18 February 2025
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When board gaming goes digital, who comes out on top? Board Game Arena have announced the winners of it's annual awards for games on its platform, and it makes for some interesting reading.
What is Board Game Arena?
Board Game Arena is a browser based way to play board games online, and since it was acquired by Asmodee in 2021, it's seen an incredible number of board games added to its site. With a free option, or a premium tier, players can find old favourites and brand new releases to play, offering a fun way to play both solo, and with friends across the world.
Board Game Arena Awards
Every year, Board Game Arena asks their audience to vote on the best games of the past year, in the categories of best 2 player games, best casual game, best regular game, best expert game, best animal game, and a special team award from Board Game Arena themselves. These are then announced – and the winners are below!
Board Game Arena Winners 2025
Best Casual Game
This award focuses on games that are lighter, more casual games with a wide appeal.
Nominees: Castle Combo, Captain Flip, Super Mega Lucky Box, and Flowers
Winner: Castle Combo
Castle Combo sees you drafting people from the lower and upper city in order to create a valuable house. We rated it a must-play game at Tabletop Gaming, and it's reviewer hasn't stopped playing it since!
Best Regular Game
Described as being for games that offer strategic depth and satisfying complexity – and likely ones you can return to again and again.
Nominees: Harmonies, Cartographers, Middle Ages, Looot
Winner: Harmonies
Harmonies is a gorgeous tile placement game, with vibes of Azul and all the cuteness of Calico. In this game you create beautiful habitats for your animals, creating a think-y, puzzle-y style game that is complex enough to keep those who enjoy strategy fully engaged, whilst being welcoming enough for newcomers. It's a delicate balance, but one that Harmonies does well, and it's no surprise it's been a favourite.
Best Expert Game
Board Game Arena describe the expert game as an award "For true puzzles, where only the sharpest minds will reign supreme.". We line this up with the likes of Spiel des Jahres' Kennerspiel.
Nominees: Darwin's Journey, Terraforming Mars, Age of Innovation, River of Gold
Winner: Darwin's Journey
Darwin's Journey voters "praised its deep decision-making and endless replayability. It is the kind of game that leaves you thinking about your strategy long after you have finished playing. A true gem for core board gamers!"
Best 2-Player Game
This award does exactly as you'd expect – it awards games for a duo!
Nominees: Splendor Duel, Altered, Pocket CATS, Battle Spirits Saga
Winner: Splendor Duel
Splendor Duel is a fantastic variant of Splendor – controversially, we might even say a preferred version – tightening up game play and working fantastically for the player count. One of our favourites, and no surprise it's won big.
Best Animals Game
One of gaming's favourite topics, this was one for fans of the animal world.
Nominees: The Wolves, Mountain Goats, New York Zoo, Cat in the Box
Winner: The Wolves
Described as Board Game Arena's Must Play, it's a game of establishing your wolf pack's dominance over the course of a moon cycle.
Special Award
The award given for the game that the Board Game Arena team loved the most from 2025 was Nanatoridori – "It is light, beautiful and really a pleasant experience around the table or online." Board Game Arena said.
