventures of a brother and sister who gain superpowers while searching for their lost parents. The first part, Earth and Sky was entered in the 2001 annual Interactive Fiction Competition where it finished eighth...
by Paul O'Brian - Savoir FaireSavoir-FaireSavoir-Faire is a piece of interactive fiction written by Emily Short, about a magician in 18th-century France searching his aristocratic adoptive father's house...
by Emily Short - Till Death Makes a Monk-Fish out of Me! by Jon Ingold and Mike Sousa
- When Help Collides by J. D. Berry
- Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another Sky
- 2001: Fallacy of Dawn by Robb Sherwin
- All Roads by Jon Ingold
- Best of Three by Emily Short
- No Time to Squeal by Mike Sousa and Robb Sherwin
- Pytho's Mask by Emily Short
- 2000: Metamorphoses by Emily Short
- My Angel by Jon Ingold
- Rameses by Stephen Bond
- Shade by Andrew Plotkin
- You are a CHEF! by Dan Shiovitz
- 1999: For a Change by Dan Schmidt
- Exhibition by Ian Finley
- Lunatix: The Insanity Circle by Mike Snyder
- VaricellaVaricella (computer game)Varicella is a 1999 work of interactive fiction by Adam Cadre, distributed in z-code format as freeware. It is set in an alternate history which features roughly modern technology mixed with Renaissance-style principalities and court politics...
by Adam Cadre - Worlds Apart by Suzanne Britton
- 1998: Photopia by Adam Cadre
- AnchorheadAnchorhead (game)Anchorhead is a Lovecraftian horror interactive fiction game, originally written and published by Michael S. Gentry in 1998. The game is heavily inspired by the works and writing style of H.P. Lovecraft, particularly the Cthulhu mythos...
by Michael Gentry - Little Blue Men by Michael Gentry
- Muse by Chris Huang
- Spider and Web by Andrew Plotkin
- Anchorhead
- 1997: Sunset Over Savannah by Ivan Cockrum
- Babel by Ian Finley
- I-0 by Adam Cadre
- She's Got a Thing for a Spring by Brent VanFossen
- The Space Under the WindowThe Space Under the WindowThe Space Under the Window is a 1997 interactive fiction game by Andrew Plotkin. The game is part of a collaborative art piece, also entitled "", by Kristin Looney – each piece had to have this title, but was otherwise unconstrained....
by Andrew Plotkin
- 1996: So FarSo Far (interactive fiction)So Far is an interactive fiction game written in 1996 by Andrew Plotkin. It's known for its challenging puzzles and surreal imagery. So Far won the 1996 XYZZY Awards for Best IF Game, Best Writing, Best Puzzles, and Best Individual Puzzle....
by Andrew Plotkin- Aayela by Magnus Olsson
- Lost New York by Neil deMauseNeil deMauseNeil deMause is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. He has been a writer for Baseball Prospectus since 2003, contributing occasional articles about stadium building and baseball finance. He is co-author of the 1999 book Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money into...
- The Meteor, the Stone, and a Long Glass of Sherbet by Graham Nelson
- Tapestry by Daniel Ravipinto
Best story
This award has been given since 1996. It recognizes the game with the deepest or most original story.- 2010: The Warbler's Nest by Jason McIntosh
- Gris et Jaune by Jason Devlin
- Hoist Sail for the Heliopause and Home by Andrew Plotkin
- One Eye Open by Colin Sandel and Carolyn VanEseltine
- 2009: Blue Lacuna by Aaron A. Reed
- The King of Shreds and Patches by Jimmy Maher
- Make it Good by Jon Ingold
- The Shadow in the Cathedral by Ian Finley and Jon Ingold
- 2008: Nightfall by Eric Eve
- Afflicted by Doug Evan
- Everybody Dies by Jim Munroe
- Violet by Jeremy Freese
- Gun Mute by C. E. J. Pacian
- 2007: A Fine Day for Reaping by James Webb
- An Act of Murder by Christopher Huang
- Deadline Enchanter by Alan DeNiro
- Fate by Victor Gijsbers
- 2006: The Traveling Swordsman by Mike Snyder
- Moon-Shaped by Jason Ermer
- Pantomime by Robb Sherwin
- The Baron by Victor Gijsbers
- The Elysium Enigma by Eric Eve
- 2005: Beyond by Mondi Confinanti (Roberto Grassi, Paolo Lucchesi, and Alessandro Peretti)
- All Hope Abandon by Eric Eve
- Chancellor by Kevin Venzke
- Distress by Mike Snyder
- VespersVespers (computer game)Vespers is an interactive fiction game written in 2005 by Jason Devlin that placed first at the 2005 Interactive Fiction Competition. It also won the XYZZY Awards for Best Game, Best NPCs, Best Setting, and Best Writing.-Summary:...
by Jason Devlin
- 2004: Blue Chairs by Chris Klimas
- The Act of Misdirection by Callico Harrison
- The Cabal by Stephen Bond
- Dreamhold by Andrew Plotkin
- Future Boy! by Kent Tessman
- Necrotic Drift by Robb Sherwin
- 2003: Slouching Towards Bedlam by Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster
- City of Secrets by Emily Short
- Narcolepsy by Adam Cadre
- Redemption by Kathleen M. Fischer
- To Hell in a Hamper by J. J. Guest
- 2002: Savoir FaireSavoir-FaireSavoir-Faire is a piece of interactive fiction written by Emily Short, about a magician in 18th-century France searching his aristocratic adoptive father's house...
