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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Game of the Year

Lost Cities: The Board Game English language edition of Keltis
List: $39.95 $31.99 (20% savings!) Each player leads a five-member group of four adventurers and a researcher on the search for lost cities. To reach each city, the players must travel a separate path nine steps long. On a player's turn, he plays a card and moves one of his adventurers...

Nominee

Marrakech AKA: Suleika
List: $30.00 $26.99 (10% savings!) The bazaar is bustling: it's the big day at the rug market! The best salesperson will soon be named!

Nominee

Witch's Brew (Restocking) #4 AMBS, English language edition of Wie verhext!
List: $34.99 $27.99 (20% savings!) Whether it is the druid, the witch, or the wizard. All these masters of magic help the players brew their potions, helping them to become rich and successful.

Nominee

Blox (Restocking)
$52.95 Who will build the most valuable towers with a mix of tactics and luck? Who will clear them away and collect the most points? And who will find the right moment to throw their opponent from the board?

Nominee

Stone Age English language edition
List: $44.95 $35.99 (20% savings!) The times were hard indeed. Our ancestors worked with their legs and backs straining against wooden plows in the stony earth. Of course, progress did not stop with the wooden plow. People always searched for better tools and more productive plants to...

Recommended

Kakerlakensalat
$25.00 In this quick reaction game, 2 to 6 cockroach cooks mix a salad of colorful vegetables, which must be placed according the proper rules. No hesitations or slips are permitted!

Recommended

Penguin (Restocking) English language edition of Pingu-Party
List: $14.95 $11.95 (20% savings!) The iceberg is sinking, and the penguins must race to the top! Penguin is a fast, fun, and very easy to learn game for 2 to 6 players designed by renowned designer, Reiner Knizia. The game features 36 delightfully sculpted plastic penguins in four...

Recommended

Big Points (Currently Unavailable) an Easy Play game
$19.95 The path is laid out in a different order each time. When all pawns are on the winner stairs, you can quickly determine the winner... and begin the next round.

Recommended

The Hanging Gardens (Restocking) English language edition of Die Hängenden Gärten
List: $34.95 $27.95 (20% savings!) The hanging gardens were one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, as all history courses teach. But, did they actually exist? Nothing remains of their reported splendor, which was built for the eyes of Amyitis.

Recommended

Wicked Witches Way (Currently Restocking) English language edition of Flinke Feger
List: $29.99 $23.95 (20% savings!) Welcome to The Sorcerer's first Grand Prix! Sometimes, if the night is clear and you look to the sky you will be able to see strange objects zigzagging between the stars. They are not shooting stars, meteors, or flying saucers! You are fortunate, for...