ENNIE Award Dream Date Guide 2024

The ENNIE Awards, the Oscars of tabletop roleplaying games, host their 2024 ceremony during Gen Con at Union Station in Indianapolis, Indiana on Friday, August 2nd. Every year, a select group of publishers attend and bring someone – possibly you – as their guest. If you want to attend the ENNIE Awards, you can sit at the table with Paizo, Free League Publishing, Pelgrane Press, Imagining Games, Sarah Dahlinger, or the Ennie Award Judge’s table. For the winner, you’ll participate in a night of conversation and memories made as well as receive some unique swag. For freelancers and small publishers, this is a great opportunity to meet publishers face-to-face. If you’re interested in hanging out with a publisher or creator, read on to learn more about the ENNIES and what you can get through these ebay campaigns.

WHAT CAN DREAM DATE WINNERS EXPECT?​

Every year – 2017 (when I attended with my dream date, Cubicle 7), 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023 (the pandemic prevented the in-person 2020 and 2021 ceremonies) – I write about the available dream dates. For 2022 and 2023, I wrote a summary for the ENNIE Award Dream Date:

“Any attendee of the ENNIE Awards ceremony is able to see some of the best games of the year recognized, get a drink, and/or bid in their silent auction. For those that win an ENNIE Award Dream Date, they sit and talk with the publishers, have a front row view of the stage, pick up some great swag, monetarily support of the awards through their winning bid, and, maybe, be part of the experience of a publisher winning a Gold or Silver ENNIE Award. These Dream Date auctions fund the annual ENNIE Awards. The awards and ceremony aren’t free to organize; these auctions help to cover their costs of production for the metals as well as the actual event. For those that get to sit with the publishers, it’s an amazing time to talk with some of your favorite creators.”

ENNIE Award Dream Dates auction winners are responsible for their badge and travel to attend Gen Con as well as any costs over and above this auction. You can find all of the ebay auctions here.

ENNIE Awards Dream Date - Paizo Inc

• EBAY AUCTION END DATE: Sunday, July 28, 2024 at 10:00 AM ET
• 2024 ENNIE AWARD NOMINATIONS: Pathfinder Player Core nominated for: Best Rules; Pathfinder Lost Omens: Tian Xia World Guide nominated for: Best Setting
• REWARDS: “Winner of this auction will receive the opportunity to join the Paizo Inc team, including Logan Bonne and Michael Sayre, the lead developers of nominee Pathfinder Player Core, and James Case, developer of nominee Lost Omens Tian Xia World Guide, at the awards at a specially designated table right in front of the stage at the 2024 ENNIE Awards on August 2nd at 8pm at Gen Con! Winner will receive an amazing prize pack featuring copies of Pathfinder Player Core and the Pathfinder World Guide, signed by as many of the team as possible.”
• WHY SHOULD YOU BID? During Gen Con, the Paizo booth is busy and their leadership are locked away in panels and meetings. The ENNIES represents a great opportunity to hang out with Paizo, one of the largest publishers in tabletop roleplaying games. Getting autographed swag is amazing, and if they win, you are there to celebrate their success. On top of the potential wins, celebrate Michael J Sayre’s recent promotion to Director of Rules and Lore. If you are curious about Pathfinder and Starfinder, this is a great time to ask about the games.

ENNIE Awards Dream Date - Sarah Dahlinger

• EBAY AUCTION END DATE: Sunday, July 28, 2024 at 10:15 AM ET
• 2024 ENNIE AWARD NOMINATION: Astra Fauna: Expeditions nominated for: Best Art, Interior
• REWARDS: “Winner of this auction will receive the opportunity to join artist Sarah Dahlinger, creator of ENNIE Nominee Astra Fauna: Expeditions at the awards at a specially designated table right in front of the stage at the 2024 ENNIE Awards on August 2nd at 8pm at Gen Con! Winner will receive a signed copy of Astra Fauna and signed art print.”
• WHY SHOULD YOU BID? Because Sarah Dahlinger’s artwork is awesome! There’s a reason that Astra Fauna: Expeditions is nominated for an art ENNIE. Her talent involves artwork, storytelling, and tabletop gaming, which makes for a great combination. If you’re an art fan, this is the auction I’d most recommend.