by Emily Short- Augustine by Terrence V. Koch
- The Moonlit Tower by Yoon Ha Lee
- Till Death Makes a Monk-Fish Out of Me! by Jon Ingold and Mike Sousa
- When Help Collides by J. D. Berry
- 2001: All Roads by Jon Ingold
- Fallacy of Dawn by Robb Sherwin
- First Things First by J. Robinson Wheeler
- Pytho's Mask by Emily Short
- Vicious Cycles by Simon Mark
- Voices by Aris Katsaris
- 2000: My Angel by Jon Ingold
- Being Andrew Plotkin by J. Robinson Wheeler
- LASH by Paul O'Brian
- Masquerade by Kathleen M. Fischer
- Rameses by Stephen Bond
- Shade by Andrew Plotkin
- shrapnel by Adam Cadre
- 1999: Worlds Apart by Suzanne Britton
- Aisle by Sam Barlow
- Common Ground by Stephen Granade
- Lunatix by Mike Snyder
- The Mulldoon Legacy by Jon Ingold
- VaricellaVaricella (computer game)Varicella is a 1999 work of interactive fiction by Adam Cadre, distributed in z-code format as freeware. It is set in an alternate history which features roughly modern technology mixed with Renaissance-style principalities and court politics...
by Adam Cadre
- 1998: Photopia by Adam Cadre
- Anchorhead by Michael Gentry
- Little Blue Men by Michael Gentry
- Losing Your Grip by Stephen Granade
- Spider and Web by Andrew Plotkin
- 1997: Babel by Ian Finley
- Glowgrass by Nate Cull
- I-0 by Adam Cadre
- Madame L'Estrange and the Troubled Spirit by Ian Ball and Marcus Young
- Mercy by Chris Klimas
- 1996: Tapestry by Daniel Ravipinto
- Delusions by C. E. Forman
- Lost New York by Neil deMauseNeil deMauseNeil deMause is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. He has been a writer for Baseball Prospectus since 2003, contributing occasional articles about stadium building and baseball finance. He is co-author of the 1999 book Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money into...
- So FarSo Far (interactive fiction)So Far is an interactive fiction game written in 1996 by Andrew Plotkin. It's known for its challenging puzzles and surreal imagery. So Far won the 1996 XYZZY Awards for Best IF Game, Best Writing, Best Puzzles, and Best Individual Puzzle....
by Andrew Plotkin - Time: All Things Come to an End by Andy Phillips
Best setting
The award for Best Setting, also given since 1996, recognizes games with the most original or best-described locations.- 2010: Aotearoa by Matt Wigdahl
- Gris et Jaune by Jason Devlin
- Hoist Sail for the Heliopause and Home by Andrew Plotkin
- One Eye Open by Colin Sandel and Carolyn VanEseltine
- 2009: Blue Lacuna by Aaron A. Reed; The King of Shreds and Patches by Jimmy Maher (tie)
- Make it Good by Jon Ingold
- The Shadow in the Cathedral by Ian Finley and Jon Ingold
- 2008: Nightfall by Eric Eve
- Buried in Shoes by Kazuki Mishima
- Piracy 2.0 by Sean Huxter
- Gun Mute by C. E. J. Pacian
- Violet by Jeremy Freese
- 2007: Varkana by Maryam Gousheh-Forgeot
- Blighted Isle by Eric Eve
- Ferrous Ring by Carma Ferris
- Lost Pig by Admiral Jota
- Suveh Nux by David Fisher
- 2006: Floatpoint by Emily Short
- Ekphrasis by "JB"
- Star City by Mark Sachs
- Strange Geometries by Phillip Chambers
- Unauthorized Termination by Richard Otter
- 2005: VespersVespers (computer game)Vespers is an interactive fiction game written in 2005 by Jason Devlin that placed first at the 2005 Interactive Fiction Competition. It also won the XYZZY Awards for Best Game, Best NPCs, Best Setting, and Best Writing.-Summary:...
by Jason Devlin- All Hope Abandon by Eric Eve
- Building by Mike Tullock
- Chancellor by Kevin Venzke
- Distress by Mike Snyder
- 2004: The Fire Tower by Jacqueline A. Lott
- The Dreamhold by Andrew Plotkin
- Future Boy! by Kent Tessman
- Gamlet by Tomasz Pudlo
- Mingsheng by Deane Saunders
- Necrotic Drift by Robb Sherwin
- 2003: Slouching Towards Bedlam by Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster
- City of Secrets by Emily Short
- Gourmet by Aaron Reed
- Narcolepsy by Adam Cadre
- To Hell in a Hamper by J. J. Guest
- 2002: 1893: A World's Fair Mystery1893: A World's Fair Mystery1893 is a commercial mystery and educational interactive fiction by Peter Nepstad written in the TADS programming language. It takes place during the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. The exposition is recreated in detail, with archival photographs from the fair and in-depth...
by Peter Nepstad- Augustine by Terrence V. Koch
- Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another SkyEarth and SkyEarth and Sky is an interactive fiction trilogy written by Paul O'Brian about the adventures of a brother and sister who gain superpowers while searching for their lost parents. The first part, Earth and Sky was entered in the 2001 annual Interactive Fiction Competition where it finished eighth...
by Paul O'Brian - The Moonlit Tower by Yoon Ha Lee
- Savoir FaireSavoir-FaireSavoir-Faire is a piece of interactive fiction written by Emily Short, about a magician in 18th-century France searching his aristocratic adoptive father's house...
by Emily Short
- 2001: All Roads by Jon Ingold
- Fallacy of Dawn by Robb Sherwin
- Fine Tuned by Dennis Jerz
- Heroes by Sean Barrett
- Pytho's Mask by Emily Short
- Textfire Golf by Adam Cadre
- 2000: Shade by Andrew Plotkin
- LASH by Paul O'Brian
- Metamorphoses by Emily Short
- Nevermore by Nate Cull
- shrapnel by Adam Cadre
- 1999: Hunter, in DarknessHunter, in DarknessHunter, in Darkness is a 1999 interactive fiction game by Andrew Plotkin, written in Inform. It won the "Best Individual Puzzle" and "Best Setting" categories in the 1999 XYZZY Awards, and came in eighth overall in the 1999 Interactive Fiction Competition....
by Andrew Plotkin- Erehwon by Richard Litherland
- For a Change by Dan Schmidt
- The Mulldoon Legacy by Jon Ingold
- Winter Wonderland by Laura Knauth
- Worlds Apart by Suzanne Britton
- 1998: Anchorhead by Michael Gentry
- Losing Your Grip by Stephen Granade
- Muse: An Autumn Romance by Christopher Huang
- Once and Future by G. Kevin Wilson
- Spider and Web by Andrew Plotkin
- 1997: A Bear's Night Out by David Dyte
- I-0 by Adam Cadre
- Mercy by Chris Klimas
- She's Got a Thing for a Spring by Brent VanFossen
- Sins Against Mimesis by Adam Thornton
- 1996: Small World by Andrew D. Pontious
- The Light: Shelby's Addendum by Colm McCarthy
- Lost New York by Neil deMauseNeil deMauseNeil deMause is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. He has been a writer for Baseball Prospectus since 2003, contributing occasional articles about stadium building and baseball finance. He is co-author of the 1999 book Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money into...
