We are pleased to announce that Kenneth Hite and Robin D. Laws will host the 23rd Annual ENNIE Awards live at Gen Con, August 4th at 8PM ET.
Ken & Robin will be joined by guest presenters Jay Dragon, Marissa Kelly, Mark Diaz Truman, and Mark Morrison!
Kenneth Hite is a veteran role-playing game designer who has been designing games since 1981. He is the multi-ENNIE winning author of Trail of Cthulhu, Night’s Black Agents and The Dracula Dossier role-playing games, and lead designer of the 5th edition of Vampire: the Masquerade. Ken is also half of the multi-ENNIE award winning podcast Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff.
Hite’s games are known for their strong focus on investigative and horror themes. He is a master of creating atmosphere and suspense, and his games are always challenging and rewarding to play. His work has helped to shape the way that games are designed and played today.
Robin D. Laws is a Canadian writer and veteran role-playing game designer who has been designing games since the early 1990s . He is the author of a number of novels and many ENNIE Award winning role-playing games as well as an anthologist. He work includes The Burning Wheel, GUMSHOE, Ashen Stars, Feng Shui, Hillfolk and Cthulhu Confidential role-playing games. Laws is also a frequent contributor to role-playing game magazines and websites. He has written books and articles on a variety of topics, including game design, game play, and storytelling. Robin is also half of the multi-ENNIE award winning podcast Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff.
Laws is one of the most decorated game designers in the history of the ENNIE Awards. His games are known for their innovative mechanics, their dark and disturbing settings, and their focus on player choice.
Jay Dragon is the creative director and head publisher at Possum Creek Games. Jay is a queer disabled game designer born and raised in the Hudson Valley. Jay’s first published game was the ENNIE award winning Sleepaway, a horror RPG about a group of queer summer camp counselors keeping their kids safe from a strange and uncertain world. Jay also created the ENNIE winning Wanderhome – a pastoral fantasy RPG about traveling animal-folk and the world they encounter.
Marissa Kelly is the co-founder of Magpie Games and co-owner of Smoking Mirror Games. Since 2011, she has helped manage more than a dozen successful Kickstarters—raising over $12 million dollars—including the Avatar Legends RPG.
Marissa has also worked on multiple ENNIE award-winning projects such as Epyllion: A Dragon Epic, Bluebeard’s Bride, and Wizard Kitten. Served as art director for over 100 gaming products 7th Sea second edition, the Root Tabletop RPG, Storium, Young Centurions, and Zombie World. Marissa also founded a number of leading tabletop gaming organizations including the Indie Game Developer Network (IDGN).
Mark Diaz Truman is the co-founder of Magpie Games and the multi-ENNIE award-winning co-designer of Root: The Tabletop Roleplaying Game. In addition to work on projects like Avatar Legends RPG, Urban Shadows, Zombie World, Our Last Best Hope, and Cartel, Mark has served as a developmental editor on a variety of roleplaying games including Firefly, 7th Sea: 2nd Ed, Masks: A New Generation, and Bluebeard’s Bride.
As a co-founder of the IGDN, Mark has served as the organization’s President, Treasurer, and Safety Board Member.
Mark Morrison is the Australian based co-founder of Campaign Coins which produces high quality metal coins and accessories for board games and tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs). Mark is a long-time TTRPG writer and designer that has written numerous scenarios, adventures, and sourcebooks for a variety of games including ENNIE winning Horror on the Orient Express, Terror Australis, and Reign of Terror. He has also written scenarios for other TTRPGs, such as Stormbringer, RuneQuest, and 7th Sea.
The winners of the 2023 ENNIE Awards were announced Friday, August 4th, live at Gen Con. “Vaesen: Mythic Britain and Ireland” took home the coveted Gold ENNIE for “Best Product”, while “Fabula Ultima” grabbed the Silver ENNIE. A full list of the winners and nominees can be found at https://ennie-awards.com/2023-nominees/. The 2024 Judges were also announced. The awards ceremony was held at the Grand Hall at Historic Union Station in Indianapolis, and streamed live on the ENNIES YouTube Channel.
