Period Awards

  1. Best Ancients Game, for a game set in the ancient period, including late antiquity, in the period roughly from deep antiquity through 800 CE.
  2. Best Medieval Game, for a game set in the medieval period, before the decisive use of gunpower, in the period roughly 800-1500 CE.
  3. Best Gunpowder or Industrial Era Game, for a game set after the decisive use of gunpowder weapons through the age of industrial warfare, including the Renaissance, Age of Reason, American Revolution, and other topics prior to the start of World War II. Napoleonic, American Civil War, World War I, and World War II topics are excluded.
  4. Best Napoleonic Game, for a game set in the period 1789-1815, and treating topics related to the French Revolution or Napoleonic Wars.
  5. Best American Civil War Game, for a game set during the American Civil War, or dealing with its immediate causes or aftermath.
  6. Best World War I Game, for a game treating World War I or related conflicts, in the period 1914-1919.
  7. Best World War II Game, for a game treating World War II or related conflicts, in the period 1937-1945.
  8. Best Modern Game, for a conflict simulation dealing with a post-World War II, post-1945, Cold War (including the Korean and Vietnam conflicts), or Post-Cold War topic, up to the modern day.

Mode Awards

  1. Best Strategic Game, for the best strategic-level treatment of a conflict. In general, a strategic game will model the whole of a conflict, possibly (but not necessarily) also including related concurrent or near-concurrent conflicts. Such a game may model military, political, social, and/or economic factors within the confines of the conflict that is its topic. Determination of eligibility will be made by the Nominating Committee on a case-by-case basis.
  2. Best Operational Game, for the best treatment of a military campaign from an operational perspective. Operational, in this sense, is concerned with the planning and execution of campaigns. Such games often feature an emphasis on logistics, supply or other tempo-affecting constraints on the conduct of a campaign. Determination of eligibility will be made by the Nominating Committee on a case-by-case basis.
  3. Best Tactical Game, for the best treatment of a battle or battles from a tactical perspective. Tactical games focus on specific battles or engagements and usually model small-unit firepower, equipment and maneuver, but “small-unit” varies by period and topic. Determination of eligibility will be made by the Nominating Committee on a case-by-case basis.
  4. Best New Edition of a Previously Published Game, for the best revised or updated edition of an otherwise CSR-eligible game published in a previous Awards Year. To be eligible, the new edition must be a substantial revision or upgrade of the original, including but not limited to additional content, updated graphics, or rules revisions. Reprints are not eligible for this category for mere errata correction. Determination of eligibility will be made by the Nominating Committee on a case-by-case basis.
  5. Best Political, Social, or Economic Game, for the best historical conflict simulation dealing primarily with a non-military conflict or a conflict primarily waged, within the bounds of the game, by non-military means.
  6. Best Solitaire or Cooperative Game, for a conflict simulation designed to be played primarily in a solitaire or cooperative mode.
  7. Best Hypothetical Game, for a conflict simulation with a topic that is contrafactual, contra-historical, alternate history or hypothetical, set in any period.
  8. Best Wargaming Magazine, for the best wargaming magazine containing coverage of wargaming, or otherwise specifically relevant to a wargame or wargames. This award is to recognize the quality of the magazine, and any included wargames should be judged separately in their appropriate categories.

Capstone Awards

  1. The Redmond A. Simonsen Memorial Award for Outstanding Presentation, for the game exhibiting excellence in all aspects of presentation, including the quality of the rules, packaging, art, components, physical systems design, playing surface, and visual interface.
  2. The James F. Dunnigan Award for Playability and Design, for the designer who has, through excellence of design, had the most positive impact on playability and elegance in the field of conflict simulations.
  3. The Chad Jensen Memorial Breakthrough Designer Award, for a new designer or design team whose first or second game was released in the Awards Year, who best exemplifies emerging excellence in design, and who has not previously received this Award.
  4. The Charles S. Roberts Game of the Year, for the game that best exhibits the highest standards of excellence in design and execution.