The Gary Gygax Award for Gameplay Innovation: Mirror’s Edge

Everything about Mirror’s Edge is subversive to what games often are: The main character isn’t a beefed-up man, but a strong yet agile woman; the player is encouraged not to fight, but to run away; the enemies aren’t aliens, monsters or Nazis, they’re your government. Best of all, the game’s high-flying acrobatics of parkour — itself a subversive sport — is great fun. The award honors the late creator of Dungeons and Dragons, which set the stage for countless board and video games. Let’s hope Mirror’s Edge wields a heavy influence on first-person games to come.