Fate at the ENnies, 2015

Last year's ENnies were heavy with nominations of Fate games, so it would have been hard to follow up with as many this year. Still, there are two strong contenders on the slate.

Atomic Robo RPG

Evil Hat's big Fate release of the last year, Atomic Robo is a phenomenal game and a gorgeous product. It is one of the best expressions of Fate Core I've seen, and it benefits from the vast library of  comic art and a layout by Jeremy Keller and Adam Jury. Atomic Robo is nominated for Best Family Game and Best Game. It has a stronger chance in Family Game, being up against D&D5, The Strange, and Firefly for Best Game.

Mindjammer

I haven't read Mindjammer, by Sarah Newton, but what I've seen of it is impressive. It's been well-received by the Fate community, and it's a good-looking book. Mindjammer is nominated for Best Rules and Product of the Year.

Mass Effect

I feel that I have to mention the controversy that landed with this year's nominations. When the list came out on Monday, it included an unlicensed RPG based on the Mass Effect video game series, written by designer Don Mappin. Mass Effect was nominated in three categories: Best Electronic Product, Best Free Product, and Product of the Year. Immediately, the community responded with surprise that an unlicensed fan product was nominated along original and properly licensed properties. Soon, the Awards removed Mass Effect from nomination, and Mappin has since pulled the game's files from distribution. 

I don't believe the game should have been submitted for consideration in the first place, but I approve of how everyone involved has conducted themselves. I hope the Awards put sufficient procedures in place to avoid similar situations in the future.