Board games awards
Are there awards for board games? Yes, just as there are annual awards for the best movies and for the best songs, there are also annual awards for the best board games. Do you want to know how?
Award-winning games = Great games
Looking at award-winning board games is a quick and easy way to choose a high-quality game with a high likelihood of being enjoyable and a hit at the table with your friends and family.
It’s also an excellent way to pick out a board game as a gift and be sure they’ll love it. Giving the best game of the year as a gift is definitely a great present.
There are many awards of different kinds, but we’re going to focus on the most prestigious one, the equivalent of the Oscars or the Grammys for the board game industry, and that award is SPIEL DES JAHRES. It might sound a bit exotic, but it simply means ‘Game of the Year’ in German.
Spiel des Jahres, the Oscars of board games.
This award is one of the most influential and recognized in the board game industry worldwide. It’s awarded by a panel of German board game experts and highlights titles that promote accessibility – making it easy and quick to learn how to play – as well as fun and innovation. The Spiel des Jahres award has been presented annually since 1979.
In the Spiel des Jahres, awards are given in three categories:
- Spiel des Jahres – Game of the Year: This is the main and most prestigious award presented to the board game considered the best of the year. This game should stand out for its accessibility, originality, and ability to entertain different types of players.
- Kennerspiel des Jahres – Game of the Year for Experienced Players: This category was created in 2011 to recognize more complex and strategic board games designed for experienced and passionate players. These are the games for serious gamers, although some award-winning games in this category might have fit perfectly in the previous category. Of course, these categories aren’t set in stone—it’s all pretty subjective.
- Kinderspiel des Jahres – Children’s Game of the Year: This award acknowledges the best board game specifically designed for children. Factors such as appropriate age, fun factor, educational value, and the ability to promote specific skills in young players are taken into consideration during the evaluation process.
In addition to these main categories, there can also be special mentions or honorary awards given to games that excel in particular areas, such as innovation, artistic design, or specific mechanics.
Next, we’re going to list the award-winning games in the categories of Best Game of the Year and Best Game for Experienced Players since the 2016 edition.
Spiel des Jahres award-winning board games 2016-2024
2025
BOMB BUSTERS
Best game of the year 2025
What if defusing a bomb with your friends was actually a fun way to spend the night?
2 to 5 players | From 12 years old | 30 min per game
A clever cooperative deduction game in which the team has to defuse 66 escalating missions, cutting wires you can’t see by reading what your teammates say (and don’t say). Quick rules, surprises that you unlock as you go and that “just one more try” rhythm that lifts it well above the average party game.
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ENDEAVOR: DEEP SEA
Best game for experienced players 2025
Run an ocean research institute, fund expeditions, publish science and protect fragile ecosystems… without ever feeling like work.
1 to 4 players | From 14 years old | 60-90 min per game
A mid-weight Euro that takes the engine of the original Endeavor down into the abyss. Variable setup, tight decisions and a smart solo mode that turns each game into a different story. Heavy enough for veterans, accessible enough that nobody gets stuck on their first turn.
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amazon.com 🇺🇸amazon.co.uk 🇬🇧amazon.ca 🇨🇦2024
SKY TEAM
Best game of the year 2024
What if I told you that you could land a plane with your best friend without a pilot’s license?
2 players : From 12 years old : 15 min per game
A cooperative game for two players. It is an experience of adrenaline and complicity, designed for those who are looking for something more than rolling dice: they are looking to live a story. And after one game… you will want to fly again.
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e-MISSION ! (Daybreak)
Best game for experienced players 2024
Imagine that the fate of the planet is in your hands… and you have little chance to avoid disaster.
From 1 to 4 players | From 10 years old | 120 min per game | 120 min per game
If you like challenges with purpose, decisions with weight and games that generate conversations… e-mission is that urgent call you’ll want to heed.
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amazon.com 🇺🇸amazon.co.uk 🇬🇧amazon.ca 🇨🇦2023
DORFRomantik
Best game of the year 2023
It is a city and landscape building game in which players place hexagonal tiles to build their own rural world.
For 2 to 6 players | Ages 8 and up | 30-50 minutes per game
A great choice if you’re looking for a relaxing game with calm gameplay and beautiful visuals.
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Challengers!
Best game for experienced players 2023
It’s a deck-building game with a novel duel system that allows up to 4 battles simultaneously.
1 to 8 players | Ages 8 and up | 45 minutes per game
It’s a perfect game for those with some experience in deck-building games.
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amazon.com 🇺🇸amazon.co.uk 🇬🇧amazon.ca 🇨🇦2022
Cascadia
Best game of the year 2022
A board game focused on creating natural landscapes in the Pacific Northwest region by connecting habitats and animals.
1 to 4 players | Ages 10 and up | 30-45 minutes per game
It’s a great introduction to the world of board games. It’s very beautiful, easy to play and explain, and also a lot of fun.
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Living Forest
Best game for experienced players 2022
In this game, players work together to face a forest fire. Your goal is to extinguish the flames, plant new trees and collect lotus flowers – all to save the forest!
For 2 to 4 players | Ages 10 and up | 30-60 minutes per game.
It’s a game that combines competition for points, strategic decision-making, and constant interaction with opponents. Awesome game.
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amazon.com 🇺🇸amazon.co.uk 🇬🇧amazon.ca 🇨🇦2021
Micro Macro Crime City
Best game of the year 2021
It’s a super original collaborative deduction game. Imagine a 110×75 cm map filled with drawings representing scenes where “things happen”. The drawings provide the necessary clues to solve up to 15 cases.
