Spiel des Jahres 2024 Nominations Announced!

What is the Spiel des Jahres?

The Spiel des Jahres is one of the biggest awards in gaming, marking Germany's "Game of the Year". Germany is considered the origin of modern gaming, and so the long running award (since 1977!) has enshrined a number of modern classics. Games are eligible based on their release date and language, and the games are played by a jury before a winner is announced. 

Though the Spiel Des Jahres (oftentimes just referred to as the Spiel) is the name of the core game of the year award, it actually refers now to the collection of awards. These include the game of the year, as well as the Kinderspiel des Jahres, which is the children's game of the year, and the Kennerspiel des Jahres, which is translated as the expert or connoisseur game of the year. Generally, the latter category is considered for confident gamers. 

Who is Nominated for the Spiel des Jahres?

Spiel des Jahres

The three titles nominated for the Spiel Des Jahres are: 

Captain Flip

Captain Flip is a family weight strategy game that took our reviewer by surprise as to how enjoyable it was. You'll take a tile from the bag, decide if you want to use it or flip it over to use the unseen back of the tile - but all decisions are final! You can read our review of Captain Flip for the full story.

In the Footsteps of Darwin

 A Hachette published game in the UK, In the Footsteps of Darwin sees you assisting the man himself with research for On the Origin of Species. Each turn study an animal or take inspiration from a character, and then move the Beagle. You'll need to score the most points, representing having contributed the most to On The Origin of Species.

Sky Team

Sky Team has been a hotly-watched game for a long time, demo tables for it are almost always occupied, and stock has been in and out. Distributed by Coiledspring in the UK, you'll play as the pilot and copilot in the cockpit of an aircraft, needing to land safely at airports around the world.

Recommendations

The jury also gave their recommendations for other games in this category, which were Ghost Writer, Harmonies, Passt nicht! (Doesn't Fit), Phantom Ink, Schatz it if you can, Trekking Through History (you can watch a first look of this here), and Trio. Interestingly, Trio was considered a winner at the J'as Dor, the French equivalent awards. 

Kennerspiel des Jahres

Daybreak

Daybreak is a cooperative game that sees you working against climate change, playing as world leader and using policies and technologies to your advantage. Of course, it's not a simple problem, meaning neither is the solution! Our review of this game called it a must-play game. 

 

 

The Guild of Merchant Explorers

Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of the West

The monumental new look at the classic Ticket to Ride saw it become a legacy game, created by the original legacy game designers Matt Leacock and Rob Daviau, with Alan R. Moon. The game was phenomenally well received, with our review calling it a must play game. It's a nice legacy (pun intended), as Ticket to Ride itself won the Spiel des Jahres back in 2004.

Recommendations

The jury also recommended Bier Pionere, Botanicus, Forest Shuffle, and Ritual

Kinderspiel des Jahres

Große kleine Edelsteine

Or "Big Little Gems" in english. The game has you quickly searching for gems of the right shape and size amongst others. It's designed by Wolfgang Warsch, who designed a ton of popular games, from Quacks of Quedlinburg to Wavelength and beyond. 

Die Magischen Schlussel

Or "The Magic Keys", where you'll be heading to the Forest of Keys to recover the Kings memories, as sealed in a magic chest. It's a push your luck game, rolling to move and locate keys, to then try in the chest. 

Taco Kitten Pizza

The quick matching game is a younger version of the popular Taco Cat Cheese Pizza. It sees you seeking matches between the cards in your hand, and the word you say on your turn. 

Recommendations

The jury also recommended Fluffy Valley, Lecker Lava, and Die Nadal im Heuhaufen. 

When will Spiel des Jahres 2024 be announced?

The winners of each of the Spiel Des Jahres awards will be announced on July 21st 2024.