2026 Origins Awards Nominees Announced

The 49th annual Origins Awards has officially revealed its list of 120 nominees for 2026, celebrating a wide range of tabletop excellence from heavy strategy epics to innovative roleplaying supplements. However, for the third year in a row, the celebration is being overshadowed by a growing rift between the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the creative community.

The controversy stems from a single, glaring omission: the official nominee announcement fails to credit the individual game designers of the nominated works, listing only the titles and their respective publishers.

The Heart of the Controversy

The Origins Awards are unique because they are “peer-based”—voted on by industry professionals including retailers, researchers, and fellow designers. This makes the lack of designer recognition particularly stinging for creators.

The Tabletop Game Designers Association (TTGDA), which has been advocating for designer credits since its launch in 2024, expressed sharp disappointment. In a statement posted to social media, the TTGDA noted that they had previously received assurances from GAMA that this “oversight” would be corrected for the 2026 cycle.

“Shame on GAMA for once again not including designers in their ‘Excellence in Game Design’ award announcement,” the TTGDA stated. “The omission is no longer an oversight. It is a GAMA policy.”

Cooperative/Solo Game
• Animal Rescue Team, Play to Z
• Castle Raisers, Wonderful World of Board Games
• Corps of Discovery, Off the Page Games
• Hercules and the 12 Labors, Envy Born Games
• Here Lies,  DVC Games
• Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons, Ravensburger
• Kinfire Council, Incredible Dream
• Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship,  Z-Man Games
• Unstoppable, Renegade Game Studios
• Vantage, Stonemaier Games

Gateway Game
• A Place for All My Books,  Smirk & Dagger Games
• Above and Below: Haunted,  Red Raven Games
• Everdell Duo, Tycoon Games
• Flamecraft Duals,  Cardboard Alchemy
• Pergola,  Rebel Studio
• Point Galaxy,  Flatout Games, AEG
• Railroad Tiles, Horrible Guild
• Tacta,  The Op
• Toy Battle, Asmodee
• Wine Cellar,  25th Century Games

Party Game
• 23 Knives, Play to Z
• Alibis, Albert Allplay
• Brick Like This!, Asmodee
• Dice Words,  Kosmos
• Hot Streak,  CMYK
• How Many What?!, The Op
• Mystery Fluxx,  Looney Labs
• Outfox the Fox,  Smirk & Dagger Games
• Person Do Thing, Runaway Parade
• Red Letter Yellow Letter,  25th Century Games

Heavy Strategy Game
• Crafting the Cosmos,Office Dog Games
• Cyclades: Legendary Edition, Studio H
• Galactic Cruise,  – Allplay
• Luthier,Paverson Games
• Molly House, Wehrlegig Games
• Speakeasy,  Eagle-Gryphon Games

• Star Trek: Captain’s Chair,  WizKids
• Tea Witches, The Op
• The Anarchy,  Renegade Game Studios
• Xenology,  Play to Z

Light Strategy Game
• 3 Witches,  Allplay
• Diatoms, Sabrina Culyba – Ludoliminal
• Finspan,  Stonemaier Games
• Rowdy Partners, Capstone Games
• Sanctuary,  Capstone Games
• Star Wars: Battle of Hoth,  Days of Wonder
• Tag Team, Scorpion Masqué
• Tea Garden, Capstone Games
• Timelancers,  Party Tails
• Winter Rabbit, Absurdist Productions

Constructible Fixed Product
• CookieRun Braverse TCG: Starter Deck Assortment – Devsisters
• Magic: The Gathering Avatar the Last Airbender Commander’s Bundle – Wizards of the Coast
• Gwent: The Legendary Card Game, No Loading Games
• Rush of Ikorr Starter Deck, – Upper Deck
• Sorcery: Contested Realm Gothic Preconstructed Decks,  Erik’s Curiosa
• Riftbound Proving Grounds – Riot Games
• Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Commander Decks – Wizards of the Coast
• Gundam Card Game Starter – Heroic Beginnings – Bandai Namco
• Gudnak Core Set,  Chaotic Great
• Compile: Main 2,  Synapses Games

