Free League Publishing stole the spotlight at Gen Con’s 2023 Ennie Awards, with its Blade Runner RPG sweeping major categories and proving that noir storytelling and atmospheric design can captivate tabletop audiences like few others.
Free League Publishing won big in this year’s Ennie Awards, Gen Con’s biggest awards program. The Swedish publisher pulled in Gold awards for three of its marquee tabletop role-playing game lines, including Vaesen, Blade Runner, and Ruins of Symbaroum. Meanwhile the Ennies also showered praise on journalist Linda Codega for their work in covering Dungeons & Dragons’s OGL fiasco in January. The Gold award for best game went to Fabula Ultima – Core Rulebook.
Both the coveted product of the year award and the best setting award were given to Vaesen RPG – Mythic Britain & Ireland, an expansion for Vaesen – Nordic Horror Roleplaying. The line was originally based on the work of Swedish illustrator and author Johan Egerkrans, but has expanded in recent years to include adventures based on the folklore and myths of other countries. It’s marked with lavish illustration and high production values, including luxurious paper stock and artfully designed cover treatments. It’s available both physically and digitally, online at retailers such as Amazon, and at friendly local game stores around the world.
Vaesen RPG – Mythic Britain & Ireland
$22 $22 $40 at Free League (physical and digital)$40 at Amazon$22 at DriveThruRPG (digital only)
Other standout wins for Free League include Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game Core Rules, which won Gold for its layout and design; Blade Runner: The Roleplaying Game Starter Set, which won best cartography; and Ruins of Symbaroum – Bestiary, which took home Gold for best monster or adversary. Another notable inclusion is Blackbirds, whose over-the-top Servant of the Gods Edition won an Ennie for best production values. Best rules went to Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game.
Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game
$25 $25 $25 at Magpie Games (physical and digital)$25 at Target (physical and digital)$25 at DriveThruRPG (core rulebook, digital only)
The Ennies are unique among gaming awards, as its judges are volunteers who follow a strict set of ethical guidelines. Chief among them is the vow not to have a professional relationship with an RPG publisher in the leadup to the awards. These guidelines help ensure that the Ennies aren’t just a popularity contest, by winnowing down the dozens upon dozens of submissions to only the very best. Once the short list has been created, voting on the final winners is open to all. You can find the complete list of nominees and winners in every category at the Ennie Awards website.
What awards did Free League win at the 2023 ENnies
Free League Publishing’s games won multiple Gold ENnie Awards at Gen Con 2023, highlighted by Vaesen: Mythic Britain & Ireland taking Product of the Year, plus several category wins tied to Blade Runner and Symbaroum.
Gold ENnies Won by Free League
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Product of the Year – Vaesen RPG: Mythic Britain & Ireland.
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Best Setting – Vaesen RPG: Mythic Britain & Ireland.
Blade Runner RPG Awards
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Best Layout & Design (Gold) – Blade Runner RPG Core Rulebook.
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Best Cartography (Gold) – Blade Runner RPG Starter Set.
Other Free League Awards
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Best Monster/Adversary (Gold) – Ruins of Symbaroum – Bestiary.
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Free League’s products collectively accounted for seven Gold ENnies in 2023, and the company was also recognized as a fan-favorite publisher that year.
Which Free League titles won Gold versus Silver in 2023
Free League’s 2023 ENnie results break down so that all of its highlighted category wins were Gold; there were no widely reported Silver ENnies for Free League titles that year.
Gold-winning Free League titles
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Vaesen: Mythic Britain & Ireland – Gold for Product of the Year and Gold for Best Setting.
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Blade Runner RPG Core Rulebook – Gold for Best Layout & Design.
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Blade Runner RPG Starter Set – Gold for Best Cartography.
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Ruins of Symbaroum – Bestiary – Gold for Best Monster/Adversary.
Silver awards for Free League
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Public summaries of the 2023 ENnies emphasize these Gold wins and do not consistently list any Free League titles as Silver medalists, suggesting Free League’s major recognition that year was concentrated in Gold categories.
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If you need an exhaustive Gold/Silver breakdown including minor categories or shared credits, the official ENnies 2023 winners archive is the best place to double-check individual category listings.
