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: 2007

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Game of the Year

Zooloretto
List: $44.95 $35.99 (20% savings!) Each player uses small, large, wild and exotic animals and their young to try and attract as many visitors as possible to their zoo. But be careful -- the zoo must be carefully planned. Before you know it, you have too many animals and no more room for...

Nominee

Thief of Bagdad (Restocking) English language edition of Der Dieb von Bagdad
List: $39.95 $31.95 (20% savings!) The sun is going down and dusk is slowly descending upon Baghdad's silhouette. The shadows in the alleyways are getting longer and becoming darker. The Bazaar slowly empties and the honorable citizens of this desert metropolis make their way home. This...

Nominee

Jenseits von Theben More than 100 years ago, within a period of only a few decades, unusually many historical finds, treasures and whole cities of antique cultures were found and excavated; Schliemann discovered Troy, Evans investigated Crete, Carter found the grave of... Funagain Games does not stock this edition of this title, usually because it's out of print.

Nominee

Thebes (Restocking) multilingual edition of Jenseits von Theben
List: $59.95 $47.95 (20% savings!) More than 100 years ago, within a period of only a few decades, unusually many historical finds, treasures and whole cities of antique cultures were found and excavated; Schliemann discovered Troy, Evans investigated Crete, Carter found the grave of...

Nominee

Arkadia (Restocking) English language edition of Die Baumeister von Arkadia
List: $44.95 $35.95 (20% savings!) In a remote land there lies a region with undulating hills and fertile valleys. Widely-traveled settlers have laid the foundation stone for the city of Arkadia. In addition to several other buildings, they want to construct a magnificent castle on a...

Nominee

Die Baumeister von Arkadia original German edition of Arkadia Funagain Games does not stock this edition of this title, usually because it's out of print.

Nominee

Yspahan (Currently Unavailable) Master Print #2
$59.95 1598. Yspahan the fair becomes the capital of the Persian empire. Thus, being placed at the center of the world, the city enjoys a period of cultural and economic blossoming. The cities and villages of the region intend to take advantage of this...

Nominee

Yspahan
List: $49.95 $39.95 (20% savings!) 1598. Yspahan the Fair becomes the capital of the Persian Empire. Thus, being placed at the center of the world, the city enjoys a period of cultural and economic blossoming. The cities and villages of the region intend to take advantage of this...

Recommended

Skybridge (Restocking)
List: $30.00 $26.99 (10% savings!) The sky is the limit in this 3-D architecture strategy project. Use your 2- and 3-story building blocks to build towers, use the bridges to connect adjacent towers and the roofs to determine the tower's owner. The one who crowns the most structures wins.

Recommended