You're in a classroom with other rpg fans, excited to be a judge, when suddenly your excitement is interrupted by a squeaky, dusty tv cart. The teacher inserts a tape into the VHS—something you didn't know still existed—and like magic, I appear on the screen.

So, you want to be a judge in the ENNIEs? I say with a wry smile. That's great! There's nothing more rewarding than having the privilege to read, play, and review other people's amazing work.

The video cuts to a second camera. The lighting is darker. I turn into the darkness, and everything the light smoothed, the shadows reveal; bags under my eyes—they have their own bags. Are those crows feet? No, crows aren't that big. Why is his hair so white? Isn't he young-ish? What happened? Why is he grabbing the camera?

The ENNIEs, I whisper. The ENNIEs happened.

I'm only joking. I have some critiques but overall judging was a great experience. It just happened to come with a learning curve. This quick post is just as much a message to Past Me as it is a message to Future You. Let's get to it...

#1. Be a fan of rpgs. You'll read a lot of them.

This year we received over 1000 entries. That's roughly 900 different rpgs, modules, supplements, and assorted bric-a-brac. If you're gonna get through the entire pile, you'll need to be built a little different.

• You need to love rpgs in general. Nearly every rpg sub-community submits something to the ENNIE awards. If you only like storygames, lyrical games, trad games, OSR, NSR, etc—you're not going to enjoy reading 90% of the entries. That's not good, because...
• You need to read more than 1 rpg a day. You have less than one year to review the entries. Mercifully, some of the entries are quick to review like the unrelated board games that clearly didn't know what the ENNIEs were. Still, a lot of them require reading 20-100 pages just to get a feel for them. Later on, you'll end up reading and playing the same games two, three, or even four times before judging is over.
• You need to read games on their own terms. How you read a game will change constantly. That's part of the fun. One moment, you'll be judging a Mörk Borg supplement and the next you'll be judging a My Little Pony adventure. That's two different entries that are trying to be "good" in their own way, you can't approach them with the same expectations—that would be unfair to both.
• You'll want lots of experience in rpgs. The judges try their best to play as many of the games as they can, but realistically no one can play 900 games in five months. That's why it pays to be an avid player before you're a judge. You'll have to pull on your past experiences to understand what some of these games are doing.

#2. Be a people person (when it matters).

There are four other judges collaborating with you in the ENNIEs and a few thousand onlookers, critics, and anxious people following online. You'll also be under NDA, which means even if you want to vent, you shouldn't.

• Be diplomatic in judges meetings. You're not going to always agree (obviously). Sometimes you'll feel like you're talking to someone from a different hobby, because in many ways you are (that's for another blog post). But you'll have to be cool with that, because they're not going anywhere, and you'll need their trust and support when deciding the final nominees.
• Be ready to educate, elaborate, and enunciate. Whatever perspective you're bringing to the table, you need to make a case for it. No judge is going to follow your lead just because you're the "design freak." (This might be a tad autobiographical.) Instead, you'll have to teach, explain your thinking, share your bias, and be consistent. It's a long process that requires patience.
• Be content with silence. Speaking of patience, let's talk about the NDA. It bars you from talking about the ENNIEs in any illuminating way. That means no mention of the submissions, communications, or the other judges for almost 9 months. Thankfully, I was born midwestern, and Kash—the Black Labrador—is good at listening to my confessions without judgement. Did I occasionally go to friends and say, "I'm going to scream into the void, now." Of course. But not much else. That's all you're entitled to if you want to honor the agreement.
• Be ready to log off. Social media is not your friend. If you have to vent, find someone in person to do the NDA-friendly version. Never write anything down outside of the judge's chat, especially on social media. Do NOT subtweet. I'm about to be tested in this when the nominees go live. So wish me luck.

#3. Be realistic about what you can take on.

A lot of the work is in the boring technical details. Your physical space, resources, and time are often more important than anything else.

