The Xyzzymposium is returning! The aim of the Xyzzymposium is to provide in depth analysis of the finalist entries for each of the XYZZY Award categories. It was last held in 2015-2016 for the 2014 XYZZY Awards. The goal of the Xyzzymposium is still as it was initially described:

A lot of the critical writing in the IF world comes in the forms of general reviews; that’s great, but we wanted to see more in-depth writing that considered games through specific foci.

The XYZZYs have no cash prizes or shiny trophies, no red-carpet parties; all we really offer is the respect of your peers, and a slightly more prominent mark in the history of the medium. Both of these become a little more concrete if they’re combined with in-depth critical attention. The Xyzzymposium isn’t intended to be a triumphal march; we’re not here to lavish praise on anointed champions. The purpose of the Xyzzymposium is to show that we’re taking a work seriously enough to wrestle with it.

We’re going to be covering the 2017 Awards (but if we get enough writers we may take a stab at covering the missing years). Writers are being contacted now, with the intention of publishing the reviews throughout the second half of September.

Taking on the mantle of Xyzzymposiarch from Sam Kabo Ashwell, this year the organiser is Joey Jones. You may know Joey for such games as The Chinese Room, Andromeda Dreaming, Sub Rosa, or Trials of the Thief-Taker.