- Night at the Computer Center by Bonni Mierzejewska
- So FarSo Far (interactive fiction)So Far is an interactive fiction game written in 1996 by Andrew Plotkin. It's known for its challenging puzzles and surreal imagery. So Far won the 1996 XYZZY Awards for Best IF Game, Best Writing, Best Puzzles, and Best Individual Puzzle....
by Andrew Plotkin
Best puzzles
The award for Best Puzzles recognizes the game with the most well-crafted, clever, and appropriate puzzles. It has also been given since 1996.- 2010: Aotearoa by Matt Wigdahl
- Dual Transform by Andrew Plotkin
- Fragile Shells by Stephen Granade
- One Eye Open by Colin Sandel and Carolyn VanEseltine
- The People's Glorious Revolutionary Text Adventure Game by Taylor Vaughan
- 2009: Earl Grey by Rob Dubbin and Adam Parrish
- Broken Legs by Sarah Morayati
- Make it Good by Jon Ingold
- The Duel That Spanned the Ages by Oliver Ullmann
- Rover's Day Out by Jack Welch and Ben Collins-Sussman
- 2008: Gun Mute by C. E. J. Pacian
- Escapade! by Juhana Leinonen
- Piracy 2.0 by Sean Huxter
- Violet by Jeremy Freese
- 2007: Suveh Nux by David Fisher
- An Act of Murder by Christopher Huang
- Child's Play by Stephen Granade
- The Chinese Room by Harry Giles and Joey Jones
- Lost Pig by Admiral Jota
- 2006: Delightful Wallpaper by Andrew Plotkin
- Moebius by J. D. Clemens
- The Elysium Enigma by Eric Eve
- The Traveling Swordsman by Mike Snyder
- The Warlord, The Princess & The Bulldog by David Whyld
- 2005: Distress by Mike Snyder
- Building by Mike Tullock
- Cheiron by Sarah Clelland and Elisabeth Polli
- Finding Martin by Gayla Wennstrom
- VespersVespers (computer game)Vespers is an interactive fiction game written in 2005 by Jason Devlin that placed first at the 2005 Interactive Fiction Competition. It also won the XYZZY Awards for Best Game, Best NPCs, Best Setting, and Best Writing.-Summary:...
by Jason Devlin
- 2004: The Dreamhold by Andrew Plotkin
- All Things Devours by "half sick of shadows"
- Future Boy! by Kent Tessman
- Goose, Egg, Badger by Brian Rapp
- Square Circle by Eric Eve
- 2003: Gourmet by Aaron Reed
- Inevitable by Kathleen M. Fischer
- Risorgimento Represso by Michael J. Coyne
- Scavenger by Quintin Stone
- The Erudition Chamber by Daniel Freas
- 2002: Savoir FaireSavoir-FaireSavoir-Faire is a piece of interactive fiction written by Emily Short, about a magician in 18th-century France searching his aristocratic adoptive father's house...
by Emily Short- Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another SkyEarth and SkyEarth and Sky is an interactive fiction trilogy written by Paul O'Brian about the adventures of a brother and sister who gain superpowers while searching for their lost parents. The first part, Earth and Sky was entered in the 2001 annual Interactive Fiction Competition where it finished eighth...
by Paul O'Brian - Lock & Key by Adam Cadre
- Out of the Study by Anssi Raisanen
- Tookie's Song by Jessica Knoch
- Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another Sky
- 2001: First Things First by J. Robinson Wheeler
- Degeneracy by Leonard Richardson
- The Gostak by Carl Muckenhoupt
- Stiffy Makane: The Undiscovered Country by Adam Thornton
- Vicious Cycles by Simon Mark
- The Weapon by Sean Barrett
- 2000: Ad Verbum by Nick MontfortNick MontfortNick Montfort is an associate professor of digital media at MIT in the Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies. He is also a poet, computer scientist, and author of interactive fiction. Montfort has collaborated on the blog Grand Text Auto, the sticker novel Implementation, and the contemporary...
- Augmented Fourth by Brian Uri
- Dinner with Andre by Liza Daly
- The End Means Escape by Stephen Kodat
- Heroine's Mantle by Andy Phillips
- Metamorphoses by Emily Short
- Nevermore by Nate Cull
- 1999: The Mulldoon Legacy by Jon Ingold
- Lunatix: The Insanity Circle by Mike Snyder
- Not Just an Ordinary Ballerina by Jim Aiken
- Varicella by Adam Cadre
- Worlds Apart by Suzanne Britton
- 1998: Spider and Web by Andrew Plotkin
- AnchorheadAnchorhead (game)Anchorhead is a Lovecraftian horror interactive fiction game, originally written and published by Michael S. Gentry in 1998. The game is heavily inspired by the works and writing style of H.P. Lovecraft, particularly the Cthulhu mythos...
by Michael Gentry - Enlightenment by Taro Ogawa
- Losing Your Grip by Stephen Granade
- Once and Future by G. Kevin Wilson
- Anchorhead
- 1997: The Edifice by Lucian P. Smith
- Babel by Ian Finley
- Everybody Loves a Parade by Cody Sandifer
- Heist by Andy Phillips
- Zero Sum Game by Cody Sandifer
- 1996: So FarSo Far (interactive fiction)So Far is an interactive fiction game written in 1996 by Andrew Plotkin. It's known for its challenging puzzles and surreal imagery. So Far won the 1996 XYZZY Awards for Best IF Game, Best Writing, Best Puzzles, and Best Individual Puzzle....
by Andrew Plotkin- Frobozz Magic Support by Nate Cull
- Lost New York by Neil deMauseNeil deMauseNeil deMause is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. He has been a writer for Baseball Prospectus since 2003, contributing occasional articles about stadium building and baseball finance. He is co-author of the 1999 book Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money into...