Constructible Randomized Product
• Gundam Newtype Rising Booster Pack Display – Bandai Namco
• Rush of Ikorr, Bobby Coovert, Ryan Martin – Upper Deck
• Shard Bugs – Shard Bugs, LLC
• Sorcery: Contested Realm Gothic Booster Box,  Erik’s Curiosa
• Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Play Booster Box – Wizards of the Coast
• Riftbound Origins Booster Display – Riot Games
• Magic: The Gathering Edge of Eternities Collector Booster Box – Wizards of the Coast
• Universus CCG: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Booster Display – UVS Games
• Gudnak Expansion Bundle, Timothy S. O’Brien, Ian Oliver – Chaotic Great
• Pokemon TCG Scarlet and Violet Destined Rivals Booster Box – The Pokemon Company

Miniature Game
• Blood Bowl: Third Season Edition – Games Workshop
• Cretaceous Rails, Ann Journey – Spielcraft Games
• Cyberpunk Edgerunners: Combat Zone, Monster Fight Club
• Grimcoven, Krzysztof Belczyk – Awaken Realms
• Konflikt 47 – Warlord Games
• Malediction,  Loot Studios
• Malifaux Fourth Edition Two-Player Starter – Wyrd Games
• Warcrow – The Song of the Dormant,  Corvus Belli
• Warhammer Quest: Darkwater – Games Workshop
• Warzone Eternal, Res Nova LLC, now published by Trans Atlantis Games

Paint/Hobby Accessory
• Advent-ure Calendar 20: The Lost Labyrinth – Black Oak Workshop
• AK Interactive 3Gen Quickmarkers – AK Interactive
• Goblin Hobbies Stampin’ Plates – Goblin Hobbies
• Heroscape: Age of Annihilation Paint Set – Renegade Game Studios
• Chronicle Liquid Brush Elixir – Chronicle
• Modi Boxi Pro Pack Two – Mod Innovations c/o My Mini Factory
• Chronicle Modular Wet Palette – Chronicle
• Mystery Loot: Ultramarines vs Tyranids – Foam Brain Games
• SOURCE: Starter – Adventure Together Games
• Army Painter Speedpaint Marker: Starter Set – The Army Painter

Miniature
• Infinity – Achilles – Corvus Belli
• Cosmere RPG Stormlight Miniature Set – Brotherwise Games
• 40K Emperor’s Children: Fulgrim – Games Workshop
• AoS Festus the Leechlord – Age of Sigmar Nurgle – Games Workshop
• General Grievous’ TSMEU-6 Wheel Bike – Atomic Mass Games
• I Am No Jedi Duel Pack – Atomic Mass Games
• Noxious Fleshgarden Large – Malediction Terrain – Loot Studios
• Sword & Sorcery Mist Hero Pack – Ares Games
• The Field Guide to Floral Dragons: Dragon Florist’s Miniatures Set – Hit Point Press
• Phoenix & Phoenix Unleashed – Atomic Mass Games

Roleplaying Game
• Age of Vikings – Chaosium
• CHEW: The Roleplaying Game – Imagining Games
• Coriolis: The Great Dark – Free League
• Cthulhu Bay – MS Edizioni and Ares Games
• Daggerheart Core Set – Darrington Press
• Land of Eem Deluxe Box Set – Exalted Funeral
• Cosmere RPG Stormlight Starter Set – Brotherwise Games
• Starfinder Second Edition – Paizo
• The Bonsai Diary – Gene Koo
• Warhammer: The Old World Roleplaying Game Player’s Guide – Cubicle 7

Roleplaying Supplement
• Advent-ure Calendar 19: Kitty Clacks Christmas – Black Oak Workshop
• ALIEN RPG: Rapture Protocol – Free League
• Call of Cthulhu: The Sutra of Pale Leaves – Twin Suns Rising – Chaosium
• Cthulhu by Gaslight: Keeper’s Guide – Chaosium
• Full Art Dice Set: Porcelain – Q Workshop
• Green Oaks – MS Edizioni and Ares Games
• Pendragon: Gamemaster’s Handbook – Chaosium
• The Field Guide to Floral Dragons: Explorer’s Box Set – Hit Point Press
• The Vault of Mini Things – Tinkerhouse Games
• Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: High Elf Player’s Guide – Cubicle 7