Dice Tower 2012 Award Winners

The Dice Tower Award Nominations came out this morning for games produced in 2011.  I wanted to take a look at them, give you my choice from the list, and the one I think will win.  Often these will be the same, but I think some differences will exist too.  If you feel so inclined, leave a comment below as to where you disagree.

Game of the Year Nominees:

Android Netrunner: by Richard Garfield, Lukas Litzsinger - Fantasy Flight Games
Descent Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition): by Adam Sadler, Daniel Clark (I), Corey Konieczka, Kevin Wilson - Fantasy Flight Games
CO2: by Vital Lacerda – Stronghold 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: Adventure on the Cursed Island: by Ignacy Trzewiczek – Z-Man Games
Space Cadets: by Brian, Geoff, and Sydney Engelstein – Stronghold Games
Spartacus: A Game of Blood & Treachery: by Aaron Dill, John Kovaleski, and Sean Sweigart – Battlefront Miniatures Ltd
Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game: by Jason Little – Fantasy Flight Games

My Choice: X-Wing
What I Think Will Win: Mice and Mystics
Winner: X-Wing

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

My Choice: Smash Up
What I Think WIll Win: Lords of Waterdeep
Winner: Love Letter

Best New Game Designer Nominees:
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 & Treachery: by Aaron Dill, John Kovaleski, and Sean Sweigart – Battlefront Miniatures Ltd

My Choice: Mice and Mystics

What I Think WIll Win: Space Cadets
Winner: Space Cadets

Best Game Reprint Nominees:
Descent Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition): by Adam Sadler, Daniel Clark (I), Corey Konieczka, Kevin Wilson - Fantasy Flight Games
Merchant of Venus (Second Edition): by Richard Hamblan and Robert A. Kouba - Fantasy Flight Games
Android Netrunner: by Richard Garfield, Lukas Litzsinger - Fantasy Flight Games
Sentinels of the Multiverse: by Christopher Badell and Paul Bender - Greater Than Games LLC
War of the Ring (Second Edition): by Robert Di Meflio, Marco Maggi, Francesco Nepitello - Ares Games

My Choice: Merchant of Venus

What I Think WIll Win: Descent
Winner: Android Netrunner

Best Production Values Nominees:
Descent Journeys in the Dark (Second Edition): by Adam Sadler, Daniel Clark (I), Corey Konieczka, Kevin Wilson - Fantasy Flight Games
Mice and Mystics: by Jerry Hawthorne – Plaid Hat Games
Tzolk'in: The Mayan Calendar: by Simone Luciani and Daniele Tascini - Rio Grande Games
Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game: by Jason Little – Fantasy Flight Games
Zombicide: by Raphael Guiton, Jean-Baptiste Lullien, Nicolas Raoult - Cool Mini or Not 

My Choice: X-Wing

What I Think WIll Win: X-Wing
Winner: X-Wing

Best Small Publisher Nominees:

Agents of SMERSH: by Jason Maxwell – 8th Summit

Empires of the Void: by Ryan Laukat - Unpublished

Mage Wars: by Bryan and Benjamin Pope – Arcane Wonders
Mice and Mystics: by Jerry Hawthorne – Plaid Hat Games

Spartacus: A Game of Blood & Treachery: by Aaron Dill, John Kovaleski, and Sean Sweigart – Battlefront Miniatures Ltd

My Choice: Mice and Mystics

What I Think WIll Win: Mice and Mystics
Winner: Mice and Mystics

Best Party Game Nominees:

Coup: by Rikki Tahta – La Mame Games

Love Letter: by Seiji Kanai – AEG

Plukin' Pairs: by Stephen Glenn – R&R Games

Las Vegas: by Rüdiger Dorn – Alea

Wits and Wagers Party: by Dominic Crapuchettes – North Star Games

My Choice: Wits and Wagers Party

What I Think WIll Win: Love Letter
Winner: Love Letter

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 Chvátil – Wizkids Games

My Choice: 7 Wonders Cities

What I Think WIll Win: 7 Wonders Cities
Winner: Core Worlds: Galactic Orders

Most Innovative Game Nominees:

Escape: The Curse of the Temple: by Kristian Amundsen Østby – 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 Simone Luciani and Daniele Tascini - Rio Grande Games

My Choice: Escape

What I Think WIll Win: Space Cadets
Winner: Space Cadets

Best Game Artwork Nominees:

Libertalia: by Paolo Mori - Asterion Press

Legendary: by Devin Low – Upper Deck

Mice and Mystics: by Jerry Hawthorne – Plaid Hat Games

Seasons: by Régis Bonnessée – Asmodee

Smash Up: by Paul Peterson - AEG

My Choice: Seasons

What I Think WIll Win: Mice and Mystics
Winner: Mice and Mystics

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 Torgeson - Bard Centrum Gier

Andean Abyss: by Volko Ruhnke – GMT Games

Thunderbolt Apache Leader: by Dan Verssen – DVG

Virgin Queen: Ed Beach - GMT Games

My Choice: 1989

What I Think WIll Win: 1989
Winner: 1812: The Invasion of Canada

Best Game Theme Nominees:

CO2: by Vital Lacerda – Stronghold Games

Mice and Mystics: by Jerry Hawthorne – Plaid Hat Games

Robinson Crusoe: Adventure on the Cursed Island: by Ignacy Trzewiczek – Z-Man Games
Space Cadets: by Brian, Geoff, and Sydney Engelstein – Stronghold Games

Spartacus: A Game of Blood & Treachery: by Aaron Dill, John Kovaleski, and Sean Sweigart – Battlefront Miniatures Ltd

My Choice: Space Cadets

What I Think WIll Win: Mice and Mystics
Winner: Mice and Mystics

My picks were 3/12

What I thought would win was 8/12

I completely missed on the game expansion, reprint and wargame categories.  Not a bad track showing this year. Last year I was 6/13 and 7/13 respectively, so my own choices were worse, but my guesses for the voters were better.  

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees.  There were a lot of really good games published in 2012 and it's hard to go wrong with anything on this list.