List of XYZZY Awards By Category

Best Writing

Like the Best Game award, the Best Writing award has been given since 1996. It recognizes a game which rises above the others in the quality of its descriptive text.

2011: Cryptozookeeper by Robb Sherwin
- Mentula Macanus: Apocolocyntosis by Adam Thornton
- Taco Fiction by Ryan Veeder
- Zombie Exodus by Jim Dattilo
2010: Hoist Sail for the Heliopause and Home by Andrew Plotkin
- The Blind House by Amanda Allen as "Maude Overton"
- Gris et Jaune by Jason Devlin as "Steve van Gaal"
- Hoosegow by Ben Collins-Sussman and Jack Welch
2009: Alabaster by Emily Short et al.
- Broken Legs by Sarah Morayati
- Make it Good by Jon Ingold
- The Shadow in the Cathedral by Ian Finley and Jon Ingold
- Walker & Silhouette by C. E. J. Pacian
2008: Violet by Jeremy Freese
- Everybody Dies by Jim Munroe
- Nightfall by Eric Eve
- Gun Mute by C. E. J. Pacian
2007: Lost Pig by Admiral Jota
- An Act of Murder by Christopher Huang
- Child's Play by Stephen Granade
- The Chinese Room by Harry Giles and Joey Jones
- Deadline Enchanter by Alan DeNiro
2006: Delightful Wallpaper by Andrew Plotkin
- Floatpoint by Emily Short
- Legion by Jason Devlin
- Pantomime by Robb Sherwin
- The Baron by Victor Gijsbers
2005: Vespers by Jason Devlin
- Bolivia by Night by Aidan Doyle
- Chancellor by Kevin Venzke
- Mix Tape by Brett Witty
- Tough Beans by Sara Dee
2004: Blue Chairs by Chris Klimas
- Future Boy! by Kent Tessman
- Gamlet by Tomasz Pudlo
- Necrotic Drift by Robb Sherwin
- The Dreamhold by Andrew Plotkin
2003: Narcolepsy by Adam Cadre
- City of Secrets by Emily Short
- Max Blaster and Doris de Lightning Against the Parrot Creatures of Venus by Dan Shiovitz and Emily Short
- Slouching Towards Bedlam by Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster
- To Hell in a Hamper by J. J. Guest
2002: The Moonlit Tower by Yoon Ha Lee
- Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another Sky by Paul O'Brian
- Savoir Faire by Emily Short
- Till Death Makes a Monk-Fish out of Me! by Jon Ingold and Mike Sousa
- When Help Collides by J. D. Berry
2001: Fallacy of Dawn by Robb Sherwin
- All Roads by Jon Ingold
- Best of Three by Emily Short
- No Time to Squeal by Mike Sousa and Robb Sherwin
- Pytho's Mask by Emily Short
2000: Metamorphoses by Emily Short
- My Angel by Jon Ingold
- Rameses by Stephen Bond
- Shade by Andrew Plotkin
- You are a CHEF! by Dan Shiovitz
1999: For a Change by Dan Schmidt
- Exhibition by Ian Finley
- Lunatix: The Insanity Circle by Mike Snyder
- Varicella by Adam Cadre
- Worlds Apart by Suzanne Britton
1998: Photopia by Adam Cadre
- Anchorhead by Michael Gentry
- Little Blue Men by Michael Gentry
- Muse by Chris Huang
- Spider and Web by Andrew Plotkin
1997: Sunset Over Savannah by Ivan Cockrum
- Babel by Ian Finley
- I-0 by Adam Cadre
- She's Got a Thing for a Spring by Brent VanFossen
- The Space Under the Window by Andrew Plotkin
1996: So Far by Andrew Plotkin
- Aayela by Magnus Olsson
- Lost New York by Neil deMause
- The Meteor, the Stone, and a Long Glass of Sherbet by Graham Nelson
- Tapestry by Daniel Ravipinto