The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design (AAGAD) is a peer based network of gaming industry professionals whose mission is to promote innovation and excellence in design and production of games and game related materials.
Hall of Fame
“In our Hall of Fame we find those people who have made critical contributions to gaming overall. We have those who elevated game design to an art and those who elevated the art found in game design. We have members who have made contributions to the business side of gaming, and those whose contributions have been less in design and production than in service to the industry as a whole. And we have the greatest fruits of their labors enshrined there as well.” — Michael Stackpole, Hall of Fame inductee
The Hall of Fame Class of 2021 inductees include Maureen Hiron, Bruno Cathala, Uwe Rosenberg Carcossonne, and the Pokemon Trading Card Game. In addition, Elizabeth Hargrave was recognized as this year’s Rising Star.
Donald Turnbull*
Inducted 1974
Wargame and RPG Designer
Founder Albion Magazine, Play-By-Mail Games, Fiend Folio (D&D)
James Dunnigan
Inducted 1975
Wargame Designer
Panzer Blitz, Complete Wargames Handbook
Tom Shaw*
Inducted 1976
Wargame Designer
Founder The General Magazine
Redmond Simonsen*
Inducted 1977
Wargame Designer
Specialist in Game Information Graphics, Strategy and Tactics
John Hill*
Inducted 1978
Wargame Designer
Squad Leader, Founder Conflict Games
Gary Gygax*
Inducted 1980
RPG Designer
Dungeons & Dragons, Founder TSR
David Isby
Inducted 1980
Wargame Designer, Writer
SPI, Strategy and Tactics
Marc Miller
Inducted 1981
RPG and Board Game Designer
Traveller, Founder GDW, Imperium
Steve Jackson
Inducted 1982
Board Game and RPG Designer, Publisher
Ogre, GURPS, Munchkin, Founder Steve Jackson Games
Charles Roberts*
Inducted 1982
Wargame Designer
“Father of Modern Board Wargaming”, Founder Avalon Hill, Tactics
David Arneson*
Inducted 1984
RPG Designer
Dungeons & Dragons
Frank Chadwick
Inducted 1984
Wargame and RPG Designer, Writer
Founder GDW, En Garde!, Twilight 2000, Europa, Traveller
Louis Zocchi
Inducted 1986
Wargame Designer
Zocchihedron 100 sided die, How To Sell Your Wargame, The General
Francis Gregory Stafford*
Inducted 1987
RPG Designer, Publisher
Founder Chaosium, Glorantha, Pendragon
Rick Loomis*
Inducted 1988
Publisher, Game Designer
Founder Flying Buffalo, Pioneer in Play By Mail games, Starweb
James Ward
Inducted 1989
RPG Designer, Writer
Gamma World, Metamorphosis Alpha, Deities and Demigods, Greyhawk Adventures, Pool of Radiance
Richard Berg*
Inducted 1990
Wargame Designer
War of the Ring, Campaign for North Africa, Bergs Review of Games
Sandy Petersen
Inducted 1990
RPG and Board Game Designer
Call of Cthulhu RPG, Chaosium
Don Greenwood
Inducted 1991
Wargame Designer
Advanced Squad Leader, Republic of Rome, The General
Tom Meier
Inducted 1991
Sculptor
Thunderbolt Mountain, Ral Partha
Donald Featherstone*
Inducted 1993
Wargamer, Writer
Gaming Advocate, Wargamer’s Newsletter, Numerous Wargaming Books
Michael Stackpole
Inducted 1993
Writer, RPG Designer
Gaming Advocate, DragonCrown War, Star Wars, Battletech
Nigel Findley*
Inducted 1994
RPG Designer
Shadowrun RPG
Julie Guthrie
Inducted 1994
Sculptor
Dungeons & Dragons, Grenadier, Ral Partha, Reaper
Jordan Weisman
Inducted 1994
Board Game Designer, Publisher
Founder FASA, Wizkids, Mage Knight, Heroclix, Battletech
Elizabeth Danforth
Inducted 1995
Artist, RPG Designer
Sorceror’s Apprentice, Tunnels and Trolls 5E, Magic the Gathering, Middle Earth RPG
Darwin Bromley*
Inducted 1996
Publisher, Board Game Designer
Founder Mayfair Games, Empire Builder
Richard Garfield
Inducted 1998
Trading Card and Board Game Designer
Magic The Gathering, King of Tokyo, Android: Netrunner, Roborally, Bunny Kingdom, Keyforge
Greg Costikyan
Inducted 1999
RPG Designer
Star Wars RPG, Paranoia
Larry Elmore
Inducted 1999
Artist
Dungeons & Dragons, Dragonlance, Traveller
Tracy Hickman
Inducted 2001
Writer, RPG Designer
Dragonlance
Margaret Weis
Inducted 2001
Writer
Dragonlance
James Ernest
Inducted 2002
Board Game Designer, Publisher
Founder Cheapass Games, Kill Dr. Lucky, Tak
John Kovalic
Inducted 2002
Writer, Illustrator
Dork Tower, Munchkin
Peter Adkison
Inducted 2003
Publisher
