# Nebula Award for Best Game Writing

The Nebula Award for Best Game Writing is one of the Nebula Awards, presented each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) for science fiction or fantasy game writing. The Nebula Awards have been described as one of "the most important of the American science fiction awards" and "the science-fiction and fantasy equivalent" of the Emmy Awards. The Game Writing category is the newest category of the Nebulas, which were originally awarded in 1966 solely for printed fiction. The Nebula Award for Best Game Writing has been awarded annually since 2019. The drive to create the Game Writing category was promoted by then SFWA president Cat Rambo after game writers were made eligible for SFWA membership in 2016. According to a statement by SFWA when the category was announced in 2018, it was added to reflect how changes in technology had expanded the media used for science fiction and fantasy storytelling.
To be eligible for Nebula Award consideration, a work must be published in English in the United States. Works published in English elsewhere in the world are also eligible provided they are released on either a website or in an electronic edition. A game is considered by the organization to be "an interactive or playable story-driven work which conveys narrative, character, or story background". Works in this category have no set word count and must have at least one credited writer.
Nebula Award nominees and winners are chosen by members of the SFWA, though the game writers do not need to be members. Works are nominated each year by members in a period around December 15 through January 31, and the six works that receive the most nominations then form the final ballot, with additional nominees possible in the case of ties. Soon after, members are given a month to vote on the ballot, and the final results are presented at the Nebula Awards ceremony in May. Writers are not permitted to nominate their own works, and ties in the final vote are broken, if possible, by the number of nominations the works received.
During the 7 nomination years, 41 games by 121 writers have been nominated. These have primarily been video games, but also include eight books for role-playing game systems and an interactive film. The first year's award was won by Charlie Brooker for the interactive film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch; the second year's award was won by a team of nine writers led by Leonard Boyarsky for the video game The Outer Worlds; the third year's award was won by Greg Kasavin for the video game Hades; the fourth year's award by a team of six writers for the role-playing game Thirsty Sword Lesbians; the fifth year's award by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin for the video game Elden Ring; and the sixth year by a team of 16 writers led by Adam Smith for the video game Baldur's Gate 3. Eleven writers have been nominated more than once, with Kate Heartfield, and Natalia Theodoridou having three nominations each. Interactive fiction developer Choice of Games has had the most games nominated with a total of nine over six years.

## Winners and nominees

In the following table, the years correspond to the date of the ceremony, rather than the game's release. Each year links to the corresponding "year in video games". Entries with a blue background and an asterisk (*) next to the writer's name have won the award; those with a white background are the other nominees on the shortlist. Entries with a gray background and a plus sign (+) mark a year when "no award" was selected as the winner.
* Winners and joint winners
Winners and nominees :
| Year | Writer(s) | Game | Developer |
| 2019 | Charlie Brooker* | Black Mirror: Bandersnatch | House of Tomorrow |
| 2019 | Charlie Brooker* | Black Mirror: Bandersnatch | Netflix |
| 2019 | Matt Sophos | God of War | Santa Monica Studio |
| 2019 | Richard Zangrande Gaubert | God of War | Santa Monica Studio |
| 2019 | Cory Barlog | God of War | Santa Monica Studio |
| 2019 | M. Darusha Wehm | The Martian Job | Choice of Games |
| 2019 | Natalia Theodoridou | Rent-A-Vice | Choice of Games |
| 2019 | Kate Heartfield | The Road to Canterbury | Choice of Games |
