Key Takeaways
1. The Ancient Roots and Enduring Human Drive for Play
Your stone age ancestors were gamers.
Hardwired for play. Humans are intrinsically driven to play, a fundamental aspect of our nature that transcends cultures and millennia. This innate desire often manifests as games, structured forms of play with constraints and goals, evident in every major civilization throughout history. From ancient Egypt to Rome, games were not just pastimes but integral parts of daily life and culture.
Historical evidence. Archaeological discoveries consistently reveal the deep historical roots of games. Pharaoh Tutankhamun, for instance, was buried with four sets of senet, a 5,000-year-old race game akin to backgammon. The Romans, known for their passion for games, etched boards into public spaces and even restaurant menus, spreading these traditions across their vast empire.
Cultural exchange. Games frequently borrowed ideas and adapted influences from various cultures, leading to new designs and play experiences. Chess originated in India or Persia, Go and dominoes from China, and mancala became the ubiquitous game of Africa with over eight hundred versions. This constant evolution highlights games as a dynamic cultural asset, continually reinventing themselves.
2. The Spiel des Jahres: A German Catalyst for Global Gaming
All of these are definitely part of the story, but one thing stands above them all in terms of its importance and influence: German game design and along with it the German game of the year award, the Spiel des Jahres.
A crucial intervention. In the late 1970s, as video games threatened traditional tabletop formats, a small group of German game critics, led by Tom Werneck, recognized the need to elevate the profile of quality board games. Their solution was the Spiel des Jahres (SdJ) award, established in 1979, which aimed to shine a public spotlight on important and popular games.
Unprecedented impact. The SdJ quickly became an extraordinary force, capable of adding up to half a million sales to a winning title—a commercial impact usually reserved for mass-market awards like the Grammys or Oscars. This immense influence incentivized publishers to invest in innovative design, directly contributing to the "golden age" of tabletop games.
Beyond sales. The award's significance extended beyond mere commercial success. By consistently highlighting well-designed, engaging games, the SdJ fostered a culture of critical appreciation and encouraged more journalists and broadcasters to cover games, thereby extending the acceptance of board games in family and society, as Werneck intended. It even indirectly led to the founding of Essen Spiel, the world's largest tabletop games convention.
3. Defining "Game of the Year": Beyond Mere "Best" to Broad Appeal
People want a game that they will enjoy with their family and friends – a game that’s going to be fun.
Elusive "fun." The SdJ jury has historically avoided defining the "best" game, acknowledging that "fun" is subjective and varies greatly depending on players, context, and mood. Instead, their focus has been on selecting games "best suited to promote the cultural asset of board games in society," which translates to games that are broadly enjoyable for families and friends.
Core criteria. While not a rigid checklist, winning games typically exhibit a holistic design where all elements fit smoothly, introduce novel concepts or blend existing ones creatively, feature clear and easily understood rules, possess attractive graphic design, and are durable and easy to play. Crucially, they must be more fun for more people than other contenders.
Family focus. For much of its history, the SdJ primarily targeted games with broad appeal, often those suitable for families who might purchase only one or two new games annually. This emphasis on accessibility and inclusive enjoyment shaped the award's early choices, favoring games that could serve as welcoming introductions to the hobby rather than complex, niche titles.
4. The Eurogame Revolution: A New Paradigm of Design
To put it simply, eurogames are more social and more mentally challenging than earlier board games, without necessarily being more complicated.
A new genre emerges. The late 1980s and 1990s saw the rise of "eurogames," a distinct design philosophy pioneered largely in Germany. These games moved away from the heavy conflict and luck-driven mechanics of traditional American games, emphasizing social interaction, strategic depth without excessive complexity, and player inclusion.
Key characteristics. Eurogames typically feature little direct player conflict, ensuring all players remain engaged until the end. They often replace dice-rolling randomness with strategic choices and the unpredictability of other players' actions. A strong central theme, attractive art, clear graphic design, and high-quality tactile components, often wooden, became hallmarks of the genre.
Defining rivalry. The era was largely defined by the "extended duel" between Wolfgang Kramer and Klaus Teuber, whose designs collectively won the SdJ nine times between 1986 and 2000. Their innovations, such as Kramer's "Kramerleiste" (scoring track) and Teuber's resource management in CATAN, not only refined existing ideas but also elevated game design to an art form, leading to greater recognition for designers as creators.
5. Evolving Mechanics: From Dice Rolls to Deck Building
New games do not arise from nothing, they’re almost all built on ideas from earlier games, remixed in different ways, and occasionally with a new mechanic or a new twist on an old mechanic thrown in, and then those ideas are taken and built on, and so on.
Iterative design. Game design is an evolutionary process, with new titles building upon, remixing, and refining ideas from their predecessors. Early SdJ winners like Hare and Tortoise (1979) innovated by removing dice from movement, while Rummikub (1980) adapted card game mechanics to tiles. Even "roll-and-move" was cleverly re-imagined in games like Heimlich & Co (1986) and Railway Rivals (1984).
Groundbreaking innovations. The SdJ recognized significant mechanical breakthroughs. Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective (1985) pioneered hidden movement and narrative-driven cooperative play, decades ahead of its time. Dominion (2009) codified "deck building" as a core game mechanic, transforming pre-game deck construction into an in-game process and spawning an entire genre.
Refinement and polish. Over time, designers learned to create complex games that were not complicated to learn, improving rulebook clarity, intuitive user interfaces, and attractive graphic design. This refinement is evident in games like Carcassonne (2001) and Ticket to Ride (2004), which took familiar tile-laying and set-collection concepts and polished them into accessible, engaging experiences.
