Blade Runner RPG publisher Free League wins big at Gen Con’s Ennie Awards for 2023
Free League Publishing has won big at this year’s Ennie Awards, Gen Con’s largest awards program. The Swedish publisher took gold awards for three of its major tabletop role-playing games, including vases, blade runnerAnd Ruins of Symbaroum. Meanwhile, the Ennies also praised the journalist Linda Codega for their work in covering the Dungeons & Dragons OGL fiasco in January. The gold award for best game went to Fabula Ultima – Core Rulebook.
Both the coveted prize for the product of the year and the prize for the best setting were awarded Vaesen RPG — Mythic Britain and Irelandan extension for Vaesen – Nordic horror role-playing game. The line was originally based on the work of Swedish illustrator and author Johan Egerkrans, but in recent years has expanded to include adventures based on the folklore and myths of other countries. It is marked with lavish illustrations and high production values, including luxury paper and artfully designed cover treatments. It’s available both physically and digitally, online at retailers like Amazon and at friendly local game stores around the world.
Other notable wins for Free League include Blade Runner: The Core Rules of Role Playingwhich won gold for its layout and design; Blade Runner: The starter set for the role-playing game, which won the award for best cartography; And Ruins of Symbaroum – Bestiary, who took home gold for best monster or opponent. Another noteworthy inclusion is Blackbirdswhose over-the-top Servant of the Gods Edition won an Ennie for Best Production Values. The best lines went to Avatar Legends: The Role Playing Game.
The Ennies are unique among gaming awards as the judges are volunteers who follow a strict set of ethical guidelines. Chief among these is the vow not to have a professional relationship with an RPG publisher leading up to the awards. These guidelines help ensure the Ennies aren’t just a popularity contest, by winnowing the dozens and dozens of entries to only the very best. Once the shortlist has been made, everyone can vote for the final winners. You will find the full list of nominees and winners in each category on the Ennie Awards website.