Ion Award Explained

The Ion Award is the largest board game design competition in the United States. It is held annually in Utah at the SaltCON board game convention.[1] [2] [3] The competition started in 2009 for unpublished game designs, with the intent to bring designers and publishers together,[4] and to recognize excellence in game design.[5] The first Ion Awards had the support of national publishers including Eagle-Gryphon Games, Mayday Games, Rio Grande Games, and Out of the Box Publishing, and has continued to get national and international support.[6]

The competition has received game design entries from all over the world. Board game designs that have won the Ion Award or have been selected as finalists have been published every year since its inception.[7] [8] [9]

Each year local[10] and international board game publishers are selected as judges for the competition, including longtime judges Eagle-Gryphon Games, Mayday Games, Gamelyn Games and others.[11] [12]

The competition has two rounds of judging. First all the entering designers submit rules, images, videos, and summaries of their unpublished game designs. Those entries are then reviewed by judges all over the world, and finalists are selected. The 4 finalists in each category[13] are invited to attend the final round of judging at the SaltCON convention, where they present their game design in person to the final judges. After the final judging, the winners are announced at the Awards Ceremony at the convention.[14]

The Ion Award at first featured only a single Best Game winner each year, but since 2011, it has featured both a Light Game category and a Strategy Game category.[15]

Finalists are announced about a month before the live event. Winners are announced a few days after the final judging.[16] [17] [18]

Strategy Game Category Winners

Light Game Category Winners

Best Game Category Winners

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Game designers, players gather for convention. Mark Green. 2013-02-16. 2016-08-18.
  2. Web site: SaltCON: A Small Convention Done Right . Rob Cramer . 2016-08-18.
  3. Web site: Meeple Nation at SaltCON 2016. Ryan Decaria. 2016-08-18.
  4. Web site: Gathering promotes Utah game designers, aims to strengthen families. . 2011-10-18. 2016-08-18.
  5. Web site: Ion Award . . 2016-07-27.
  6. Web site: SaltCON. Gavin Sheehan. 2011-02-18. 2016-08-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20170123075252/http://www.cityweekly.net/TheDailyFeed/archives/2011/02/18/saltcon. 2017-01-23. dead.
  7. Web site: SaltCON board gamers not bored in Salt Lake City. 2013-02-16. Scott D. Pierce. 2016-08-18.
  8. Web site: Ion Award . 2016-07-27.
  9. Web site: Ion Award Judging. . 2016-07-27.
  10. Web site: Board Game Convention in Salt Lake City. 2011-01-28. Trent. 2016-07-27.
  11. Web site: Ion Award Winners Announced. 2016-03-10. Eddie Guida. 2016-07-27.
  12. Web site: Ion Award Winners Announced. 2015-12-15. TC Petty III. 2016-07-27.
  13. Web site: Old-fashioned gamers keep pieces moving at SaltCON. Carma Wadley. 2011-02-18. 2016-08-18.
  14. Web site: Ion Award Rules. . 2016-07-27.
  15. Web site: Ion Gaming Award. . 2016-07-27.
  16. Web site: Sarah’s Singularity Finalist for the ION award. 2016-02-05. Wanderer. 2016-07-27.
  17. Web site: 2014 Ion Award Winners Announced. . 2016-07-27.
  18. Web site: Ion Gaming Award. . 2016-07-27.
  19. Web site: Ion Award Winners. SaltCON. 23 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220323213533/https://saltcon.com/ion-award-winners/. 23 March 2022. Web site: Spurlock. Aaron. SaltCON Spring 2022. GeekDad. 16 October 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221016202206/https://geekdad.com/2022/03/saltcon-spring-2022-bringing-the-flavor-back-to-gaming. 16 October 2022. 12 March 2022.
  20. Web site: The Indie Convention Bump. Ryan LaFlamme. 2016-07-28.
  21. https://saltcon.com/ion-award-winners/

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