And back on to the topic at hand -
from a completely disconnected position as someone who wasn't a Judge -
My honest opinion is that the Cyclical Mechanic should have hands down won the category. It is by far (IMO) the most innovative change to a core Mafia game.
I love Magua but the 'Auction' mechanic had previously been done at least once (in fact I think Zoraster ran the game IRIC) and attempted in OhGodMyLife's abandoned Drinking Themed game before Magua ran it.
Team Mafia is an awesome
competition
. And I highlight the word for a reason. It's not at all a fundamental change to how the game itself is played. The extra excitement and other elements that it brought to the table have everything to do with the inherent bragging rights and much less to do with the fundamental 'change' to the game.
Cyclical (while having some set-up flaws in the initial run that were easily correctable as noted by the playerbase) introduced huge new elements in making properly reading Town as important as reading scum and also encouraging new forms of scum-hunting with the trading mechanics while retaining all normal scum-hunting elements.
The decision of the Scummies Judges is a difficult one. No chance everyone is going to agree with the decisions.
"I am a leaf on the wind ... watch how I soar!"
Pretty much Geriatric game restricted at this point ... unless there are players I REALLY want to play with.