2012 Dice Tower Awards Nominees Announced

We recently linked to the nominees for the Origins awards, and now we’ve got this year’s nominations for the Dice Tower awards, which (along with the Golden Geeks) probably have substantially more credibility with the board/card game community. Some of the categorizations will always be questioned (I love Lords of Waterdeep, but I’d never call it a family game), but the spread of nominees is really good.

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Game of the Year Nominees:
110327_tAndroid: Netrunner: by Richard Garfield and Lukas Lizsinger – Fantasy Flight Games
CO2: by Vital Lacerda – Stronghold Games
Descent, 2nd Edition: by Adam Sadler, Daniel Clark I, Corey Konieczka, and Kevin Wilson – Fantasy Flight Games
Lords of Waterdeep: by Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson – Wizards of the Coast
Mage Wars: by Bryan and Benjamin Pope – Arcane Wonders
Mice and Mystics: by Jerry Hawthorne – Plaid Hat Games
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island: by Ignacy Trzewiczek – Z-man Games, Portal Publishing
Space Cadets: by Brian, Geoff, and Sydney Engelstein – Stronghold Games
Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery: by Aaron Dill, John Kovaleski, and Sean Sweigart – Gale Force 9
Star Wars: X-wing Miniatures Game: by Jason Little – Fantasy Flight Games

 

Best Family Game Nominees:
129622_tLords of Waterdeep: by Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson – Wizards of the Coast
Love Letter: by Seiji Kanai – AEG
Marvel: Legendary: by Devin Low – Upper Deck Entertainment
Smash Up: by Paul Peterson – AEG
Space Cadets: by Brian, Geoff, and Sydney Engelstein – Stronghold Games

 

 

 

Best New Game Designer Nominees: (first or second published game)
124708_tLords of Waterdeep: by Peter Lee and Rodney Thompson – Wizards of the Coast
Mage Wars: by Bryan and Benjamin Pope – Arcane Wonders
Mice and Mystics: by Jerry Hawthorne – Plaid Hat Games
Space Cadets: by Brian, Geoff, and Sydney Engelstein – Stronghold Games
Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery: by Aaron Dill, John Kovaleski, and Sean Sweigart – Gale Force 9

 

 

Best Game Reprint Nominees:
124742_tAndroid: Netrunner: by Richard Garfield and Lukas Lizsinger – Fantasy Flight Games
Descent, 2nd Edition: by Adam Sadler, Daniel Clark I, Corey Konieczka, and Kevin Wilson – Fantasy Flight Games
Merchant of Venus, 2nd Edition: by Richard Hamblen and Robert A. Kouba – Fantasy Flight Games
Sentinels of the Multiverse: by Christopher Badell and Paul Bender – Greater than Games, LLC
War of the Ring, 2nd Edition: by Roberto Di Meglio, Marco Maggi, and Francesco Nepitello – Ares Games

 

Best Production Values Nominees:
103885_tDescent, 2nd Edition: by Adam Sadler, Daniel Clark I, Corey Konieczka, and Kevin Wilson – Fantasy Flight Games
Mice and Mystics: by Jerry Hawthorne – Plaid Hat Games
Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar: by Daniele Tascini – Rio Grande Games
Star Wars: X-wing Miniatures Game: by Jason Little – Fantasy Flight Games
Zombicide: by Raphael Guiton, Jean-Baptiste Lullien, and Nicolas Raoult – Cool Mini or Not

 

Best Small Publisher Nominees: (five or less published board games)
98347_tAgents of SMERSH: by Jason Maxwell – 8th Summit Games
Empires of the Void: by Ryan Laukat – Red Raven Games
Mage Wars: by Bryan and Benjamin Pope – Arcane Wonders
Mice and Mystics: by Jerry Hawthorne – Plaid Hat Games
Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery: by Aaron Dill, John Kovaleski, and Sean Sweigart – Gale Force 9

 

 

Best Party Game Nominees:
123239_tCoup: by Rikki Tahta – La Mame Games
Love Letter: by Seiji Kanai – AEG
Pluckin’ Pairs: by Stephen Glenn – R&R Games
Vegas: by Rudiger Dorn – Alea
Wits and Wagers Party: by Dominic Crapuchettes – North Star Games

 

 

 

 

Best Game Expansion Nominees:
125099_t7 Wonders: Cities: by Antoine Bauza – Asmodee
Alien Frontiers: Factions: by Tory Niemann – Clever Mojo Games
Core Worlds: Galactic Orders: by Andrew Parks – Stronghold Games
King of Tokyo: Power Up!: by Richard Garfield – IELLO
Mage Knight Board Game: The Lost Legion: by Vlaada Chvatil – Wizkids Games

 

 

Most Innovative Game Nominees:
123096_tEscape: The Curse of the Temple: by Kristian Amundsen Ostby – Queen Games
Flowerfall: by Carl Chudyk – Asmadi Games
Mage Wars: by Bryan and Benjamin Pope – Arcane Wonders
Space Cadets: by Brian, Geoff, and Sydney Engelstein – Stronghold Games
Tzolk’in: The Mayan Calendar: by Daniele Tascini – Rio Grande Games

 

 

Best Game Artwork Nominees:
108745_tLibertalia: by Paolo Mori – Asmodee (art done by Ben Carre and Stephane Gantiez)
Marvel: Legendary: by Devin Low – Upper Deck Entertainment (art done by Julius Abrea, Bien Flores, Katrina Mae Hao, Ray Anthony Height, Jay David Ramos, Nigel Raynor, Kevin Sharpe, The Marvel Bullpen, Tony Kordos, Brian “Tots” Valerz, and Will Conrad)
Mice and Mystics: by Jerry Hawthorne – Plaid Hat Games (art done by John Ariosa)
Seasons: by Regis Bonnessee – Asmodee (art done by Xavier Gueniffey Durin)
Smash Up: by Paul Peterson – AEG (art done by Dave Allsop, Bruno Balixa, Conceptopolis, and Francisco Rico Torres)

 

Best War Games Nominees:
123955_t1812: The Invasion of Canada: by Beau Beckett and Jeph Stahl – Academy Games
1989: Dawn of Freedom: by Jason Matthews and Ted Torgerson – GMT Games
Andean Abyss: by Volko Ruhnke – GMT Games
Thunderbolt Apache Leader: by Dan Verseen – DVG
Virgin Queen: by Ed Beach – GMT Games

 

 

 

Best Game Theme Nominees:
72225_tCO2: by Vital Lacerda – Stronghold Games
Mice and Mystics: by Jerry Hawthorne – Plaid Hat Games
Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island: by Ignacy Trzewiczek – Z-man Games, Portal Publishing
Space Cadets: by Brian, Geoff, and Sydney Engelstein – Stronghold Games
Spartacus: A Game of Blood and Treachery: by Aaron Dill, John Kovaleski, and Sean Sweigart – Gale Force 9

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