XYZZY Awards (Best Setting)

Browse the XYZZY Awards either by year:

• 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Or by category:

• Best Game | Best Writing | Best Story | Best Setting | Best Puzzles | Best NPCs | Best Individual Puzzle | Best Individual NPC | Best Individual PC | Best Use of Medium (1997–2009) | Best Implementation (2010–) | Best Use of Innovation (2010–) | Best Technological Development (2010–) | Best Supplemental Materials (2010–2013) | Best Use of Multimedia (2014–) | Other awards

See also:

• Statistics

Best Setting Winners

• 1996 Best Setting: Small World (Andrew Pontious; TADS 2).
• 1997 Best Setting: A Bear's Night Out (David Dyte; Z-code).
• 1998 Best Setting: Anchorhead (Michael Gentry; Z-code).
• 1999 Best Setting: Hunter, in Darkness (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
• 2000 Best Setting: Shade (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
• 2001 Best Setting: All Roads (Jon Ingold; Z-code).
• 2002 Best Setting: 1893: A World's Fair Mystery {Peter Nepstad; TADS 2).
• 2003 Best Setting: Slouching Towards Bedlam (Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster; Z-code).
• 2004 Best Setting: The Fire Tower (Jacqueline A. Lott; Z-code).
• 2005 Best Setting: Vespers (Jason Devlin; Z-code).
• 2006 Best Setting: Floatpoint (Emily Short; Glulx).
• 2007 Best Setting: Varkana (Maryam Gousheh-Forgeot; Glulx).
• 2008 Best Setting: Nightfall (Eric Eve; Glulx).
• 2009 Best Setting: Blue Lacuna (Aaron A. Reed; Glulx)
  tied with The King of Shreds and Patches (Jimmy Maher; Glulx).
• 2010 Best Setting: Aotearoa (Matt Wigdahl; Glulx).
• 2011 Best Setting: Cryptozookeeper (Robb Sherwin).
• 2012 Best Setting: Counterfeit Monkey (Emily Short, Glulx).
• 2013 Best Setting: Robin & Orchid (Ryan Veeder and Emily Boegheim; Glulx).
• 2014 Best Setting: Hadean Lands (Andrew Plotkin; Glulx, iOS)
• 2015 Best Setting: Sunless Sea (Failbetter Games; 06-Feb-2015; StoryNexus).