Founder Wizards of the Coast, Owner Gen Con
David Cook
Inducted 2003
RPG Designer
Dungeons & Dragons 2ed
R.A. Salvatore
Inducted 2003
Writer
D&D Forgotten Realms series, Drizzt series
Larry Bond
Inducted 2004
Wargame Designer
Harpoon , Command at Sea, Specialist in modern military simulations
Bob Charrette
Inducted 2004
Sculptor, Artist, Game Designer, Writer
Bushido, Ral Partha, Battletech
Ed Greenwood
Inducted 2004
RPG Designer, Writer
D&D Forgotten Realms, Elminster, Dragon Magazine, Shandril’s Saga
Reiner Knizia
Inducted 2004
Board Game Designer
Tigris and Euphrates, Ra, Modern Art, Lost Cities, Medici, Quest for El Dorado, Samurai
Klaus Teuber*
Inducted 2004
Board Game Designer
Settlers of Catan (Catan)
Loren Wiseman*
Inducted 2004
RPG Designer
Founder GDW, Traveller, Twilight 2000
Duke Seifried*
Inducted 2005
Publisher
Founder Heritage Models, Pioneer in gaming miniatures industry
Aaron Allston*
Inducted 2006
RPG Designer, Writer
Autoduel Champions, Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars
Jolly Blackburn
Inducted 2006
Writer and RPG Designer
Knights of the Dinner Table, Founder Shadis Magazine, Hackmaster
Rodger MacGowan
Inducted 2006
Wargame Designer, Artist
Fire and Movement
Dennis Mize*
Inducted 2006
Sculptor
Ral Partha, Reaper, Dungeons & Dragons
Michael Pondsmith
Inducted 2006
RPG and Board Game Designer
Cyberpunk, Castle Falkenstein, Teenagers from Outer Space
Alan Moon
Inducted 2007
Board Game Designer
Founder Gathering of Friends, Ticket to Ride
Jonathan Tweet
Inducted 2007
RPG and Board Game Designer
Dungeons & Dragons, D&D Minis, Everway, Dreamblade
Alex Randolph*
Inducted 2011
Board Game Designer
TwixT, Enchanted Forest, Richochet Robots
Sid Sackson*
Inducted 2011
Board Game Designer
Acquire, Can’t Stop, I’m the Boss
Erick Wujcik*
Inducted 2011
RPG Designer
Amber Diceless RPG, Palladium, Rifts, Paranoia
Loren Coleman
Inducted 2014
Publisher
Founder Catalyst Game Lab
Lisa Stevens
Inducted 2014
Publisher
Founder Paizo Publishing
Monte Cook
Inducted 2015
RPG Designer
Dungeons & Dragons, Numenera
Kevin Siembieda
Inducted 2015
RPG Designer, Publisher, Artist
Rifts, Founder Palladium Books
John Nephew
Inducted 2016
Publisher
Founder Atlas Games
Mike Elliott
Inducted 2017
Trading Card and Board Game Designer
Duel Masters TCG, Battle Spirits TCG, Thunderstone, Star Trek Fleet Captains
Jennell Jaquays*
Inducted 2017
RPG Designer, Artist
Founded The Dungeoneer, Dark Tower
Eric Lang
Inducted 2018
Board Game Designer
Blood Rage, Rising Sun, Chaos in the Old Word, Cthulhu: Death May Die
Kenneth St. Andre
Inducted 2018
RPG Designer
Tunnels and Trolls
Gerald Brom
Inducted 2019
Artist
D&D Dark Sun
Vlaada Chvátil
Inducted 2019
Board Game Designer
Codenames, Through the Ages, Galaxy Trucker, Space Alert, Dungeon Lords
Wolfgang Kramer
Inducted 2020
Board Game Designer
El Grande, Tikal, The Princes of Florence, 6 Nimmt!
Reinhold Wittig
Inducted 2020
Board Game Designer
Gaming Advocate, Founder Gottingen Gathering, Founder German Game Authors Guild
Maureen Hiron*
Inducted 2021
Board Game Designer
Continuo, Duo
Uwe Rosenberg
Inducted 2021
Board Game Designer
Agricola, Caverna, A Feast for Odin, Patchwork, Bohnanza, Le Havre
Bruno Cathala
Inducted 2021
Board Game Designer
Kingdomino, Shadows Over Camelot, Five Tribes, Mr. Jack
Michael Kiesling
Inducted 2022
Board Game Designer
Azul, Tikal, Heaven & Ale
Rose Estes
Inducted 2022
Writer
Dungeons & Dragons, Endless Quest
Satoshi Nakamura
Inducted 2022
Trading Card and Board Game Designer
Cardfight Vanguard, Fairy Tale, Weiß Schwarz
Martin Wallace
Inducted 2023
Board Game Designer
Steam, Brass, London
Mark Rosewater
Inducted 2023
Trading Card Game Designer
Magic: The Gathering, Insider Trading, Making Magic, Magic: The Puzzling
Jeff Easley
Inducted 2023
Artist
Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering
Matt Leacock
Inducted 2025
Board Game Designer
Pandemic, Forbidden Island, Forbidden Desert
Rebecca Guay
Inducted 2025
Artist
Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons
David Trampier*
Inducted 2025
Artist, Illustrator
Dungeons & Dragons, Wormy, Titan
Terry Amthor*
Inducted 2024
RPG Designer
Gaming Advocate, Shadow World, Rolemaster, Kult
Christopher Rush*
Inducted 2024
Artist
Magic: The Gathering