If they’re dragging Billy Crystal out of semi-retirement, that can only mean one thing… it’s award season once again! Clearly the Oscars are desperate for ratings these days, but who can blame them? After all, the only ceremony that really matters anymore is the one, the only… Aggie Awards from Adventure Gamers!

We realize that after just completing our staggering Top 100 all-time adventure list there’s a risk of burning everyone out on too much adventurey goodness… but nah, who are we kidding? Everyone loves lists! And this time around, you’ll probably have played most of these! (And if you haven’t yet, we bet you will soon.)

As always, we kick things off with our list of nominee finalists, arrived at by a mainly-democratic-except-when-it-wasn’t vote among AG staffers. No animals were harmed in the making of this list, but we can’t say the same for feelings. This is such a strong year among top competitors that we expanded each category by two nominees, and there were still some personal favourites left out for each of us. Good problem to have, though, isn’t it?

The only change to last year’s categories is the replacement of Best First-Person and Best Third-Person Adventures with Best Traditional and Best Non-Traditional Adventures. We’ve been blessed with an insanely brilliant year for innovative, imaginative adventures that don’t fit neatly into the “collect everything that isn’t nailed down” and “use X on Y” formulas we’ve come to know and love. This way we can celebrate the best of both worlds, honouring the top games in both respective fields.

And speaking of non-traditional adventures, let’s establish this once and for all. Adventure Gamers has long operated under the definition of “adventure” as any game whose primary focus is on puzzle-solving within a narrative framework, with generally little to no action. This is the ultimate criterion for all games covered on this site, and that holds true for the Aggies as well. So yes, Portal 2 isn’t like any adventure game to come before it, but anyone who claims it contradicts our definition of adventure obviously hasn’t played it. L.A. Noire has car chases and gunfights, sure, but most are optional if so desired. Is that really any different than a modern day Police Quest? Those aren’t the only two, but go right on down the line and you’ll find that all games eligible for Aggies have every right to be here.

Even though we’re absolutely, positively… okay, sorta, kinda confident that you’ll share our assessment of 2011’s best adventures, a Readers’ Choice poll will be posted on Monday, February 6th for you to confirm it! Or even – gasp! – disagree! (Hard as that is to believe.)

The final Aggie Awards presentation will run from Wednesday to Friday, February 15-17th. So not much longer to wait, but for now we leave you with the nominees that will be duking it out for top honours.

And so, without further ado, the 2011 Aggie Awards finalists (in alphabetical order) are:

Best Story

One of the core components of any adventure, the game’s narrative must engage the player’s interest and imagination. Entertaining in its own right, a good story also immerses the player in a believable game world and serves as motivation to overcome the challenges presented. While often accompanied by quality writing, the plot is a distinct feature that may or may not be ably supported by the actual dialogue.

Gemini Rue
Ghost Trick
L.A. Noire
A New Beginning
To the Moon


Best Writing – Comedy

Arguably the hardest genre to write well, comedy done right has the ability both to amuse and uplift, finding humour in the ordinary and laughter in the unexpected. Often dismissed for not being “serious writing” (oh, the irony!), comedy has long been a beloved adventure staple and deserves appropriate recognition.

The Book of Unwritten Tales
Edna & Harvey: The Breakout
Hector: Badge of Carnage – Episode 2 and Episode 3
Metal Dead
Portal 2


Best Writing – Drama

If comedy lifts the soul, then drama explores and challenges it. Though sometimes misrepresented as dry and boring or overly theatrical, a gripping drama simply engages players on a deeper emotional level. Quality writing is essential in maintaining the player’s connection to the characters, game world, and the story unfolding.

Gemini Rue
Gray Matter
L.A. Noire
A New Beginning
To the Moon


Best Character

Gabriel Knight... Tex Murphy... April Ryan... Guybrush Threepwood. These names roll off the tongue of any adventure gamer as a testament to the importance of compelling protagonists in an adventure. But just as important are the villains, sidekicks, and significant supporting characters, which are often the juiciest parts. This category recognizes those who have made the most memorable contribution, regardless of role.

Doc Brown – Back to the Future: The Game
GLaDOS and Wheatley – Portal 2
Harvey – Edna & Harvey: The Breakout
Sissel – Ghost Trick
Wilbur Weathervane and Critter – The Book of Unwritten Tales


Best Gameplay

Puzzles are an integral aspect of adventure gameplay, but not the only one. Good pacing, rich exploration, and variety of activities are all factors in player enjoyment as well, all suitably integrated into the storyline. The best games seek the right balance of these elements for the most rewarding gameplay experience.

The Book of Unwritten Tales
Ghost Trick
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
Stacking


Best Concept

A somewhat ambiguous category meant to highlight any unusual, distinctive element. A creative concept can run the gamut from story premise to game mechanics, from stylistic choice to technical innovation. It doesn’t even need to have been successfully implemented, as it’s the idea itself that deserves the acknowledgement in a genre renowned for its conservative approach.