- The Meteor, the Stone, and a Long Glass of Sherbet by Graham Nelson
- Time: All Things Come to an End by Andy Phillips
Best NPCs
Another of the original awards, the award for Best NPCs recognizes particularly appropriate, amusing, and well-written casts of non-player characters.- 2010: Aotearoa by Matt Wigdahl
- Gris et Jaune by Jason Devlin
- Hoosegow by Ben Collins-Sussman and Jack Welch
- Rogue of the Multiverse by C. E. J. Pacian
- 2009: Broken Legs by Sarah Morayati
- Blue Lacuna by Aaron A. Reed
- Make it Good by Jon Ingold
- Dead Like Ants by C. E. J. Pacian
- 2008: Everybody Dies by Jim Munroe
- April in Paris by Jim Aikin
- Gun Mute by C. E. J. Pacian
- Snack Time! by Renee Choba
- Violet by Jeremy Freese
- 2007: Child's Play by Stephen Granade
- An Act of Murder by Christopher Huang
- The Chinese Room by Harry Giles and Joey Jones
- Lost Pig by Admiral Jota
- Slap That Fish by Peter Nepstad
- 2006: FloatpointFloatpointFloatpoint is a 2006 work of interactive fiction written by Emily Short about a diplomat sent to an endangered colony to discuss evacuation options and terms of cohabitation...
by Emily Short- Aunts and Butlers by Robin Johnson
- Delightful Wallpaper by Andrew Plotkin
- Moon-Shaped by Jason Ermer
- The Baron by Victor Gijsbers
- 2005: VespersVespers (computer game)Vespers is an interactive fiction game written in 2005 by Jason Devlin that placed first at the 2005 Interactive Fiction Competition. It also won the XYZZY Awards for Best Game, Best NPCs, Best Setting, and Best Writing.-Summary:...
by Jason Devlin- All Hope Abandon by Eric Eve
- Bolivia by Night by Aidan Doyle
- Flat Feet by Joel Ray Holveck
- Gilded by John Evans
- 2004: Sting of the Wasp by Jason Devlin
- Blue Chairs by Chris Klimas
- Future Boy! by Kent Tessman
- Luminous Horizon by Paul O'Brian
- Necrotic Drift by Robb Sherwin
- 2003: City of Secrets by Emily Short
- Narcolepsy by Adam Cadre
- Risorgimento Represso by Michale Coyne
- Shadows on the Mirror by Chrysoula Tzavelas
- Slouching Towards Bedlam by Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster
- 2002: Lock & Key by Adam Cadre
- Foverer Always by Iain Merrick
- The Frenetic Five vs. the Seven Deadly Dwarves by Neil deMauseNeil deMauseNeil deMause is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. He has been a writer for Baseball Prospectus since 2003, contributing occasional articles about stadium building and baseball finance. He is co-author of the 1999 book Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money into...
- The PK Girl by Robert Goodwin
- Tookie's Song by Jessica Knoch
- 2001: Pytho's Mask, by Emily Short
- Best of Three by Emily Short
- Fallacy of Dawn by Robb Sherwin
- Textfire Golf by Adam Cadre
- You Are Here by Roy Fisher
- 2000: Being Andrew Plotkin by J. Robinson Wheeler
- GalateaGalatea (computer game)Galatea is a work of interactive fiction by Emily Short featuring a modern rendition of the Greek myth of Galatea, the sculpture of a woman which gained life. It took "Best of Show" in the 2000 IF Art Show and won a XYZZY Award for Best Non-Player Character...
by Emily Short - Heroine's Mantle by Andy Phillips
- KagedKagedKaged is a work of interactive fiction written by Ian Finley, set in a dystopian alternative world influenced by Nineteen Eighty-Four and Kafka. It won the 2000 annual Interactive Fiction Competition, and, at least through 2008, was the only game written in TADS to win the competition since the...
by Ian Finley - Punk Points by Jim Munroe
- Rameses by Stephen Bond
- Galatea
- 1999: VaricellaVaricella (computer game)Varicella is a 1999 work of interactive fiction by Adam Cadre, distributed in z-code format as freeware. It is set in an alternate history which features roughly modern technology mixed with Renaissance-style principalities and court politics...
by Adam Cadre- A Day For Soft Food by Tod Levi
- The Frenetic Five vs. Mr. Redundancy Man by Neil deMauseNeil deMauseNeil deMause is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. He has been a writer for Baseball Prospectus since 2003, contributing occasional articles about stadium building and baseball finance. He is co-author of the 1999 book Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money into...
- The Mulldoon Legacy by Jon Ingold
- Worlds Apart by Suzanne Britton
- 1998: Once and Future by G. Kevin Wilson
- Guilty Bastards by Kent Tessman
- Mother Loose by Irene Callaci
- Muse by Chris Huang
- Photopia by Adam Cadre
- 1997: The Frenetic Five vs. Sturm und Drang by Neil deMauseNeil deMauseNeil deMause is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. He has been a writer for Baseball Prospectus since 2003, contributing occasional articles about stadium building and baseball finance. He is co-author of the 1999 book Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money into...
- Everybody Loves a Parade by Cody Sandifer
- I-0 by Adam Cadre
- She's Got a Thing for a Spring by Brent VanFossen
- Zero Sum Game by Cody Sandifer
- 1996: Kissing the Buddha's Feet by Leon Lin
- Lost New York by Neil deMauseNeil deMauseNeil deMause is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. He has been a writer for Baseball Prospectus since 2003, contributing occasional articles about stadium building and baseball finance. He is co-author of the 1999 book Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money into...
