I really did not want to have to write such an announcement again. Alas, here we are.

In short: we are, regrettably, having to delay the 2021 awards. Not as long as last year. But a delay nonetheless.

As everyone is undoubtedly aware, the world continues to grapple with the the circumstances around the COVID-19 pandemic and the myriad disruptions it has caused across all manner of everyday living from the critical to the mundane. Canceled events, short-staffed businesses, the continuation of a global shipping crisis – all of these stayed with us in 2021 as we endured more than a year of anxiety, uncertainty, and attempts to keep ourselves safe, sane, and healthy (presumably anyway).

To say that 2020 upended the normal activities and behaviors of the tabletop hobby proved to be an understatement, with the vast majority of people being unable to play games in person, having to utilize digital gaming options as an alternative, or simply not even having interest in such a leisurely social activity with so much else going on. The malaise was palpable. Kickstarter projects were down. New game releases were down. Content creation writ large was down. There were bright spots, certainly, but overall 2020 was a strange and trying time for the industry.

2021 started off much the same before many parts of the continent got a brief glimpse of normality. Warmer weather and the all-important vaccines gave people refocused energy and reclaimed passions for projects – ourselves included. People felt like they could slowly start having their lives back. For a couple brief months things looked to be on the right track. Then came one new variant, bringing with it the necessity for resuming some precautions, followed at year’s end by a second variant and a dreaded sense among many that we’re right back where we started. (We’re not, but in the throes of it all the sentiment is understandable.)

We here at The CR have not been immune to all of this – hence the reduction in coverage and discussion of games compared to the pre-pandemic era. Yet even by taking advantage of windows of opportunity as often as we could to stay engaged throughout the year via postings, in-person gaming, and even a convention or two, this interim has been quite challenging. At the end of the day, what keeps us energized and excited is spending time with friends and fully taking in the experience of the game on the table before us. That has been highly inconsistent for us. To many folks, 2021 was a full return to form, but for many others due to location or circumstances that simple-sounding act has been a monumental challenge over the last 12 months – or was largely off the table entirely.

Which brings us to the 2021 Laurels of the Republic.

As most readers are aware, the Laurels are based around our player archetype philosophy of covering games based on who they’re specifically designed for. For us, trying to do even a short review on a game requires multiple playthroughs with multiple gamer groups. To then compile an entire year’s worth of titles into 30 nominees takes many months. While we comparatively had much more success in 2021 than in 2020, we still aren’t back to our traditional frequency. Much of that has to do with the inconstancy of our various game groups due to scheduling or fluctuating comfort levels around socializing throughout the year, which is both understandable and outside our control. When factored in alongside continued delays in game shipments, difficulties coordinating with publishers, and an added financial cost purchasing and shipping some games we’ve otherwise simply borrowed instead, attempting to pull off a comprehensive set of nominees by our traditional announcement date of mid-February was once again untenable.

However, unlike the circumstances in 2020, at no point did we consider canceling them entirely. In fact, until around the beginning of December we were optimistic we would be on track for a normal award cycle. The onset of several factors including the Omicron variant put a giant wrench in those plans, and it was clear we would once again need additional time.

Therefore, we are announcing that we are delaying the 2021 Laurels by 1 month. If all goes well the plan will be to announce the nominees in March and the winners throughout April. It’s still going to be a tight deadline to make, but we’re going to do our best to see it through.

Given the unprecedented circumstances we all find ourselves in, we hope that you understand. The Laurels have become one of the things we’re most proud of here, and we want to do right by them. The pandemic has done a severe number on our small team and the content we can muster, and several efforts have temporarily fallen by the wayside. But we’re once again going to try like hell to make sure the Laurels aren’t one of them.