From The Dice Tower:
The Dice Tower Network is proud to present the slate of Dice Tower Gaming Awards for games released in the year 2012. A committee made up of over 40 prominent podcasters, reviewers, and bloggers has come up with the lists of the best tabletop games of the year 2012.
The committee congratulates all the nominees, and we look forward to announcing the winners the first week of July, at the Dice Tower Convention.
A list of the nominations, along with designers and English publishers.
Game of the Year:
- Android: 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:
- Lords 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: (for any designer’s first or second published game)
- 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
- 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:
- Android: 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:
- Descent, 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)
- Agents 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:
- Coup: 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 Game
Best Game Expansion Nominees:
- 7 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:
- Escape: 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:
- Libertalia: 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:
- 1812: 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:
- CO2: 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
Founder/Editor-in-chief of The Gaming Gang website and host of The Gaming Gang Dispatch and other TGG media, Jeff tackles any and all sorts of games but has a special fondness for strategy, conflict sims, and roleplaying games. Plus, he's certainly never at a loss for an opinion...
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