Indie RPG Awards
The Indie RPG Awards are annual, creator-based awards for Indie role-playing games and supplements. They were established in 2002 by Andy Kitkowski, and are the most sought-after awards in the Indie RPG community.
For the purposes of the Awards, there exists a following "definition" of an Indie role-playing game:
- A game where the creator is the person who has written at least 50% of the actual game content.
- A game where the creator has full control of content and publishing.
- A game where the creator is the publisher, with full control over expenses and profits.
Categories
- Indie Game of the Year - the main award for Indie Games.
- Indie Supplement of the Year - for best Supplement for an Indie Game.
- Best Free Game - for free Indie Games.
- Best Support - for the publisher has best supported a previously published game or supplement.
- Best Production - for best written and most attractive Indie Games.
- Most Innovative Game - for games that stretch the RPG experience in new ways.
- Best Use of the d20 License - presented only in 2002
- Indie RPG Zine of the Year - presented only in 2002
- Best Synergy - a game with a synergistic relationship between the setting and the rules; presented only in 2002 and 2003.
- Indie RPG "Human of the Year" - for Indie RPG creators and supporters; presented only in 2002 and 2003.
- Andy's Choice Award - determined by the originator of the awards; presented only in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
- People's Choice Award - decided by popular vote for best game and best supplement; presented only in 2004.
Winners
2002
- Indie Game of the Year: Dust Devils by Matt Snyder
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Charnel Gods by Ron Edwards
- Best Free Game: Nicotine Girls by Paul Czege
- Best Use of the d20 License: The Kid's Colouring Book o Critters - Celebrity Edition by M. Jason Parent
- Best Production: Children of the Sun by Lewis Pollack
- Best Support: The Riddle of Steel by Jacob Norwood
- Best Synergy: Dust Devils
- Most Innovative Game: Universalis by Ralph Mazza and Mike Holmes
- Indie RPG "Human of the Year": Ron Edwards
- Indie RPG Zine of the Year: The Shadowrun Supplemental
- Andy's Choice: Charnel Gods by Scott Knipe
2003
- Indie Game of the Year: My Life with Master by Paul Czege
- Indie Supplement of the Year: JAGS Have-Not
- Best Free Game: FATE by Fred Hicks
- Best Production: My Life with Master
- Best Support: FATE
- Best Synergy: My Life with Master
- Most Innovative Game: My Life with Master
- Indie RPG "Human of the Year": Luke Crane
- Andy's Choice: FATE
2004
- Indie Game of the Year: Dogs in the Vineyard by D. Vincent Baker
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Monster Burner by Luke Crane
- Best Free Game: The Shadow of Yesterday by Clinton R. Nixon
- People's Choice - Best Game: Dead Inside by Chad Underkoffler
- People's Choice - Best Supplement: Monster Burner
- Best Production: A/State by Malcolm Craig
- Best Support: Monster Burner
- Most Innovative Game: Dogs in the Vineyard
- Andy's Choice: Primetime Adventures by Matt Wilson
2005
- Indie Game of the Year: Polaris by Ben Lehman
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Burning Sands: Jihad by Luke Crane
- Best Free Game: Perfect20 by Levi Kornelsen
- Best Production: by Mark Smylie
- Best Support: Truth & Justice by Chad Underkoffler
- Most Innovative Game: Polaris
2006
- Indie Game of the Year: Spirit of the Century by Fred Hicks
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Dictionary of Mu by Judd Carlman
- Best Free Game: JAGS Revised by Marco Chacon
- Best Production: Burning Empires by Luke Crane
- Best Support: Burning Empires
- Most Innovative Game: Lacuna Part 1, second attempt by Jared Sorensen
2007
- Indie Game of the Year: Grey Ranks by Jason Morningstar
- Indie Supplement of the Year: The Blossoms are Falling by Luke Crane
- Best Free Game: Classroom Deathmatch by Jake Diamond and Matt Schlotte
- Best Production: Reign by Greg Stolze
- Best Support: The Blossoms are Falling
- Most Innovative Game: Grey Ranks
2008
- Indie Game of the Year: Mouse Guard by Luke Crane and David Petersen
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Don't Lose Your Mind by Benjamin Baugh
- Best Free Game: Sea Dracula by Jake Richmond and Nick Smith and Sufficiently Advanced by Colin Fredericks
- Best Production: Mouse Guard
- Best Support: Mouse Guard
- Most Innovative Game: Sweet Agatha by Kevin Allen Jr.
