Spiel des Jahres 2017 Nominations Announced
May 22, 2017 by redben
The nominations for the 2017 Spiel des Jahres have just been released. For those who might not know, the Spiel des Jahres is roughly the equivalent of the Oscars for the board gaming world, especially the ‘Euro Game’ world.
The exposure of a Nomination brings can provide a nice spike in sales, and a significant one for the winner. It was winning the 1995 Spiel des Jahres which helped Settlers of Catan become a break-out success, and ultimately cross over into the English-speaking market to kick off a board game revolution.
The main award focuses on family-oriented games and does not consider games which are especially complex, competitive or have a hobby aspect. A separate award, the Kennerspiel des Jahres, was introduced in 2011 for more complex or competitive games.
There is also a third award, the Kinderspiel des Jahres, which as you might guess is for games aimed at a younger audience.
Nominations
To be eligible, a game must have been released in Germany within the last twelve months, and the awards are given out by a panel, who consider the nominees on the following criteria:
- Game concept (originality, playability, game value)
- Rule structure (composition, clearness, comprehensibility)
- Layout (box, board, rules),
- Design (functionality, workmanship)
So, without further ado, the nominees for the 2017 Spiel des Jahres are...
Kingdomino
Magic Maze
Wettlauf nach El Dorado
For the Kennerspiel...
EXIT: The Game
Raiders of the North Sea
Terraforming Mars
And for the Kinderspiel...
Captain Silver
Ice Cool
The Mysterious Forest
In the main award, board game design legend, Reiner Knizia, could add Wettlauf nach El Dorado to his 2008 Spiel des Jahres award for Keltis (released as Lost Cities in English).
For the Kennerspiel, Terraforming Mars is a game very much on my wishlist, if only it would stay on the shelves long enough for me to get a copy, and Raiders of the North Sea has got my attention also.
Have you played any of these games? Are any now on your wishlist now they have a nomination?
"It was winning the 1995 Spiel des Jahres which helped Settlers of Catan become a break-out success, and ultimately cross over into the English-speaking market to kick off a board game revolution..."
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Ice Cool is the best party game I’ve seen all year.
Ice Cool is fantastic. Played it last year at the Expo and it was a lot of fun. Terraforming Mars is also a good pick for the more cerebral side of things.
Looking forward to seeing all of these at the convention this year.
Magic Maze is a new on me and looks very cool. May have to pick that one up.
Magic Maze sounds like an old concept, because I remember playing a similar game with my nephew last year.
It had a similar mechanic (a maze created from cards).
The tile laying element certainly isn’t new. The gameplay in which each player can move the meeples in one way only and can’t talk to each other is what has me interested.
Poor choices this year aside from Teraforming Mars and IceCool. What about SW Rebellion? Scythe?
I would have been amazed to see a nomination for Rebellion. Not because of the quality of the game but of the type of game it is. Even the Kennerspiel award doesn’t go to that type of game. Scythe could easily have gotten a nomination in that category, and it did win the equivalent award at Cannes. Not only does it not have a nomination here, it isn’t one of the four recommended games either. I haven’t played enough of those games to pass judgement on whether Scythe has been unfairly overlooked.
terrafrming mars has better mechanics in game,but scythe is still amazing game and visually TM has much to improve to compare to any game and to compare with S would have no chance, it is most beautiful game 2016 no doubt,
Terraforming mars or kingdomino will win,
Beiing in different categories they both can win.
Got to play Terraforming mars a few times and it is great fun. Very replayable.