For 1 to 4 players | Ages 10 and up | 15-40 min per case
Perfect for deduction and logic game enthusiasts who enjoy connecting clues to solve cases.
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Paleo
Best game for experienced players 2021
In the Stone Age, a tribe —the players— fights for survival in a dangerous world filled with predators, scarce resources, and other natural challenges.
For 2 to 4 players | Ages 10 and up | 45-60 min per game
A cooperative game with an innovative deck-building system that appeals to those who enjoy strategy, storytelling, and unique thematic challenges.
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amazon.com 🇺🇸amazon.co.uk 🇬🇧amazon.ca 🇨🇦2020
Pictures
Best game of the year 2020
Each player receives a set of components (blocks, sticks, stones…) and a card with a secret image. The goal is to use the components to recreate the image on their card so that other players can guess what it represents.
For 3-5 players | Ages 8 and up | 30 minutes per game
A game with a special, fun, and easy-to-play approach, perfect for both families and groups of friends. Encourages creativity and social interaction. 100% recommended!
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The Crew
Best game for experienced players 2020
It’s a cooperative game where players are astronauts investigating the possible existence of a new planet. It’s played through trick-taking with individual and team missions.
For 2 to 5 players | Ages 10 and up | 20 min per game
A must-have for fans of co-op games. It includes 50 space missions that test teamwork and creativity to tackle unforeseen challenges… and there will be quite a few!
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amazon.com 🇺🇸amazon.co.uk 🇬🇧amazon.ca 🇨🇦2019
Just one
Best game of the year 2019
Team party game where you have to guess a secret word. Each player gives a clue with a single word, but if it is repeated, it is cancelled. Just One!
Check out our full guide on how to play Just One
For 3 to 7 players | Ages 8 and up | 20-60 min per game
A perfect game for those looking for a fun party game that tests players’ creativity and communication. Very entertaining! And it works really well with groups of 6 or 7 players.
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Wingspan
Best game for experienced players 2019
It’s a strategy and resource management game where players take on the roles of bird enthusiasts and compete to build the best bird sanctuary.
For 1 to 5 players | Ages 10 and up | 40-70 min per game
Wingspan, with its beautiful art and design and intuitive gameplay mechanics, is a favorite among board game enthusiasts. It really speaks for itself.
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amazon.com 🇺🇸amazon.co.uk 🇬🇧amazon.ca 🇨🇦2018
Azul
Best game of the year 2018
It’s a pattern-building strategy game using small, colorful Portuguese tiles. It’s a visually stunning game with a calm gameplay style and has gained immense popularity.
For 2 to 4 players | Ages 8 and up | 30-45 min per game
Perfect for playing with family or friends. Its visual appeal and straightforward mechanics have made this game highly popular among both casual and experienced players.
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The Quacks of Quedlinburg
Best game for experienced players 2018
Players are alchemists competing to create the best potions. The game combines bag building, resource management and a push-your-luck mechanic that adds risk to every decision.
For 2 to 4 players | Ages 10 and up | 45 min per game
Highly recommended. This game has received much acclaim from experienced players for its unique gameplay mechanics, its ability to combine strategic and luck elements, and its high replayability.
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amazon.com 🇺🇸amazon.co.uk 🇬🇧amazon.ca 🇨🇦2017
Kingdomino
Best game of the year 2017
In KingDomino, players build their kingdom by connecting dominoes. They must strategically combine lands and crowns to score points and form the most valuable kingdom.
For 2-4 players | Ages 8 and up | 15-20 minutes per game
Great for those looking for an easy-to-learn yet strategically deep game that reveals its depth after a few plays. A truly addictive game!
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amazon.com 🇺🇸amazon.co.uk 🇬🇧amazon.ca 🇨🇦Best game for experienced players 2017
EXIT
Exit is a board game that lets you experience the incredible thrill of an escape room session at home.
Players face new puzzles and riddles within a unique scenario and narrative, all created with great originality and quality.
For 1-6 players | Ages 12 and up | 15-90 minutes per game
A bestseller since winning this award, it now has over 20 variations on the market with three difficulty levels: beginner, advanced, and expert.
If you’re new to this kind of game, try EXIT: The Forgotten Treasure – a great entry-level option.
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amazon.com 🇺🇸amazon.co.uk 🇬🇧amazon.ca 🇨🇦2016
Codenames
Best game of the year 2016
A fun word association game cleverly disguised as a spy game.
Check out our full guide on how to play Codenames.
For 2-10 players | Ages 10 and up | 10-20 minutes per game
Ideal for groups looking for a team-based party game that requires a bit of brainpower. Very entertaining!
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Isle of Skye: from leader to King
Best game for expert players 2016
It’s a tile-laying strategy game similar to Carcassonne or Alhambra, but with some unique mechanics that make it very interesting.
For 2-5 players | Ages 8 and up | 30-50 minutes per game
Despite winning the award for the best game for experienced players, it’s not a difficult game. Its rules are easily understood, making it suitable for all types of players, even for family play.
Having said all this, it would be unfair not to point out that there are many games that are very good and have not won this award. It’s just like the Oscars: sometimes your favorite doesn’t win Or how many times have you seen a movie that you loved, and it wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar? Well, it’s the same with games.
Explore more games!
Games by categories:
Who do you play with?
- Games for Couples
- Party games for adults in party mode.
- Relaxing games for groups of friends.
- Family games.
- Games for two players
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