- Small World by Andrew Pontious
- The Underoos that Ate New York by G. Kevin Wilson
- The Wedding by Neil Brown
- Lost New York by Neil deMause
Best individual puzzle
The seventh original award is that for the Best Individual Puzzle. It recognizes a particularly inspired, well-crafted, and intriguing puzzle.- 2010: Crossing the river in Aotearoa by Matt Wigdahl
- Deciding what to do with the baby in The Warblers Nest by Jason McIntosh
- Dividing up the oxygen reserves in Oxygen by Benjamin Sokal
- Getting the lighter from Kai in Allein mit Kai by Ingo Scharmann and Joana Markus
- Roof tile repair in The 12:54 to Asgard by J. Robinson Wheeler
- Saving Dr. Ephart in One Eye Open by Colin Sandel and Carolyn VanEseltine
- 2009: Finding out how the goggles work in Byzantine Perspective by Lea Albaugh
- Defeating the Eagle Beast in The Ascot by Duncan Bowsman
- Working out the controls in Rover's Day Out by Jack Welch and Ben Collins-Sussman
- 2008: Disconnecting the Internet/getting rid of the key in Violet by Jeremy Freese
- Putting the vampire together in Afflicted by Doug Egan
- Calling for help in Escapade! by Juhana Leinonen
- The gallows in Gun Mute by C. E. J. Pacian
- 2007: Identifying the killer, in An Act of Murder by Christopher Huang
- The toy in the cabinet, in Child's Play by Stephen Granade
- The thermostat, in Orevore Courier by Brian Rapp
- The shark, in Slap That Fish by Peter Nepstad
- The vault door, in Suveh Nux by David Fisher
- 2006: Navigating the mansion in Delightful Wallpaper by Andrew Plotkin
- Choosing the present in Floatpoint by Emily Short
- The piano puzzle in Madam Spider's Web by Sara Dee
- The reactor puzzle in Moebius by J. D. Clemens
- Final puzzle in Strange Geometries by Phillip Chambers
- 2005: Following the murderer, in Beyond by Mondi Confinanti (Roberto Grassi, Paolo Lucchesi, and Alessandro Peretti)
- Moving the stone (after escaping the labyrinth), in All Hope Abandon by Eric Eve
- Finding something to eat, in Chancellor by Kevin Venzke
- Beating the creature, in Distress by Mike Snyder
- Identifying the killer, in Mystery House Possessed by Emily Short
- 2004: The time puzzle, in All Things Devours by "half sick of shadows"
- The toilet, in Blue Chairs by Chris Klimas
- Cracking Eno's computer, in Future Boy! by Kent Tessman
- The poltergeist, in Necrotic Drift by Robb Sherwin
- The cistern, in The Dreamhold by Andrew Plotkin
- 2003: The purple room, in The Recruit by Mike Sousa
- Escaping the quicksand, in Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venus by Dan Shiovitz and Emily Short
- Making the sandwich, in Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venus by Dan Shiovitz and Emily Short
- Creating the black powder, in Risorgimento Represso by Michael J. Coyne
- Getting into the farm, in Risorgimento Represso by Michael J. Coyne
- 2002: Setting the traps, in Lock & Key by Adam Cadre
- The maze, in Constraints by Martin Bays
- Entering the church, in Forever Always by Iain Merrick
- Decoding the letter, in Savoir FaireSavoir-FaireSavoir-Faire is a piece of interactive fiction written by Emily Short, about a magician in 18th-century France searching his aristocratic adoptive father's house...
by Emily Short - The computer password, in Till Death Makes a Monk-Fish out of Me! by Jon Ingold and Mike Sousa
- 2001: Deciphering the language, in The GostakGostakGostak is a meaningless noun that is used in the phrase "the gostak distims the doshes", an example of how it is possible to derive meaning from the syntax of a sentence even if the referents of the terms are entirely unknown. This can be seen in the following dialogue:In Amazing Stories, Dr...
by Carl Muckenhoupt- The birds, in All Roads by Jon Ingold
- Switching the glasses, in Pytho's Mask by Emily Short
- The chess game, in Silicon Castles by David Given
- An unspecified puzzle, in Textfire Golf by Adam Cadre
- Disarming the bomb, in Vicious Cycles by Simon Mark
- 2000: The whole game, in Rematch by Andrew Pontious
- The whole game, in 9:05 by Adam Cadre
- The mannequin, in Adove and Beyond! by Mike Sousa
- The letter rooms, in Ad Verbum by Nick Montfort
- The recursive room, in Being Andrew Plotkin by J. Robinson Wheeler
- 1999: The maze, in Hunter, in Darkness by Andrew Plotkin
- Stopping the flood, in For a Change by Dan Schmidt
- The clone puzzle, in The Frenetic Five vs. Mr. Redundancy Man by Neil deMauseNeil deMauseNeil deMause is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. He has been a writer for Baseball Prospectus since 2003, contributing occasional articles about stadium building and baseball finance. He is co-author of the 1999 book Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money into...
. - The water puzzle, in Break-In by Jon Ingold
- Getting the light upstairs, in The Mulldoon Legacy by Jon Ingold
- 1998: Getting out of the chair, in Spider and Web by Andrew Plotkin
- The snack machine, in Little Blue Men by Michael Gentry
- The granite cube, in Losing Your Grip by Stephen Granade
- Getting out of the maze, in Photopia by Adam Cadre
- Entering the warehouse, in The Plant by Mike Roberts
- 1997: The language puzzle, in The Edifice by Lucian P. Smith
- Setting the digital clock, in Heist by Andy Phillips
- The whole game, in Pick Up the Phone Booth and DiePick Up the Phone Booth and DiePick Up the Phone Booth and Die is a minimalist piece of interactive fiction by Rob Noyes. As the title suggests, you die when you pick up the phone booth. However, the game can be won, and in just two moves...
by Rob Noyes - Defeating the Kunkel, in Sins Against Mimesis by Adam Thornton
- Building the sand castle, in Sunset Over Savannah by Ivan Cockrum
- 1996: Opening the gate, in So FarSo Far (interactive fiction)So Far is an interactive fiction game written in 1996 by Andrew Plotkin. It's known for its challenging puzzles and surreal imagery. So Far won the 1996 XYZZY Awards for Best IF Game, Best Writing, Best Puzzles, and Best Individual Puzzle....