L.A. Noire
Ghost Trick
Portal 2
Stacking
To the Moon


Best Setting

Adventures can transport us to memorable places we’ve never been before, including those we never even imagined. Or perhaps to locales we’ve visited already, but never quite like this, making them feel fresh and new and awe-inspiring all over again. This category can refer to an overall game world or even a single environment in a given game so long as it’s a relevant location.

Back to the Future: The Game
Black Mirror III
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
Stacking


Best Graphic Design

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this category speaks volumes. Regardless of style, this award recognizes games that are not only visually attractive but stylistically distinctive. One look at a screenshot should elicit a “Wow!” followed by “Hey, that’s from…!” Includes both game world and character design, but not cinematics.

Drawn: Trail of Shadows
Ghost Trick
L.A. Noire
A New Beginning
Stacking


Best Animation

From “bustling” city streets that look deserted to clouds that never move, animation is rarely a genre strong suit, often the victim of budget constraints. But richly animated adventures add so much to player immersion that any game that goes the extra mile in this area is deserving of appreciation. This category includes in-game character and ambient animations, plus cinematic cutscenes.

The Book of Unwritten Tales
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
Professor Layton and the Last Specter/Spectre's Call
The Next BIG Thing


Best Music

As a complementary element playing in the background, often a game’s soundtrack is noticeable only when it becomes intrusive, but a strong score and attention to pacing can add so much to a game’s ambience. A catchy theme song can likewise make game music memorable, and an in-game musical number even more so. Whatever its particular strengths, the rare game that excels musically deserves its accolades.

Back to the Future: The Game
Gray Matter
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
Stacking


Best Voice Acting

Often under-valued by publishers but never by gamers, quality voice acting can enhance a player’s investment in characters as surely as poor acting can ruin it. With so much international localization, voiceovers can be difficult to skillfully oversee, but any game benefits greatly from proper direction and believable acting. This category refers to the overall quality of vocal roles in a game, not to individual characters.

Back to the Future: The Game
The Book of Unwritten Tales
L.A. Noire
The Next BIG Thing
Portal 2


Best Sound Effects

As with music, sound effects are frequently given short shrift in adventures, but effective use of audio adds a vital layer of moody ambience. You may not be able to put your finger on the reason, but some games make you feel like you’re really there, and often the atmospheric sounds have drawn you in subconsciously.

Back to the Future: The Game
The Book of Unwritten Tales
Jurassic Park: The Game
L.A. Noire
Portal 2


Best Independent Adventure

Some independent studios release their games commercially, but with no external publisher backing or secure distribution channels (at least at first). These self-published titles rarely get the attention (or sales) they often deserve, and the best of them merit a closer look from anyone who’s overlooked them to date. This list does not include games from companies fully established as publishers, even if they develop games internally.

Alpha Polaris
Gemini Rue
To the Moon
Blackwell Deception
Metal Dead


Best Console/Handheld Adventure (Exclusive)

The home console and handheld platforms haven’t quite championed a genre resurgence like we once hoped they might, but there were still several quality titles released in the past year. To avoid duplication, the following includes only those games exclusive to non-PC platforms. Ports are not deemed to be original releases, and are therefore ineligible.

Ghost Trick
Stacking
Professor Layton and the Last Specter/Spectre's Call
Red Johnson's Chronicles
The Secret of Chateau de Moreau


Best Non-Traditional Adventure

For a genre that’s remained largely unchanged for decades, it’s actually got a rich history of experimental titles that push the creative envelope in unique, memorable ways. They don’t “evolve” or “redefine” adventures, but rather expand our understanding of what an adventure can we with their bold vision. Purists may resist, but this award honours those games that stretch beyond traditional genre conventions to offer something completely new, or at least present the familiar in imaginative new ways.

Ghost Trick
L.A. Noire
Portal 2
Stacking
To the Moon


Best Traditional Adventure

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! While innovative adventures provide a welcome breath of fresh air, the lifeblood of the genre continues to be the many games that closely adhere to the comfortable, tried-and-true design formulas. Full of inventory and logic puzzles, memorable character dialogue, epic storylines and immersive exploration controlled with an intuitive point-and-click interface, they may not have changed much since Monkey Island and Myst, but they’re no less enjoyable when done well.

Black Mirror III
The Book of Unwritten Tales
Gemini Rue
Gray Matter
A New Beginning


Best Adventure of 2011

Wouldn’t you like to know! Wouldn’t we!! But no sneak peeks. We’ve still got another week to argue amongst ourselves. To find out which game takes home the most coveted Aggie hardware, tune into our grand awards ceremony from February 15-17th!