Spiel des Jahres

The German Spiel des Jahres is perhaps the world's most prestigious game award. Founded in 1978 by a group of German game critics to promote awareness and to increase the cultural value of games, the award recognizes outstanding games based on originality, playability, and educational value of the game idea; organization, clarity and understandability of rules; packing and layout of the gameboard and the game rules; and functionality and overall quality of the game materials included.

Each year the journalists who compose the Jury cast ballots to select the honorees and to award the main prize, the Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year). In past years, a list of Nominees was selected, then a few weeks later, the Spiel des Jahres was chosen from that list. Beginning in 2004, an initial list of Recommended games was published as well as five Nominees announced as finalists; and finally, the Game of the Year is announced a few weeks after that, in early summer.

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Spiel des Jahres: 1989

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Game of the Year

Café International
$35.00 The Cafe International is a meeting place for guests from many nations. At a table an Indian drinks coffee with a Frenchman; at the bar a Spaniard converses with an African. The task of the players is to divide the international guests as...

Game of the Year

Café International
$42.00 The Cafe International is a meeting place for guests from many nations. At a table an Indian drinks coffee with a Frenchman; at the bar a Spaniard converses with an African. The task of the players is to divide the international guests as...

Nominee

Abalone mini edition Funagain Games does not stock this edition of this title, usually because it's out of print.

Nominee

Abalone
List: $30.00 $26.99 (10% savings!) How do you create a game that has sold over 4 million copies in 30 different countries? Easy, just make it a game that anyone can learn in one minute, but that may take a lifetime to master. Loosely based on sumo wrestling, the point of Abalone is...

Nominee

Abalone Abalone takes only a few short minutes to learn--and it's never the same game twice. Just move your marbles toward your opponent, outnumber him, and force him off the board! Although Abalone can be learned easily by players of almost any age,... Funagain Games does not stock this edition of this title, usually because it's out of print.

Nominee

Abalone Funagain Games does not stock this edition of this title, usually because it's out of print.

Nominee

Der Ausreisser Funagain Games does not stock this edition of this title, usually because it's out of print.

Nominee

Dance of the Witches English language edition On the night before the first of May, all the witches meet for their yearly dance around Moon Hill. Your goal is to have all you witches complete their dance by moving once around the mountain. Unfortunately, all the witches are wearing black hats... Funagain Games does not stock this edition of this title, usually because it's out of print.

Nominee

Hexentanz Funagain Games does not stock this edition of this title, usually because it's out of print.

Nominee

Such a Thing? English language edition of E1n Solches D¿ng...
List: $19.95 $15.99 (20% savings!) Such a Thing is a game where players have to think of a thing that fits a number of given characteristics. Players in turn add cards from their hand one by one, until one player doubts there is "such a thing" that matches all the cards currently played.