• Have a place to receive packages. In the first couple months, you'll get a package every two weeks. Then you'll get a box a week, then one a day, then five a day, then ten from just one carrier. If you move often, don't pick up daily, and have nowhere to recieve packages securely—you'll miss shipments, and that's a no-go. People are spending a lot of money to get their hard work to your door.
• Make sure your schedule stays open. You can go on vacations, visit conventions, and even get married—but you have to be flexible. Judges get to decide how often they meet, but near the end of the process, you'll have to meet once, twice, or three times a week. Not to mention you need to make time to actually read and play the games. Did I mention how many there are?
• Limitations are not your fault. This is just a reminder to stay realistic. Some of the judges have kids and make it work—I'm not sure I could do the same thing. I'm also aware how lucky I am to be mentally sound most days, but if I tried being a judge in my 20s, I'd probably struggle to do anything under the pressure.
• It'll likely impossible for non-Americans. This is a deep dive for another day, but the ENNIEs are held in the US. In order to receive international packages, you might have to pay the customs and delivery fees out of pocket. So, unless you're receiving these packages at your backup chateau, this is probably a financial impossibility for you. Again, something to blog about later.

Still want to be a judge? Great!

It's a lot of fun. Being a judge gives you the chance read and talk about rpgs every single day. And if you like rpgs just for the craft, you'll be happy as a clam seeing all the creativity and passion on display. If the above notes are making you second guess your decision, I highly recommend starting your own rpg bookclub—you'll scratch the same itch without the high stakes.

How to apply to be an ENNIEs judge.

Fill out the application. Whatever you put in the application will be shared with the public, so make it short and sweet. Then get ready to be voted on. Unlike some shows, The ENNIEs elects their panel via public vote (another article for another day). This means you need an audience—people willing to put you in.

I was lucky to get voted in last year. I suspect it was a mix of influential friends and charitable readers. You'll need the same thing. There's a reason why most judges are streamers—they can get the votes.

2026 Judge Application – ENNIE Awards

ENNIE Awards

Tips for when you become a judge...

• Find a group of people in real life you can semi-vent to.
• Save all the hot gossip for your dog, who is observing a vow of silence.
• Start making category shortlists early. Re-order as you go.
• Create a physical filing system, even if it's just piles and sticky notes.
• Do not procrastinate the streamers, pdfs, and blogs. (Me? blogs? Never.)
• Stay off social media or be really good at lurking and laughing.
• Have some PTO saved up just in case you need it.
• Don't get covid, mono, or any of the Victorian diseases.
• Be able to manage traumatic triggers because these books will have them.
• Reserve a room, bookshelf, or basement for the entries.
• Be prepared to read over 100 5E products.
• Fall in love with some 5E products and have an identity crisis.
• Practice a tearful "no" to your friends' and colleagues' hard work.
• Always disclose any relationships and conflicts you have.
• Make peace with what you can control, because it won't be the ENNIEs.
• Buy moisturizer for your dry hands. Drink more water.
• Get on a first-name basis with your mail carrier and thank them often.
• Invest in a good set of boxcutters. Don't cut too deep.
• Plan for what you'll do with the entries afterwards. (Donate to the library.)
• Lift with your legs, not your back. Keep your wrists straight.
• Keep drinks, plumbing, and fire away from the entries. (This is hypothetical.)

Final thoughts for now.

This will not be the last article about the ENNIEs. Once voting is over, and the winners are announced, I'll share my thoughts on the whole experience. Until then, I want to reiterate that overall the experience has been incredibly rewarding despite its challenges. I learned a lot about the ENNIEs from this process, and walked away with a newfound respect and love for rpg designers. I look forward to sharing my full perspective in the Fall.

Until then, stay tuned for the nominees list on July 4th. It's not perfect by any means—a lot of my favorites ended up on shortlists—but the nominees we agreed on are still a great look at the last year in games.

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