by Andrew Plotkin- The crystals, in Fear by Chuan-Tze Teo
- The elephant, in The Meteor, the Stone, and a Long Glass of Sherbet by Graham Nelson
- (cramped, crawling), in So FarSo Far (interactive fiction)So Far is an interactive fiction game written in 1996 by Andrew Plotkin. It's known for its challenging puzzles and surreal imagery. So Far won the 1996 XYZZY Awards for Best IF Game, Best Writing, Best Puzzles, and Best Individual Puzzle....
by Andrew Plotkin - Riding the creature, in So FarSo Far (interactive fiction)So Far is an interactive fiction game written in 1996 by Andrew Plotkin. It's known for its challenging puzzles and surreal imagery. So Far won the 1996 XYZZY Awards for Best IF Game, Best Writing, Best Puzzles, and Best Individual Puzzle....
by Andrew Plotkin
Best individual NPC
The last of the original awards given in 1996 is the award for the Best Individual NPC. This award recognizes a particularly well-implemented and well-written non-player characterNon-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
.
- 2010: Dr Sliss in Rogue of the Multiverse by C. E. J. Pacian
- Gaspar in The Bible Retold: Following a Star by Justin Morgan
- Mariel in Mariel by Michael Baltes
- The monkey-thing in Aotearoa by Matt Wigdahl
- Muddy in Hoosegow by Ben Collins-Sussman and Jack Welch
- 2009: Snow White in Alabaster by Emily Short et al.
- Lottie's mom in Broken Legs by Sarah Morayati
- Progue in Blue Lacuna by Aaron A. Reed
- 2008: Violet in Violet by Jeremy Freese
- H. R. in Escapade! by Juhana Leinonen
- Solemn Gertrude in Gun Mute by C. E. J. Pacian
- Your Pet in Snack Time! by Renee Choba
- 2007: The gnome, in Lost Pig by Admiral Jota
- Zoe, in Child's Play by Stephen Granade
- Gunwar, in Treasures of a Slaver's Kingdom by S. John Ross
- 2006: Leela, in The Elysium Enigma by Eric Eve
- The butlerButlerA butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...
, in Aunts and Butlers by Robin Johnson - John, in Legion by Jason Devlin
- GodGodGod is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, in The Bible Retold by Justin Morgan and "Celestianpower" - The gargoyleGargoyleIn architecture, a gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque, usually made of granite, with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building thereby preventing rainwater from running down masonry walls and eroding the mortar between...
, in The Baron by Victor Gijsbers
- The butler
- 2005: The storyteller, in Whom the Telling Changed by Aaron A. Reed
- Agrath, in All Hope Abandon by Eric Eve
- Relph, in Flat Feet by Joel Ray Holveck
- Val, in Gilded by John Evans
- Cecilia, in VespersVespers (computer game)Vespers is an interactive fiction game written in 2005 by Jason Devlin that placed first at the 2005 Interactive Fiction Competition. It also won the XYZZY Awards for Best Game, Best NPCs, Best Setting, and Best Writing.-Summary:...
by Jason Devlin
- 2004: Audrey, in Necrotic Drift by Robb Sherwin
- Bob Finger, in Future Boy! by Kent Tessman
- Jacek, in Gamlet by Tomasz Pudlo
- Xojo, in Return to Ditch Day by Michael J. Roberts
- Dr. Todd, in THe Great Xavio by Reese Warner
- 2003: Triage, in Slouching Towards Bedlam by Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster
- The bookseller, in City of Secrets by Emily Short
- Corvallis Oregon, in Narcolepsy by Adam Cadre
- Iona, in Scavenger by Quintin Stone
- Galen, in Shadows on the Mirror by Chrysoula Tzavelas
- 2002: Boldo, in Lock & Key by Adam Cadre
- Emily, in Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another SkyEarth and SkyEarth and Sky is an interactive fiction trilogy written by Paul O'Brian about the adventures of a brother and sister who gain superpowers while searching for their lost parents. The first part, Earth and Sky was entered in the 2001 annual Interactive Fiction Competition where it finished eighth...
by Paul O'Brian - Musculo, in Lock & Key by Adam Cadre
- Charles, in The Temple by Johan Berntsson
- Nebusan Sedonkawa, in When Help Collides by J. D. Berry
- Emily, in Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another Sky
- 2001: Yahoweh Porn, in Fallacy of Dawn by Robb Sherwin
- Grant Stern, in Best of Three by Emily Short
- The droke, in The Gostak by Carl Muckenhoupt
- Space MooseSpace MooseSpace Moose was a Canadian underground comic strip that appeared in the University of Alberta's student newspaper, The Gateway, between October 3, 1989 and 1999. Almost all of the strips were penned by Adam Thrasher, a student at the university. For career-related reasons, many archives refer to...
, in Stiffy Makane: The Undiscovered Country by Adam Thornton - Cheryl, in The Weapon by Sean Barrett
- 2000: Galatea, in GalateaGalatea (computer game)Galatea is a work of interactive fiction by Emily Short featuring a modern rendition of the Greek myth of Galatea, the sculpture of a woman which gained life. It took "Best of Show" in the 2000 IF Art Show and won a XYZZY Award for Best Non-Player Character...
by Emily Short- The King, in Augmented Fourth by Brian Uri
- Melvin, in Being Andrew Plotkin by J. Robinson Wheeler
- The alienExtraterrestrial lifeExtraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
, in Fail-Safe by Jon Ingold - Angel, in My Angel by Jon Ingold
- 1999: Miss Sierra, in VaricellaVaricella (computer game)Varicella is a 1999 work of interactive fiction by Adam Cadre, distributed in z-code format as freeware. It is set in an alternate history which features roughly modern technology mixed with Renaissance-style principalities and court politics...
by Adam Cadre- Anatoly Domokov, in Exhibition by Ian Finley
- The wumpus, in Hunter, in Darkness by Andrew Plotkin
- Princess Charlotte, in Varicella by Adam Cadre
- Lyric/Echo, in Worlds Apart by Suzanne Britton
- 1998: The interrogator, in Spider and Web by Andrew Plotkin
- Michael, in Anchorhead by Michael Gentry
- The trollTrollA troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
, in Enlightenment by Taro Ogawa - The wolf, in Mother Loose by Irene Callaci
- Alley, in Photopia by Adam Cadre
- 1997: Bob, in She's Got a Thing for a Spring by Brent VanFossen
- The Stranger, in The Edifice by Lucian P. Smith
- The Taco Junta girl, in I-0 by Adam Cadre
- The cow, in The Lost Spellmaker by Neil Brown
- The devilDevilThe Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
, in Sins Against Mimesis by Adam Thornton
- 1996: The burinBurinBurin from the French burin meaning "cold chisel" has two specialised meanings for types of tools in English, one meaning a steel cutting tool which is the essential tool of engraving, and the other, in archaeology, meaning a special type of lithic flake with a chisel-like edge which was probably...