| 2020 | Leonard Boyarsky* | The Outer Worlds | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2020 | Kate Dollarhyde* | The Outer Worlds | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2020 | Paul Kirsch* | The Outer Worlds | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2020 | Chris L'Etoile* | The Outer Worlds | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2020 | Daniel McPhee* | The Outer Worlds | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2020 | Carrie Patel* | The Outer Worlds | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2020 | Nitai Poddar* | The Outer Worlds | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2020 | Marc Soskin* | The Outer Worlds | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2020 | Megan Starks* | The Outer Worlds | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2020 | Kelsey Beachum | Outer Wilds | Mobius Digital |
| 2020 | Kate Heartfield | The Magician's Workshop | Choice of Games |
| 2020 | Robert Kurvitz | Disco Elysium | ZA/UM |
| 2020 | Elsa Sjunneson-Henry | Fate Accessibility Toolkit | Evil Hat Productions |
| 2021 | Greg Kasavin* | Hades | Supergiant Games |
| 2021 | Stephen Bell | Blaseball | The Game Band |
| 2021 | Joel A. Clark | Blaseball | The Game Band |
| 2021 | Sam Rosenthal | Blaseball | The Game Band |
| 2021 | Jake Elliot | Kentucky Route Zero | Cardboard Computer |
| 2021 | Phoebe Barton | The Luminous Underground | Choice of Games |
| 2021 | Sam Kabo Ashwell | Scents & Semiosis | Sam Kabo Ashwell |
| 2021 | Cat Manning | Scents & Semiosis | Sam Kabo Ashwell |
| 2021 | Yoon Ha Lee | Scents & Semiosis | Sam Kabo Ashwell |
| 2021 | Caleb Wilson | Scents & Semiosis | Sam Kabo Ashwell |
| 2021 | Nicolas Guerin | Spiritfarer | Thunder Lotus Games |
| 2021 | Maxim Monast | Spiritfarer | Thunder Lotus Games |
| 2021 | Alex Tommi | Spiritfarer | Thunder Lotus Games |
| 2022 | April Kit Walsh* | Thirsty Sword Lesbians | Evil Hat Productions |
| 2022 | Whitney Delagio* | Thirsty Sword Lesbians | Evil Hat Productions |
| 2022 | Dominique Dickey* | Thirsty Sword Lesbians | Evil Hat Productions |
| 2022 | Jonaya Kemper* | Thirsty Sword Lesbians | Evil Hat Productions |
| 2022 | Alexis Sara* | Thirsty Sword Lesbians | Evil Hat Productions |
| 2022 | Rae Nedjadi* | Thirsty Sword Lesbians | Evil Hat Productions |
| 2022 | Connor Alexander | Coyote and Crow | Coyote & Crow |
| 2022 | William McKay | Coyote and Crow | Coyote & Crow |
| 2022 | Weyodi Oldbear | Coyote and Crow | Coyote & Crow |
| 2022 | Derek Pounds | Coyote and Crow | Coyote & Crow |
| 2022 | Nico Albert | Coyote and Crow | Coyote & Crow |
| 2022 | Riana Elliott | Coyote and Crow | Coyote & Crow |
| 2022 | Diogo Nogueira | Coyote and Crow | Coyote & Crow |
| 2022 | William Thompson | Coyote and Crow | Coyote & Crow |
| 2022 | Balogun Ojetade | Granma's Hand | Roaring Lion Productions |
| 2022 | Jay Dragon | Wanderhome | Possum Creek Games |
| 2022 | Nate Austin | Wildermyth | Worldwalker Games |
| 2022 | Anne Austin | Wildermyth | Worldwalker Games |
| 2022 | Douglas Austin | Wildermyth | Worldwalker Games |
| 2023 | Hidetaka Miyazaki* | Elden Ring | FromSoftware |
| 2023 | George R. R. Martin* | Elden Ring | FromSoftware |
| 2023 | Ben McCaw | Horizon Forbidden West | Guerrilla Games |
| 2023 | Annie Kitain | Horizon Forbidden West | Guerrilla Games |
| 2023 | Ajit George | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | F. Wesley Schneider | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Justice Ramin Arman | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Dominique Dickey | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Basheer Ghouse | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Alastor Guzman | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | D. Fox Harrell | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | T.K. Johnson | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Felice Tzehuei Kuan | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Surena Marie | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Mimi Mondal | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Mario Ortegón | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Miyuki Jane Pinckard | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Pam Punzalan | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Erin Roberts | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Stephanie Yoon | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Terry H. Romero | Journeys through the Radiant Citadel | Wizards of the Coast |
