| Each year, a single board game is awarded the prestigious Spiel des Jahres award, or German Game of the Year. The jury focuses on family-oriented games, not collectible games or wargames.
A jury reviews games released in Germany in the preceding year, and nominates games based on:
1. Game idea & originality
2. Rule structure & clarity
3. Presentation (art and parts)
4. Game mechanics
The winner often goes on to become a huge best-seller. It is an honour to even be nominated. Although it is a German award, even non-German publishers are eligible, and in 2004 the American publisher Days of Wonder won with Ticket to Ride.
Below is a list of the recent award winners by year, with the ones we stock in bold. See further below for links as well.
2009 Dominion by Donald X. Vaccarino
2008 Lost Cities: The Board Game by Reiner Knizia
2007 Zooloretto by Michael Schacht
2006 Thurn and Taxis by Karen and Andreas Seyfarth
2005 Niagara by Thomas Liesching
2004 Ticket to Ride by Alan R. Moon
2003 Alhambra by Dirk Henn
2002 Villa Paletti by Bill Payne
2001 Carcassonne by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede
2000 Torres by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling
1999 Tikal by Michael Kiesling and Wolfgang Kramer
1998 Elfenland by Alan R. Moon
1997 Mississippi Queen by Werner Hodel
1996 El Grande by Wolfgang Kramer and Richard Ulrich
1995 The Settlers of Catan by Klaus Teuber
1994 Manhattan by Andreas Seyfarth
1993 Call My Bluff by Richard Borg (for a very similar game see Perudo)
1992 Um Reifenbreite by Rob Bontenbal
1991 Drunter und Drüber by Klaus Teuber
1990 Hoity Toity (German title is Adel Verpflichtet) by Klaus Teuber
1983 Scotland Yard by Werner Schlegel, Dorothy Garrels, Fritz Ifland, Manfred Burggraf, Werner Scheerer and Wolf Hoermann
1979 Hare and Tortoise by David Parlett
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