6. The SdJ's Commercial Power and Market Influence
Sales numbers may be eye-catching but they’re not the only reason why the Spiel des Jahres is important.
Economic engine. The SdJ's ability to boost sales by hundreds of thousands of copies made it a powerful economic force, encouraging publishers to invest in quality design. This commercial success, particularly for games like CATAN, helped establish a viable market for hobby games beyond Germany, proving that tabletop games could be big business.
Shaping trends. The award's choices often reflected or even steered market trends. After the complexity of El Grande (1996), the jury consciously shifted back to lighter, more accessible games like Mississippi Queen (1997) and Villa Paletti (2002), demonstrating a responsiveness to public reception. This adaptability ensured the SdJ remained relevant in a rapidly evolving industry.
Global recognition. As SdJ winners gained international acclaim, the award itself became a globally recognized symbol of quality. This reputation was crucial in bringing modern board games to a new mainstream audience, who relied on the red pöppel as a trusted indicator of games worth playing, thereby expanding the hobby's reach worldwide.
7. The Human Touch: Designers, Artists, and Tactile Joy
As games designers develop their craft, they think less and less about interesting mechanics and more and more about the way that games interact with our minds and senses to give us pleasure.
Recognizing creators. The SdJ played a significant role in recognizing game designers as creative artists, moving from anonymous game boxes to prominently featuring designers' names. Figures like Wolfgang Kramer, Klaus Teuber, and Reiner Knizia became celebrated "auteurs," their distinct design philosophies shaping the industry.
Art and tactility. The aesthetic and tactile qualities of games became increasingly important. Artists like Doris Matthäus defined the visual style of many classic eurogames, while the use of high-quality wooden components, like the "meeples" in Carcassonne (2001) or the chunky tiles in Azul (2018), enhanced the physical pleasure of play.
Emotional engagement. Beyond mechanics, the best games evoke strong emotional responses and a deep sense of satisfaction. Ticket to Ride (2004), for instance, provides a "deeply satisfying" experience where every completed route feels like a small success, fostering enjoyment even in defeat. This focus on the player's emotional journey is a hallmark of successful modern game design.
8. Adapting to Change: New Categories and Party Game Popularity
Codenames, the 2016 winner, wasn’t a new style of game but it was new for the Spiel des Jahres, a shift in the interpretation of family-friendly game from “games for families that play games” to “games any family will enjoy.”
Expanding scope. Recognizing the growing diversity of the games market, the SdJ adapted by introducing new award categories. The Kinderspiel des Jahres (Children's Game of the Year) in 2001 and the Kennerspiel des Jahres (Connoisseur's Game of the Year) in 2011 allowed the main SdJ award to focus on its core mission of identifying broadly appealing family games, while acknowledging specialist and heavier titles.
Embracing party games. The mid-2010s saw a significant shift towards lighter, more social "party games," a trend amplified by crowdfunding successes like Cards Against Humanity and Exploding Kittens. The SdJ responded by awarding Codenames (2016), its first true party game winner, signaling a broader interpretation of "family-friendly" to include games enjoyable by any social gathering, regardless of prior gaming experience.
Navigating new landscapes. The rise of crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter created a lucrative market segment that often bypassed traditional German publishing and the SdJ's eligibility criteria. This challenged the award to remain relevant, prompting a renewed focus on identifying games that could capture the popular imagination and serve as accessible entry points for new players, ensuring its continued influence in a rapidly changing industry.
9. Games as Cultural Reflections: Themes, Ethics, and Inclusivity
Some colonialist games have encountered a backlash, such as when Puerto Rico players belatedly realized that the brown cubes brought to the island on ships and immediately set to work represented not “colonists,” as the rules called them, but slaves.
Mirroring society. Games, like any art form, reflect the cultural values and societal norms of their time. Early SdJ winners like Café International (1989) inadvertently revealed outdated stereotypes through its character illustrations, highlighting how games can serve as cultural artifacts.
Ethical considerations. As the hobby matured, so did discussions around game themes and their ethical implications. Games with colonialist undertones, such as Puerto Rico (2002 nominee) and Tikal (1999 winner), faced scrutiny for their portrayal of history, leading to re-theming efforts to ensure inclusivity and sensitivity.
Diversity in design. The underrepresentation of female designers in the industry is a persistent issue, making Qwirkle (2011) by Susan McKinley Ross a notable milestone as the first solo female-designed SdJ winner. This ongoing challenge underscores the need for greater diversity in game creation to ensure a broader range of perspectives and experiences are reflected in published games.
10. Unsung Heroes: Influential Games Beyond the SdJ Spotlight
No award gets it right year on year.
Missed opportunities. Despite its immense influence, the SdJ jury, like any expert panel, occasionally overlooked games that would become hugely successful or influential. Pokémon Trading Card Game and Magic: The Gathering, global behemoths that predated CATAN's success, were never nominated, despite their profound impact on the industry's financial stability and game awareness.
Mass market giants. Other widely popular games, such as Trivial Pursuit (1981), Uno (1971), and Jenga (1983), which became household names and sold tens of millions of copies, also failed to receive SdJ recognition. These games, while perhaps simpler in mechanics, demonstrated immense cultural resonance and accessibility, proving that "game of the year" could encompass a broader spectrum of play.
Niche but impactful. Even within hobby gaming, some highly influential titles, like Francis Tresham's Civilization (early 1980s) with its groundbreaking tech-trees, or the Warhammer franchise (1983) which dominated tabletop wargaming, fell outside the SdJ's typical scope. Their absence highlights the award's specific focus on family-friendly, broadly appealing games, rather than niche or complex titles, even if those titles profoundly shaped the industry.
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