It’s been an interesting run for Chaosium over the past few years. In 2015, the company was struggling to deliver on its Kickstarter commitments when the Old Ones returned, Sandy Petersen and Greg Stafford, and bringing with them the Moon Design Publications team. They managed to deliver on their Kickstarter commitments and since then have treaded rather lightly on the Kickstarter front, using it for reprinting the classic RuneQuest game as well as the Miskatonic University: The Restricted Collection boardgame.

In 2019 Chaosium and its licensees were nominated in the following categories with the indicated results:

• BEST ADVENTURE – Masks of Nyarlathotep – Gold Winner 
• BEST ART, COVER – Call of Cthulhu – Terror Australis 2nd Edition – Gold Winner
• BEST ART, INTERIOR – RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha Slipcase Set – Gold Winner
• BEST RPG RELATED PRODUCT – Miskatonic University: The Restricted Collection – Silver Winner (losing the Gold to a Chaosium-licensed product, below)
• BEST RULES – Call of Cthulhu Starter Set – Silver Winner 
• BEST SETTING – Call of Cthulhu – Terror Australis 2nd Edition – Silver Winner (losing the Gold to a Cthulhu-related product, albeit not a Chaosium-licensed one)
• BEST SUPPLEMENT – The Glorantha Sourcebook – Gold Winner

Chaosium’s licensees also cleaned up this year:

•  PRODUCT OF THE YEAR — Masks of Nyarlathotep Gamer Prop Set, HP Lovecraft Historical Society – Gold Winner
•  BEST AID/ACCESSORY, NON-DIGITAL — Masks of Nyarlathotep Gamer Prop Set, HPLHS – Gold Winner
•  BEST ELECTRONIC BOOK — Fear’s Sharp Little Needles, Stygian Fox Publishing – Silver Winner
•  BEST MONSTER/ADVERSARY — Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos for 5e, Petersen Games – Gold Winner
• BEST MONSTER/ADVERSARY – Hideous Creatures: A Bestiary of the Cthulhu Mythos, Pelgrane Press – Did not place
•  BEST ONLINE CONTENT — Seth Skorkowsky, Seth Skorkowsky – Gold Winner
•  BEST RPG RELATED PRODUCT — Dark Adventure Radio Theatre – Masks of Nyarlathotep, HPLHS – Gold Winner
•  BEST SUPPLEMENT – The 7th Edition Guide to Cthulhu Invictus, Golden Goblin Press – Silver Winner

Additionally, Chaosium was the winner for the wide-open FAN’S CHOICE – BEST PUBLISHER award. While Pelgrane Press’ rather awesome Hideous Creatures did not place, they did have some consolation in The Fall of Delta Green winning the Gold for BEST SETTING. The Fall of Delta Green adapts Arc Dream Publishing’s Delta Green RPG to the Gumshoe-system and even for non-Gumshoe fans, is a great 1960s Cthulhu supplement. Delta Green itself used to be a Chaosium-licensed product but the new RPG from Arc Dream forked off its own set of rules and is not a licensed product.

I have most of the products listed and of those I have, I can attest the awards were well-deserved. It’s interesting to see how the ENnies have evolved. Initially, almost all the winners were products for D&D or its variants. D&D and its family are still represented, but there has definitely been a shift in recent years. As a person whose favorite game is Call of Cthulhu and its variants, I’m overjoyed to see such success, as it will hopefully translate into more sales and in turn result in more of those products. And RuneQuest managed to get some love as well – while my own preferences go more towards Cthulhu, it’s a fine game with gorgeous art.  The Glorantha Sourcebook goes a long way towards lessening the intimidation a Glorantha-novice like myself feels with that world.

While I hope Chaosium continues its run, I’m also hoping next year gives R. Talsorian some love with a new Cyberpunk game due out in 2020.

~ Dan Stack

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