Pathfinder, Cyberpunk and Boop win big at 2023 Origins Awards
The people love cat hijinks on a bed.
Cute and clever cat-themed board game Boop. took home game of the year at the 2023 Origins Awards and joined a host of other tabletop games - both RPGs and board games - honoured in several categories by the Game Manufacturers Association.
The Origins Awards are a central part of the annual Origins Game Fair, which is hosted by GAMA. The winning titles are chosen by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design and span 16 different categories, from collectibles and fan favourites to graphic design and 3D artistry.
Besides the already award-heavy Boop., 2023’s batch of winners include indigenous-made, far-future RPG Coyote & Crow clinching the RPG Core award, while Pathfinder and Savage Worlds brought home honours for graphic design on their cross-system starter box. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Flamecraft was awarded the Origins fan favourite, proving those cute little dragons baking bread, growing herbs and smelting ore still hold the heart of the wider tabletop space.
Magic: The Gathering earned the Collectables award for last year’s mega-popular Warhammer 40,000 Universes Beyond Commander decks, which has been reprinted several times and proved the crossover imprint could do much more than Fortnite Secret Lair drops. Modiphius’s boxed set for the Dune - Adventures in the Imperium RPG won best supplement - the rich and majestic title became easier than ever to try thanks to Agents of Dune’s all-in-one package.
Beyond the awards, GAMA and the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design inducted several new members into the Hall of Fame class of 2023. Magic: The Gathering head designer Mark Rosewater headlined those laurel-draped names for his decades of contribution, open and communicative approach to discussing game design and (not confirmed but let’s be honest) his always goofy on-screen appearances.
Other inductees include veteran tabletop artist Jeff Easley, Brass and Steam board game series designer Martin Wallace, the Cyberpunk RPG series created by Mike Pondsmith and published by R. Talsorian Games, and Ark Nova designer Mathias Wigge deemed this year’s Rising Star.
A full list of names and awards, along with how the committee chose this year’s winners, can be found on the Origins Game Fair’s website. According to ICv2, the event boasted an increased number of attendees compared to last year at 16,082 pouring through over four days, but that figure still falls about 20% below pre-COVID 19 pandemic figures.