Nomination Game of the Year 2020
18.5.2020
Translation: machine translated
The "Game of the Year" is the Oscars for board games and the world's most important award for non-electronic games. The nominations for this year have now been announced.
Game of the year
The following three games have been nominated for Game of the Year 2020:
My City
- 3 - 4 players
- From 10 years
- approx. 30 minutes
Despite constant change, the laying game never loses its accessible core. Each new element fits organically into the game. The level of difficulty increases gently without overwhelming the players.
Nova Luna
- 1 - 4 players
- From 8 years
- approx. 30 minutes
The players ponder their tile displays in deep meditation. But what can be observed here harbours a highly stimulating intellectual challenge.
Pictures
- 3 - 5 players
- From 8 years
- approx. 30 minutes
Each set challenges the players in a different way, so the incentive to experiment is enormous. With great aha-moments and amusing attempts at justification by the misunderstood artistic genius. Great creativity with the simplest of means!
Connoisseur game of the year
Expert games are aimed at more experienced board gamers. They are more complex and usually more time-consuming than conventional board games. The jury has nominated the following three games for this year's award:
The Cartographer
- 1 - 8 players
- From 10 years
- 30 to 45 minutes
In its structure, «The Cartographer» is completely clear, but leaves room for different game tactics. The varied combinations of royal commissions are a constant challenge.
The crew
- 3 - 5 players
- From 10 years
- approx. 20 minutes
The King's Dilemma
- 4 - 5 players
- From 14 years
- approx. 60 minutes
The narrative strength of the game is enormous: despite only short text sections, it succeeds in creating an immersive and mysterious world. The reduced game system provides the perfect stage for great political theatre.
Children's game of the year
The third category is aimed at children between the ages of four and nine. The nominated games are characterised above all by their simple game mechanics and target group-appropriate design. The following three games have made it onto the shortlist:
Fotofish
- 2 - 4 players
- From 4 years
- 15 to 20 minutes
Speedy Roll
- 1 - 4 players
- From 4 years
- approx. 20 minutes
We are the robots
- 2 - 6 players
- From 5 years
- approx. 15 minutes
From the first to the last «Beep» this fascinating assessment game captivates the children taking part. They sit there with high levels of concentration, adjust to each other, learn from each other and practise community, mindfulness and empathy at the same time.
On 20 July 2020, the Game of the Year award ceremony will take place. Normally, this is celebrated with a ceremony every year. This year, we will have to make do with a livestream. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to finding out which game wins the race and the coveted award. Until then, I'll definitely be taking a closer look at one or two of the nominees and playing them in a cosy atmosphere.
