In the summer of 2023, the Summit Award judges rolled out 2023 Summit Award information to the public and began accepting nominations for games that fit that criteria. The judges — which include the SDHist board, the SDHist advisory committee and any honorary members as agreed to by the SDHist board — met in October to discuss and narrow down the game nominations. These are the four finalists they selected (in alphabetical order):
Fire & Stone: Siege of Vienna 1683, designed by Robert DeLeskie and published by Capstone Games, is a 60-90 minute game of asymmetric siege combat for two players. It depicts the 100,000-strong Ottoman army besieging 12,000 Viennese soldiers, the city militia, and citizen soldiers, with time and the potential of relief a critical consideration for both sides.
John Company, 2nd Edition, designed by Cole Wehrle and published by Wehrlegig Games, is a 90-240 minute economic negotiation game for one to six players. Players each assume the roles of influential families trying to use the British East India Company to boost their own reputation.
Stonewall Uprising, designed by Taylor Shuss and published by Catastrophe Games, is a 30-60 minute asymmetric deck-building game for one to two players. It covers the struggle for gay rights over the course of three decades, with players taking the sides of either Pride or The Man from the 1960s through the 1980s.
Votes for Women, designed by Tory Brown and published by Fort Circle Games, is a 60-75 minute card-driven area majority game for one to four players. It covers the course of the American women’s suffrage movement from 1848 through 1920, ending with either the ratification or rejection of the 19th Amendment.
These games were taught and demonstrated at SDHistCon Summit 2023. Following that, members of the SD HistCon Board and SD HistCon Advisory Board met to determine the winner of the 2023 Summit Award, selecting Votes for Women. The judges praised Votes for Women for its novelty of topic, streamlined rules that facilitate teaching and play, effectiveness as a historical game (including with the extensive historical materials included), and well-crafted asymmetry between the sides.
Votes for Women is designed by Tory Brown. It features art and graphic design from Brigette Indelicato and Marc Rodrigue and development from Kevin Bertram. Dr. Rachel Michelle Gunter served as historical advisor and Kimberly Himmer served as copy editor. It is published by Fort Circle Games.