, in Frobozz Magic Support by Nate Cull- Evan, in Kissing the Buddha's Feet by Leon Lin
- The devilDevilThe Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
, in Small World by Andrew Pontious - Leo the Lemming, in Phlegm by Jason Dyer
- Christopher Robin, in Ralph by Miron Schmidt
Best individual PC
The award for the Best Individual PC was one of two XYZZY Awards added in 1997. It is intended to recognize particularly well-defined and well-written player characters. The very existence of this award violates the principle of AFGNCAAP, which stresses the importance of leaving certain characteristics of the protagonist intentionally vague to allow the player to more easily envision themselves as the central character. However, many games, such as those listed here, have demonstrated that successful interactive fiction stories can also be told with a more well-defined player character.- 2010: Anthony Saint Germain in Death Off the Cuff by Simon Christiansen
- Balthasar in The Bible Retold: Following a Star by Justin Morgan
- Helena in The Blind House by Amanda Allen
- PC in Gris et Jaune by Jason Devlin
- 2009: Lottie Plum in Broken Legs by Sarah Morayati
- The detective in Make it Good by Jon Ingold
- Silhouette in Walker & Silhouette by C. E. J. Pacian
- 2008: Hardy the Bulldog in Snack Time! by Renee Choba
- Graham in Everybody Dies by Jim Munroe
- Mute Lawton in Gun Mute by C. E. J. Pacian
- David in Nightfall by Eric Eve
- 2007: Grunk, in Lost Pig by Admiral Jota
- Erskine Ring, in Ferrous Ring by Carma Ferris
- Death, in A Fine Day for Reaping by James Webb
- The King, in The Reluctant Resurrectee by David Whyld
- Farahnaaz, in Varkana by Maryam Gousheh-Forgeot
- 2006: The player character in Delightful Wallpaper by Andrew Plotkin
- Legion, in Legion by Jason Devlin
- The player character in The Baron by Victor Gijsbers
- The player character in The Primrose Path by Nolan Bonvouloir
- The player character in The Traveling Swordsman by Mike Snyder
- 2005: Wendy Little, in Tough Beans by Sara Dee
- Inspector Maltelli, in Beyond by Mondi Confinanti (Roberto Grassi, Paolo Lucchesi, and Alessandro Peretti)
- ConanConan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
, in Conan Kill Everything by Ian Haberkorn - Jacques, in Flat Feet by Joel Ray Holveck
- The abbot in VespersVespers (computer game)Vespers is an interactive fiction game written in 2005 by Jason Devlin that placed first at the 2005 Interactive Fiction Competition. It also won the XYZZY Awards for Best Game, Best NPCs, Best Setting, and Best Writing.-Summary:...
by Jason Devlin
- 2004: Julia, in Sting of the Wasp by Jason Devlin
- Dante, in Blue Chairs by Chris Klimas
- Tomasz Pudlo, in Gamlet by Tomasz Pudlo
- Austin, in Luminous Horizon by Paul O'Brian
- Jarrett Duffy, in Necrotic Drift by Robb Sherwin
- 2003: The player character in Episode in the Life of an Artist by Peter Eastman
- The chef, in Gourmet by Aaron Reed
- Eugene Oregon, in Narcolepsy by Adam Cadre
- Enra, in Shadows on the Mirror by Chrysoula Tzavelas
- Triage, in Slouching Towards Bedlam by Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foste
- 2002: Pierre, in Savoir FaireSavoir-FaireSavoir-Faire is a piece of interactive fiction written by Emily Short, about a magician in 18th-century France searching his aristocratic adoptive father's house...
by Emily Short- Dutch Dapper, in Dutch Dapper IV: The Final Voyage by Harry Hol
- Goldilocks, in Goldilocks is a FOX! by J. J. Guest
- The janitor, in Janitor by Peter Seebach and Kevin Lynn
- Jack Downer, in Photograph by Steve Evans
- 2001: The Kissing Bandit, in The Tale of the Kissing Bandit by J. Robinson Wheeler
- Aubrey Foil, in The Beetmonger's Journal by Scott Starkey
- Helen Tsakis, in Best of Three by Emily Short
- Delarion Yar, in Fallacy of Dawn by Robb Sherwin
- Troy Sterling, in Fine Tuned by Dennis Jerz
- 2000: Rameses Alexander Moran, in Rameses by Stephen Bond
- [unspecified], in Being Andrew Plotkin by J. Robinson Wheeler
- The MULE, in LASH by Paul O'Brian
- The alchemistAlchemyAlchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
, in Nevermore by Nate Cull - The player character in Shade by Andrew Plotkin
- 1999: Primo Varicella, in VaricellaVaricella (computer game)Varicella is a 1999 work of interactive fiction by Adam Cadre, distributed in z-code format as freeware. It is set in an alternate history which features roughly modern technology mixed with Renaissance-style principalities and court politics...
by Adam Cadre- The player character in Aisle by Sam Barlow
- The cat, in A Day for Soft Food by Tod Levi
- The wife, in Exhibition by Ian Finley
- Sarah, in Winchester's Nightmare by Nick Montfort
- 1998: The employee, in Little Blue Men by Michael Gentry
- Mover #005, in Bad Machine by Dan Shiovitz
- Rev. Stephen Dawson, in Muse by Chris Huang
- The agent, in Spider and Web by Andrew Plotkin
- The troll, in Zork: A Troll's Eye View by Dylan O'Donnell
- 1997: Tracy Valencia, in I-0 by Adam Cadre
- David, in Babel by Ian Finley
- The bear, in A Bear's Night Out by David Dyte
- Improv, in The Frenetic Five vs. Sturm und Drang by Neil deMauseNeil deMauseNeil deMause is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist. He has been a writer for Baseball Prospectus since 2003, contributing occasional articles about stadium building and baseball finance. He is co-author of the 1999 book Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns Public Money into...
