Nerds in the know watch for the Diana Jones Award every year, because they consistently pick some really great stuff. This year's shortlist, announced yesterday, is no different. Games (and basically anything that's a game-related noun) get nominated based on merit and not commercial success, by a mostly anonymous group of industry illuminati. (And the award's cred is only enhanced by the fact that it's given at a GenCon party and its genesis involves TSR, "Naziâ„¢" figures, and the mass-burning of boxes of the Indiana Jones RPG.)

If you're looking for games and gamer-ly stuff to add to your life list, the shortlist is worth tucking away somewhere handy—and you probably even know some previous honorees, like Dominion and BoardGameGeek. Woot for the well-deserved props to Wil Wheaton's Tabletop series this year!

The Stranger Testing Department is Rob Lightner and Paul Hughes.