| 2023 | Kate Dollarhyde | Pentiment | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2023 | Zoe Franznick | Pentiment | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2023 | Märten Rattasepp | Pentiment | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2023 | Josh Sawyer | Pentiment | Obsidian Entertainment |
| 2023 | Steven Lerner | Stray | BlueTwelve Studio |
| 2023 | Vivien Mermet-Guyenet | Stray | BlueTwelve Studio |
| 2023 | Colas Koola | Stray | BlueTwelve Studio |
| 2023 | Natalia Theodoridou | Vampire: The Masquerade — Sins of the Sires | Choice of Games |
| 2024 | Adam Smith* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Adrienne Law* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Baudelaire Welch* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Chrystal Ding* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Ella McConnell* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Ine Van Hamme* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Jan Van Dosselaer* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | John Corcoran* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Kevin VanOrd* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Lawrence Schick* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Martin Docherty* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Rachel Quirke* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Ruairí Moore* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Sarah Baylus* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Stephen Rooney* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Swen Vincke* | Baldur's Gate 3 | Larian Studios |
| 2024 | Stewart C. Baker | The Bread Must Rise | Choice of Games |
| 2024 | James Beamon | The Bread Must Rise | Choice of Games |
| 2024 | Sam Lake | Alan Wake II | Remedy Entertainment, Epic Games Publishing |
| 2024 | Clay Murphy | Alan Wake II | Remedy Entertainment, Epic Games Publishing |
| 2024 | Tyler Burton Smith | Alan Wake II | Remedy Entertainment, Epic Games Publishing |
| 2024 | Sinikka Annala | Alan Wake II | Remedy Entertainment, Epic Games Publishing |
| 2024 | Yoon Ha Lee | Ninefox Gambit: Machineries of Empire Roleplaying Game | Android Press |
| 2024 | Marie Brennan | Ninefox Gambit: Machineries of Empire Roleplaying Game | Android Press |
| 2024 | Joel Mason | Dredge | Black Salt Games, Team17 |
| 2024 | Julien Moya | Chants of Sennaar | Rundisc, Focus Entertainment |
| 2024 | Thomas Panuel | Chants of Sennaar | Rundisc, Focus Entertainment |
| 2025 | Remy Siu | 1000xResist | Fellow Traveller Games |
| 2025 | Pink Li | 1000xResist | Fellow Traveller Games |
| 2025 | Conor Wylie | 1000xResist | Fellow Traveller Games |
| 2025 | Stewart C. Baker | A Death in Hyperspace | Infomancy.net |
| 2025 | Phoebe Barton | A Death in Hyperspace | Infomancy.net |
| 2025 | James Beamon | A Death in Hyperspace | Infomancy.net |
| 2025 | Kate Heartfield | A Death in Hyperspace | Infomancy.net |
| 2025 | Isabel J. Kim | A Death in Hyperspace | Infomancy.net |
| 2025 | Sara S. Messenger | A Death in Hyperspace | Infomancy.net |
| 2025 | Naca Rat | A Death in Hyperspace | Infomancy.net |
| 2025 | Natalia Theodoridou | A Death in Hyperspace | Infomancy.net |
| 2025 | M. Darusha Wehm | A Death in Hyperspace | Infomancy.net |
| 2025 | Merc Fenn Wolfmoor | A Death in Hyperspace | Infomancy.net |
| 2025 | Hidetaka Miyazaki | Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree | From Software |
| 2025 | Benjamin Rosenbaum | The Ghost and the Golem | Choice of Games |
| 2025 | Karrie Shao | Pacific Drive | Ironwood Studios |
| 2025 | Paul Dean | Pacific Drive | Ironwood Studios |
| 2025 | Natalia Theodoridou | Restore, Reflect, Retry | Choice of Games |
| 2025 | Tony Howard-Arias | Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut | Black Tabby Games |
| 2025 | Abby Howard | Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut | Black Tabby Games |
| 2025 | Jay Dragon | Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast | Possum Creek Games |
| 2025 | M. Veselak | Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast | Possum Creek Games |
| 2025 | Mercedes Acosta | Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast | Possum Creek Games |
| 2025 | Lillie J. Harris | Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast | Possum Creek Games |