2009
- Indie Game of the Year: Kagematsu by Danielle Lewon
- Indie Supplement of the Year: The Day after Ragnarok by Kenneth Hite
- Best Free Game: by John Harper
- Best Production: Lady Blackbird: Adventures in the Wild Blue Yonder
- Best Support: Fiasco by Jason Morningstar
- Most Innovative Game: A Penny for My Thoughts by Paul Tevis
2010
- Indie Game of the Year: Apocalypse World by D. Vincent Baker
- Indie Supplement of the Year: The Hot War Transmission by Malcolm Craig and Scott Dorward
- Best Free Game: Stars Without Number by Kevin Crawford
- Best Production: Freemarket by Luke Crane and Jared Sorensen
- Best Support: Apocalypse World
- Most Innovative Game: Apocalypse World
2011
- Indie Game of the Year: ' by Daniel Solis
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Fiasco Companion by Jason Morningsar and Steve Segedy
- Best Free Game: Anima Prime by Christian Griffen
- Best Production: '
- Best Support: Fiasco Companion
- Most Innovative Game:
2012
- Indie Game of the Year: Dungeon World by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel
- Indie Supplement of the Year: American Disasters by Jason Morningstar and Steve Segedy
- Best Free Game: Mythender by Ryan Macklin
- Best Production: Dungeon World
- Best Support: Dungeon World
- Most Innovative Game: Dog Eat Dog by Liam Burke
2013
- Indie Game of the Year: Hillfolk by Robin D. Laws
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Adventures on Dungeon Planet by Johnstone Metzger
- Best Production: Torchbearer by Thor Olavsrud and Luke Crane
- Best Support: Hillfolk
- Most Innovative Game: The Quiet Year by Joe Mcdaldno
2014
- Indie Game of the Year: The Clay That Woke by Paul Czege
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Deep Carbon Observatory by Patrick Stewart, Scrap Princess
- Best Free Game: Dream Askew by Joe Mcdaldno
- Best Production: A Red and Pleasant Land by Zak S.
- Best Support: Deep Carbon Observatory
- Most Innovative Game: The Clay That Woke
2015
- Indie Game of the Year: Night Witches role-playing game by Jason Morningstar
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Fiasco Playset Anthology by Bully Pulpit Games
- Best Free Game: Sign by Hakan Seyalioglu and Kathryn Hymes
- Best Production: Fall of Magic by Ross Cowman
- Best Support: World-Wide Wrestling Role-Playing Game by Nathan D. Paoletta
- Most Innovative Game: Fall of Magic
2016
- Indie Game of the Year: Blades in the Dark by John Harper
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Microscope Explorer by Ben Robbins
- Best Free Game: Quill: A Letter-Writing Roleplaying Game for a Single Player by Scott Malthouse
- Best Production: Blades in the Dark by John Harper
- Best Support: Blades in the Dark by John Harper
- Most Innovative Game: #Feminism: A Nano-Game Anthology by Edited by Misha Bushyager, Lizzie Stark, and Anna Westerling
2017
- Indie Game of the Year: The Watch by Anna Kreider, Andrew Medeiros
- Indie Supplement of the Year: Itras By: The Menagerie by Ole Peder Giaver et al.
- Best Production: Timewatch by Kevin Kulp, John Adamus, Heather Albano, Kennon Bauman, Matthew Breen, Dave Chalker, Kenneth Hite, Christopher Lackey, Cindy Maka, Belton Myers, Michael Rees, Corey Reid, Paul Stefko, Jeff Yaus
- Best Support: Timewatch by Kevin Kulp, John Adamus, Heather Albano, Kennon Bauman, Matthew Breen, Dave Chalker, Kenneth Hite, Christopher Lackey, Cindy Maka, Belton Myers, Michael Rees, Corey Reid, Paul Stefko, Jeff Yaus
- Most Innovative Game: Alas for the Awful Sea by Hayley Gordon, Vee Hendro