Best Setting Winners and Finalists

• 1996 Best Setting: Small World (Andrew Pontious; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: The Light: Shelby's Addendum (Colm McCarthy; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Lost New York (Neil deMause; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Night at the Computer Center (Bonni Mierzejewska; Z-code).
  • Finalist: So Far (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
• 1997 Best Setting: A Bear's Night Out (David Dyte; Z-code).
  • Finalist Interstate Zero a.k.a. I-0 (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Mercy (Chris Klimas; Z-code).
  • Finalist: She's Got a Thing for a Spring (Brent VanFossen; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Sins Against Mimesis (Adam Thornton; Z-code).
• 1998 Best Setting: Anchorhead (Michael Gentry; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Losing Your Grip (Stephen Granade; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Muse: An Autumn Romance (Christopher Huang; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Once and Future (Gerry Kevin Wilson; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Spider and Web (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
• 1999 Best Setting: Hunter, in Darkness (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Erehwon (Richard Litherland; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: For a Change (Dan Schmidt; Z-code).
  • Finalist: The Mulldoon Legacy (Jon Ingold; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Winter Wonderland (Laura A. Knauth; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Worlds Apart (Suzanne Britton; TADS 2).
• 2000 Best Setting: Shade (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: LASH -- Local Asynchronous Satellite Hookup (Paul O'Brian; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Metamorphoses (Emily Short; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Nevermore (Nate Cull; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Shrapnel (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
• 2001 Best Setting: All Roads (Jon Ingold; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Fallacy of Dawn (Robb Sherwin; Hugo).
  • Finalist: Fine Tuned (Dennis G. Jerz; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Heroes (Sean Barrett; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Pytho's Mask (Emily Short; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Textfire Golf (Adam Cadre; Z-code).
• 2002 Best Setting: 1893: A World's Fair Mystery {Peter Nepstad; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Augustine (Terrence V. Koch; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Earth and Sky 2: Another Earth, Another Sky (Paul O'Brian; Glulx).
  • Finalist: The Moonlit Tower (Yoon Ha Lee; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Savoir Faire (Emily Short; Z-code).
• 2003 Best Setting: Slouching Towards Bedlam (Daniel Ravipinto and Star Foster; Z-code).
  • Finalist: City of Secrets (Emily Short; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Gourmet (Aaron A. Reed; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Narcolepsy (Adam Cadre; Glulx).
  • Finalist: To Hell in a Hamper (J.J. Guest; Adrift).
• 2004 Best Setting>: The Fire Tower (Jacqueline A. Lott; Z-code).
  • Finalist: The Dreamhold (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Future Boy! (Kent Tessman; Hugo).
  • Finalist: Gamlet (Tomasz Pudlo; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Mingsheng (Deane Saunders; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Necrotic Drift (Robb Sherwin; Hugo).
• 2005 Best Setting: Vespers (Jason Devlin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: All Hope Abandon (Eric Eve; TADS 3).
  • Finalist: Building (Poster; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Chancellor (Kevin Venzke; TADS 2).
  • Finalist: Distress (Mike Snyder; Hugo).
• 2006 Best Setting: Floatpoint (Emily Short; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Ekphrasis (JB; Glulx; French).
  • Finalist: Star City (Mark Sachs; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Strange Geometries (Phillip Chambers; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Unauthorized Termination (Richard Otter; ADRIFT 4).
• 2007 Best Setting: Varkana (Maryam Gousheh-Forgeot; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Blighted Isle (Eric Eve; TADS 3).
  • Finalist: Ferrous Ring (Carma Ferris; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Lost Pig (Admiral Jota as "Grunk"; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Suveh Nux (David Fisher; Z-code).
• 2008 Best Setting: Nightfall (Eric Eve; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Buried In Shoes (Kazuki Mishima; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Gun Mute (C.E.J. Pacian; TADS 3).
  • Finalist: Piracy 2.0 (Sean Huxter; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Violet (Jeremy Freese; Z-code).
• 2009 Best Setting: Blue Lacuna (Aaron A. Reed; Glulx)
  and The King of Shreds and Patches (Jimmy Maher; Glulx). (There was a tie.)
  • Finalist: The Duel in the Snow (Utkonos; Z-code).
  • Finalist: Klockwerk: The Shadow in the Cathedral (Ian Finley and Jon Ingold; publisher: Textfyre; FyreVM).
• 2010 Best Setting: Aotearoa (Matt Wigdahl; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Gris et Jaune (Jason Devlin as "Steve van Gaal"; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Hoist Sail for the Heliopause and Home (Andrew Plotkin; Z-code).
  • Finalist: One Eye Open (Colin Sandel and Carolyn VanEseltine; Glulx).
• 2011 Best Setting: Cryptozookeeper (Robb Sherwin).
  • Finalist: Marine Raider (Allen Gies).
  • Finalist: Mentula Macanus: Apocolocyntosis (Adam Thornton).
  • Finalist: Six (Wade Clarke).
  • Finalist: Zombie Exodus (Jim Dattilo).
• 2012 Best Setting: Counterfeit Monkey (Emily Short, Glulx).
  • Finalist: Changes (David Given, Z-code).
  • Finalist: howling dogs (Porpentine, Twine)
  • Finalist: Zero Summer (Gordon Levine, Tucker Nelson & Becca Noe, StoryNexus).
• 2013 Best Setting: Robin & Orchid (Ryan Veeder and Emily Boegheim; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Choice of the Deathless (Max Gladstone; eReader).
  • Finalist: Coloratura (Lynnea Glasser; Glulx).
  • Finalist: Horse Master (Tom McHenry; Web browser).
  • Finalist: Their angelical understanding (Porpentine; Web browser).
• 2014 Best Setting: Hadean Lands (Andrew Plotkin; Glulx, iOS)
  • Finalist: 80 Days (inkle, Meg Jayanth; iOS, Android)
  • Finalist: Invisible Parties (Sam Kabo Ashwell; Glulx)
  • Finalist: With Those We Love Alive (Porpentine, Brenda Neotenomie; Web browser)
• 2015 Best Setting: Sunless Sea (Failbetter Games; 06-Feb-2015; StoryNexus).
  • Finalist: Beautiful Dreamer (S. Woodson)
  • Finalist: Chlorophyll (Steph Cherrywell)
  • Finalist: Neon Haze (Porpentine, Brenda Neotenomie)
  • Finalist: Sub Rosa (Joey Jones, Melvin Rangasamy)
  • Finalist: Summit (Phantom Williams)