GOTY & RPGOTY: the 10 finalists
It's finally here: Lucca Crea and the Game of the Year and Role-Playing Game of the Year juries have revealed the list of finalists who will compete for these prizes for the 2024 edition. The winners will be announced during the awards evening on Thursday October 31st at the Teatro del Giglio.
The 2 competitions are organized by Lucca Comics & Games to promote and enhance board games and role-playing games in Italy. Since 2013, they have aimed to select and award the best titles that allow even casual gamers, families and the public of non-gamers to get together for a game around a table, having fun all together.
Game of the Year 2024
As for the Game of the Year, the jury called upon to evaluate the titles entered in the 2024 edition is composed of Giordana Moroni (president), Riccardo Busetto, Fabio Cambiaghi, Luca Francescangeli, Alessio Lana, Riccardo Lichene and Paola Mogliotti.
Among the 37 competing games made by 16 different publishers, the finalists (in alphabetical order) are:
- FOREST SHUFFLE. Conceived by Kosch and published by Lookout Games, it is distributed in Italy by Asmodee Italia. Forest Shuffle is a strategic board game in which players are called upon to create an ecologically balanced habitat for flora and fauna: play tree cards from your hand, add different animals, plants and mushrooms to populate your forest and combine aesthetics and tactics. Each strategic choice influences the score, offering a complex, yet compelling challenge.
- HARMONIES.Conceived by Johan Benvenuto and published by Libellud, is distributed in Italy by Asmodee Italia. In Harmonies, players can create a miniature world where animals live in harmony with nature by wisely placing colored discs to build attractive landscapes for the animals. A perfect mix of strategy and creativity, Harmonies will take you into a vibrant and competitive world.
- PERSPECTIVES. Conceived by Dave Neale and Matthew Dunstan and published by Space Cowboys, it is distributed in Italy by Asmodee Italia. In Perspectives, transform yourself into a detective and immerse yourself in mystery-filled adventures! Each player has a unique perspective on the case, and only by collaborating and sharing information you can uncover the truth. Perspectives will test you with hidden clues and unexpected twists: a perfect game for those who love detective stories and intellectual challenges.
- PLANET UNKNOWN. Conceived by Ryan Lambert and Adam Rehberg, published by Adam's Apple Game and distributed in Italy by Pendragon Game Studio. Planet Unknown will catapult you into an unprecedented interstellar adventure. Aboard the space station S.U.S.A.N., every choice you make will influence the fate of your planet. Build your world piece by piece, managing scarce resources and developing advanced technologies. But beware! Competition is fierce, so decisions will have to be made quickly.
- TRIO. Conceived by Kaya Miyano, published by Cocktail Games and distributed in Italy by Ghenos Games. Trio is a board game that effectively combines simplicity and strategy. The objective is clear: collect sets of number cards. The mechanics, intuitive yet profound, require attention and planning. Each turn offers new challenges and opportunities, making the game dynamic and addictive.
Role-Playing Game of the Year 2024
For the Role-Playing Game of the Year award, this year's jury is composed of Daniele Prisco (president), Michele Bellone (vice-president), Giovanni Bacaro, Anna Benedetto, Osiride Cascioli, Laura Grossi and Marzia Possenti.
Among the 29 competitors, made by a total of 23 publishers, the finalists (in alphabetical order) are:
- CBR+PNK. A minimalist cyberpunk role-playing game, designed by Emanoel Melo, published by MythWorks and with Italian distribution by Grumpy Bear. CBR+PNK catapults players into a tense and ruthless cyberpunk world, using a simplified version of the Forged in the Dark system. You will play as mercenaries and each mission will be a race against time, a succession of instant decisions and irreversible consequences. The world is a loaded weapon, ready to explode!
- COWBOY BEBOP - THE ROLE-PLAYING GAME. The official RPG of one of the most beloved and important anime of the 20th century. Conceived by an all-Italian team of authors (Davide Milano and Marta Palvarini) and published by Mana Project Studio under licence from Sunrise, the game takes us to the year 2071, within the daring adventures of a band of bounty hunters who cross the entire solar system to make ends meet. A game system created for the occasion, which goes ‘in time’ with the musical beats we loved in the anime, based on the speed of events and the approach players will take to extricate themselves from trouble.
- BRINDLEWOOD BAY. A role-playing game that combines the charm of classic TV detective stories with cosmic horror. Published by The Gauntlet, created by Jason Cordova and published in Italy by La Compagnia delle Dodici Gemme, Brindlewood Bay will immerse you in the atmosphere of a quiet coastal town ravaged by mysterious murders, in which you will play a group of elderly ladies with a passion for detective stories, who find themselves embroiled in supernatural events. The rules are simple and intuitive, making the game accessible to everyone. A unique experience that combines suspense, humour and a dash of cosmic madness.
- OUTGUNNED. A role-playing game that will allow you to experience the thrill of the most adrenaline-fuelled action movies at the gaming table. Created by Riccardo Sirignano and Simone Formicola, published by Two Little Mice and distributed in Italy by Raven Distribution, Outgunned will put you in the shoes of an action hero ready to face impossible challenges. Simple and intuitive rules allow you to stage spectacular gunfights and breathtaking chases, while charismatic characters and a flexible setting give you the freedom to create your own epic stories.
- WILDSEA. Embark on a flying ship and explore a world submerged in vegetation! Conceived by Felix Isaacs and published by MythWorks, with Italian distribution by Grumpy Bear, Wildsea transports you to a unique atmosphere where mystery and wonder intertwine. With a fluid game system and a lush setting, Wildsea gives players the freedom to shape their own destiny and that of their crew. Inspired by works such as Sunless Sea and Bastion, this game will emotionally engage you in an unforgettable experience.
The juries, together with the organizer Lucca Crea, thank all the publishing houses that submitted their products to the competition for their collaboration, congratulate the authors and publishers of the 10 finalists, and make an appointment for all fans at LC&G 2024 to discover the winners