- Mattie, in The Lost Spellmaker by Neil Brown
Best use of medium
The Best Use of Medium award, the other XYZZY Award added in 1997, is not a clearly defined award, with no specific criteria given to voters. The interpretation of what particular quality this award recognizes remains open; many voters choose to interpret this award as a recognition of particularly daring interpretations of the limits and abilities of interactive fiction, especially as regards the relationship between the playerPlayer (game)
A player of a game is a participant therein. The term 'player' is used with this same meaning both in game theory and in ordinary recreational games....
, narrator, and player character.
- 2009: Blue Lacuna by Aaron A. Reed
- Alabaster by Emily Short et al.
- Rover's Day Out by Jack Welch and Ben Collins-Sussman
- The Shadow in the Cathedral by Ian Finley and Jon Ingold
- 2008: The Moon Watch by Paolo Maroncelli and Alessandro Peretti
- Afflicted by Doug Evan
- Everybody Dies by Jim Munroe
- Violet by Jeremy Freese
- Gun Mute by C. E. J. Pacian
- 2007: Deadline Enchanter by Alan DeNiro
- An Act of Murder by Christopher Huang
- Fate by Victor Gijsbers
- Lost Pig by Admiral Jota
- Slap That Fish by Peter Nepstad
- 2006: The Baron by Victor Gijsbers
- Another Goddam Escape the Locked Room Game by Riff Conner
- Attack of the Yeti Robot Zombies by Øyvind Thorsby
- Bronze by Emily ShortEmily ShortEmily Short is the pseudonym of an interactive fiction writer, perhaps best known for her debut game Galatea and her use of psychologically complex NPCs, or non-player game characters...
- Legion by Jason Devlin
- 2005: Mystery House Possessed by Emily Short
- A New Life by Alexendre Owen Muñiz
- Book and Volume by Nick Montfort
- Distress by Mike Snyder
- Whom the Telling Changed by Aaron A. Reed
- 2004: The Dreamhold by Andrew PlotkinAndrew PlotkinAndrew Plotkin , also known as Zarf, is a central figure in the modern interactive fiction community. Having both written a number of award-winning games and developed a range of new file formats, interpreters, and other utilities for the design, production, and running of IF games, Plotkin is...
- All Things Devours by "half sick of shadows"
- Bellclap by Tommy Herbert
- Future Boy! by Kent Tessman
- Return to Ditch Day by Michael J. Roberts
- 2003: ASCII and the Argonauts by J. Robinson Wheeler
- City of Secrets by Emily Short
- Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venus by Dan Shiovitz and Emily Short
- Slouching Towards Bedlam by Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster
- To Hell in a Hamper by J. J. Guest
- 2002: Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another SkyEarth and SkyEarth and Sky is an interactive fiction trilogy written by Paul O'Brian about the adventures of a brother and sister who gain superpowers while searching for their lost parents. The first part, Earth and Sky was entered in the 2001 annual Interactive Fiction Competition where it finished eighth...
by Paul O'Brian- Lock & Key by Adam CadreAdam CadreAdam Cadre is a U.S. writer. He gained prominence in the world of interactive fiction with works like I-0 , Photopia and Varicella , for which he has won several XYZZY Awards and been the subject of academic study . Photopia additionally won the 1998 Interactive Fiction Competition...
- Photograph by Steve Evans (interactive fiction)|Steve Evans
- Savoir FaireSavoir-FaireSavoir-Faire is a piece of interactive fiction written by Emily Short, about a magician in 18th-century France searching his aristocratic adoptive father's house...
by Emily Short - When Help Collides by J. D. Berry
- Lock & Key by Adam Cadre
- 2001: The GostakGostakGostak is a meaningless noun that is used in the phrase "the gostak distims the doshes", an example of how it is possible to derive meaning from the syntax of a sentence even if the referents of the terms are entirely unknown. This can be seen in the following dialogue:In Amazing Stories, Dr...
by Carl Muckenhoupt- Best of Three by Emily Short
- Heroes by Sean Barrett
- Pick Up the Phone Booth and Aisle by Ola Sverre Bauge, Steve Bernard, Jon Blask, John Cater, Liza Daly, David Dyte, Stephen Granade, Iain Merrick, Rob Noyes, Dan Schmidt, Dan Shiovitz, Emily Short, and J. Robinson Wheeler
- Textfire Golf by Adam Cadre
- 2000: shrapnel by Adam Cadre
- Ad Verbum by Nick Montfort
- Metamorphoses by Emily Short
- Rameses by Stephen Bond
- Shade by Andrew Plotkin
- 1999: Aisle by Sam Barlow
- Hunter, in Darkness by Andrew Plotkin
- Six Stories by Neil K. Guy
- VaricellaVaricella (computer game)Varicella is a 1999 work of interactive fiction by Adam Cadre, distributed in z-code format as freeware. It is set in an alternate history which features roughly modern technology mixed with Renaissance-style principalities and court politics...
by Adam Cadre - Worlds Apart by Suzanne Britton
- 1998: Spider and Web by Andrew Plotkin
- Arrival, or Attack of the B-Movie Clichés by Stephen Granade
- Bad Machine by Dan Shiovitz
- Once and Future by G. Kevin Wilson
- Photopia by Adam Cadre
- 1997: The Tempest by Graham Nelson
- I-0 by Adam Cadre
- A New Day by Jonathan Fry
- The Space Under the Window by Andrew Plotkin
- Sunset Over Savannah by Ivan Cockrum