Each year in late winter, the interactive fiction community gathers
(virtually) together to give recognition to the best of the games
written in the previous calendar year. Often described as the IF
"Oscars", the XYZZY awards (sponsored by XYZZYnews magazine) allow anyone
interested to vote for their favourite games in the ten categories of
award. For the first few years, the five (barring ties) "nominees" were
simply the five top placers in each category; since 1999, the five highest
vote-getters in the first round of voting have been put forward for a second
round to determine the overall winner.
| | Best Game | Best Writing | Best Story | Best Setting | Best Puzzles |
| 1996 |
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| 1997 |
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| | Best Game | Best Writing | Best Story |
Best Setting | Best Puzzles |
| 1998 |
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| 1999 |
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| | Best Game | Best Writing | Best Story |
Best Setting | Best Puzzles |
| 2000 |
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| 2001 |
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| | Best Game | Best Writing | Best Story |
Best Setting | Best Puzzles |
| 2002 |
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| 2003 |
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| | Best Game | Best Writing | Best Story |
Best Setting | Best Puzzles |
| 2004 |
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| | 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 |
| 1996 |
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| 1997 |
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| | Best NPCs | Best Individual Puzzle |
Best Individual NPC | Best Individual PC |
Best Use of Medium |
| 1998 |
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| 1999 |
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| | Best NPCs | Best Individual Puzzle |
Best Individual NPC | Best Individual PC |
Best Use of Medium |
| 2000 |
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Rameses Alexander Moran, in Rameses (Stephen Bond) |
[unspecified], in Being Andrew Plotkin (J. Robinson Wheeler) |
The MULE, in LASH (Paul O'Brian) |
The alchemist, in Nevermore (Nate Cull) |
The player character in Shade (Andrew Plotkin) |
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| 2001 |
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| | Best NPCs | Best Individual Puzzle |
Best Individual NPC | Best Individual PC |
Best Use of Medium |
| 2002 |
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| 2003 |
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| | Best NPCs | Best Individual Puzzle |
Best Individual NPC | Best Individual PC |
Best Use of Medium |
| 2004 |
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| | Best NPCs | Best Individual Puzzle |
Best Individual NPC | Best Individual PC |
Best Use of Medium |