Family Games: the 100 Best is an Origins Nominee

Hi everyone, I am excited to share with you that FAMILY GAMES: THE 100 BEST is up for an industry award. If you read my previous post where I listed the essay list for FAMILY GAMES: the 100 BEST, you might recall that I wrote about GLOOM, which is one of my favorite card games.

Since writing the essay, I managed to pick up a few expansions and indoctrinate cajole encourage new fans to play this fun game. I’ve also learned that this particular tome is a favorite of librarians everywhere. (Note: librarians are awesome!)

What are the Origins Awards?

The Origins Awards are presented annually by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design to recognize outstanding achievement in design and production of games and game related products.

The nominees were voted on by hobby game retailers at the GAMA Trade Show in March 2011 from a short list in each category determined by a jury of hobby game professionals and knowledgeable enthusiasts. The winner of each category will be determined by the votes of attendees at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus OH, June 22nd-26th. — SOURCE: The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design Announces 37th Annual Origins Awards Nominees

At Origins this year, convention attendees will vote for their favorite games and, in this case, books related to gaming. To have made it this far, in the category of Best Game-Related Publication, is pretty darn awesome. Edited by James Lowder, the book is a fine collection and a great way to revisit or learn about classic family games we’ve all enjoyed. There’s some tough competition this year, so who will win is anyone’s guess.

For more information, please read: The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design Announces 37th Annual Origins Awards Nominees.

Good luck to all of the nominees! Happy gaming!



Monica Valentinelli is an author, artist, and narrative designer who writes about magic, mystery, and mayhem. Her portfolio includes stories, games, comics, essays, and pop culture books.

In addition to her own worlds, she has worked on a number of different properties including Vampire: the Masquerade, Shadowrun, Hunter: the Vigil, Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, and Robert E. Howard’s Conan.

Looking for Monica’s books and games that are still in print? Visit Monica Valentinelli on Amazon’s Author Central or a bookstore near you.

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