ENNIE Awards Dream Date - Free League Publishing

• EBAY AUCTION END DATE: Sunday, July 28, 2024 at 10:30 AM ET
• 2024 ENNIE AWARD NOMINATIONS: ALIEN RPG – Building Better Worlds nominated for: Best Supplement, Best Cartography; Dragonbane Core Set nominated for: Best Cartography
• REWARDS: “Winner of this auction will receive the opportunity to join the Free League team, up for multiple nominations, at a specially designated table right in front of the stage at the 2024 ENNIE Awards on August 2nd at 8pm at Gen Con! Winner will receive an amazing prize pack featuring a Collector's Edition of The One Ring signed by Francesco Nepitello, the lead designer AND a Blade Runner RPG Collector's Edition signed by Tomas Härenstam and Joe LeFavi!”
• WHY SHOULD YOU BID? Dragonbane, ALIEN, The One Ring, and Blade Runner are amazing TTRPGs, and you get to sit with the company behind them. You’ll get awesome autographed collector’s editions, but the coolest part is learning more about the games and the creators behind them. Many third party publishers are embracing Free League’s Year Zero Engine for their TTRPGs, and this evening is a great time to learn more from the publisher behind some of the hottest TTRPGs of the 2020s.

ENNIE Awards Dream Date - Pelgrane Press

• EBAY AUCTION END DATE: Sunday, July 28, 2024 at 10:45 AM ET
• 2024 ENNIE AWARD NOMINATIONS: Losing Face nominated for: Best Adventure – Short Form, Best Free Game / Product
• REWARDS: “Winner of this auction will receive the opportunity to join the Pelgrane Press team, up for multiple nominations, at a specially designated table right in front of the stage at the 2024 ENNIE Awards on August 2nd at 8pm at Gen Con! The winner will enjoy the awards with Pelgrane Press co-owners Simon Rogers and Cat Tobin as well as Kevin Kulp, recent ENNIE Award winning creator for Swords of the Serpentine. There are also unconfirmed rumors that a certain dynamic duo will be there to talk about stuff. Winner will also receive a mystery prize.”
• WHY SHOULD YOU BID? I have good interactions with most publishers, but Pelgrane Press is fantastic, one of my favorites. Every time I reach out with questions or requests, they make time for me. I highly recommend sitting with them because you’re going to be seated with industry veterans behind a variety of amazing games.

ENNIE Awards Dream Date – Judges

• EBAY AUCTION END DATE: Sunday, July 28, 2024 at 11:00 AM ET
• REWARDS: “Winner of this auction will receive the opportunity to join judge James Surano at a specially designated table right in front of the stage at the 2024 ENNIE Awards on August 2nd at 8pm at Gen Con! The winner will also receive a specially curated gaming bundle based on your gaming tastes valued at over $150!! Winner will be contacted after auction ends for curation details. James can offer up what it is like to read hundreds of books and listen/view to hours of content. Want a peek under the lid of the ENNIE judging process, this is the chance to ask them anything!”
• WHY SHOULD YOU BID? Are you curious how the ENNIE judging process works? This is the table that answers that question. Bid on this campaign if you want to get the behind-the-scenes details about the 2024 awards.

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ENNIE Awards Dream Date - Imagining Games - CHEW RPG ENNIE Winner

• EBAY AUCTION END DATE: Sunday, July 28, 2024 at 11:15 AM ET
• 2024 ENNIE AWARD NOMINATION: CHEW: The Roleplaying Game is receiving a Judges’ Spotlight Winners (Shauna Ratliff)
• REWARDS: “Winner of this auction will receive the opportunity to join the Imagining Games team accept their Spotlight award for CHEW The Roleplaying Game at a specially designated table right in front of the stage at the 2024 ENNIE Awards on August 2nd at 8pm at Gen Con! Winner will receive an amazing prize pack featuring a one-of-a-kind CHEW RPG Dice Tower that was laser-etched into wood by Fyre and Ash! In addition to the dice tower, winner receives a CHEW: Mother Cluckin' Bucket of Chicken Dice (dice set and cup). All will be delivered in an early prototype box for Rest In Pieces (only 2 samples ever made)!”
• WHY SHOULD YOU BID? If you have not read the CHEW comic book, do yourself a favor and try out the story, it’s zany. Once you’ve read the comic, run and get into a session where fighting chickens is the gimmick and the gimmick is deadly! At Origins Game Fair 2021, I played CHEW and, yes, it deserves a spotlight award because it’s such off-the-wall fun. The creators at Imaging Games are fun, and the unique gifts they’re offering make this worth adding to your gaming table.

If you’re interested in bidding for one of these ebay auctions, you can find them here.

The ENNIE Awards were a part of EN World and EN Publishing. In 2019, EN Publishing divested themselves to make the awards an unaffiliated organization recognizing excellence in tabletop roleplaying games. Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program, and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG, Noble Knight Games, and Amazon.

 

[Von Ether]

Seeing as writers/designer names and their gamer cred is invisible to most readers/gamers, you are doing the Lord's work.

 

[Egg Embry]

Seeing as writers/designer names and their gamer cred is invisible to most readers/gamers, you are doing the Lord's work.

I legit laughed. Everyone here at EN World tries to help spread the word!