While 2020 was a difficult year, it still managed to produce some exceptional board games. The best of these games were recognised at the Spiel des Jahres 2020 awards, where Germany’s top board game critics highlight excellence in family-friendly game design. The year’s best children’s games are also shown some love.
Alongside the Spiel des Jahres 2020 winners, the victors for the Kennerspiel des Jahres (Connoisserur’s Game of the Year) and Kinderspiel des Jahres (Children’s Game of the Year) awards were also announced. Beyond just announcing the winners, the ceremony also celebrates the achievements of the nominees of each category, showcasing the very best game design and mechanics in the German market.
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Spiel des Jahres 2020
Buy the Picures Board Game
Winner
Pictures
The winner of the grand prize at the 2020 Spiel des Jahres, Pictures is a simple yet fun game for the whole family. Each player is assigned a photograph of images like a butterfly, lighthouse, or a bed of flowers. You must then recreate this image using one set of components, which include shoelaces, colour cubes, building blocks, and more. Points are earned by correctly guessing other players’ images based on their designs, encouraging plenty of creativity.
Average Playtime: 20-30 minutes
Recommended Age: 8+
Number of Players: 3-5
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.01/5
Nominees
My City
As the name implies, My City tasks players with constructing and developing a city to create a legacy. Beginning in the early preindustrial stages and progressing through industrialisation, the game consists of 24 episodes throughout human history. Players draw and play cards each episode, with these cards adding elements that carry over into the next session. This riveting gameplay saw My City recognised as one of the top Spiel des Jahres nominees 2020.
Average Playtime: 30 minutes
Recommended Age: 10+
Number of Players: 2-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.97/5
Buy the My City Board Game
Buy the Nova Luna Board Game
Nova Luna
An abstract tile-laying game set in an astral setting, Nova Luna sees players arranging square tiles to fulfill a range of tasks to score points. These tasks include placing a certain number of coloured tiles next to each other, with a good strategy being to accomplish multiple tasks at once. Tasks are assigned from the moon wheel at the centre of the game, with the mechanic deciding who goes first during each round of this enjoyable Spiel des Jahres nominees 2020.
Average Playtime: 30-60 minutes
Recommended Age: 8+
Number of Players: 1-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.87/5
Kinderspiel des Jahres 2020
This award recognises the year’s best board games that are targeted towards children.
Winner
Hedgehog Roll
Hedgehog Roll, or Speedy Roll as it is also known, was announced as the best children’s game at the Spiel des Jahres 2020 awards. The simple yet fun game sees kids (and big kids) moving the speedy hedgehog home to avoid the hungry fox. The board contains apples, leaves, and mushrooms that allow you to move further each turn. Whether you want to play cooperatively or competitively, Hedgehog Roll is a great time for all.
Average Playtime: 20-25 minutes
Recommended Age: 4+
Number of Players: 1-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.00/5
Nominees
Foto Fish
Do your children dream of becoming underwater photographers? Foto Fish makes this a reality as players dive under the sea to photograph the fish. This results in a memory training game for young children, as they attempt to match the coloured fish with the results of their dice roll. With plenty of interchangeable scenarios, the game is easily adaptable to a variety of ages and skill levels.
Average Playtime: 15-20 minutes
Recommended Age: 4+
Number of Players: 2-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.00/5
Robots
In Robots, kids get to see how fast they can make the young Robbi move. Working together, children practice patience, mindfulness, and empathy as they experiment and devise strategies to make Robbi faster and faster. Robots makes learning fun due to a variety of colourful and entertaining cards, which include tools like rockets and magnets. With each new test run, children learn more and more about the game’s mechanics.
Average Playtime: 15 minutes
Recommended Age: 5+
Number of Players: 2-6
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.00/5
Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020
This award recognises the year’s best games aimed at more experienced gamers through complex gameplay.
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
The winner of the 2020 Spiel des Jahres award for complex gameplay, The Crew is a cooperative trick-taking game set in space. Working together as a spaceship crew, players take on over 50 exciting missions involving exploring strange planets, investigating distress beacons, and repairing their damaged ship. As the missions become more difficult, the game can be paused and picked up again later to encourage flexible gameplay in this continuous campaign.
Average Playtime: 20 minutes
Recommended Age: 10+
Number of Players: 2-5
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.95/5
Nominees
Cartographers
As a cartographer in the service of Queen Gimnax, players are sent to map new territory to be claimed for her kingdom. Moving around the board to chart this new landscape, players earn additional favour by claiming the lands she prizes most. As players compete against each other to chart these lands, they must also contend with the Dragul, who seek to claim the area for themselves. The player with the most reputation once the four seasons has passed wins.
Average Playtime: 30-45 minutes
Recommended Age: 10+
Number of Players: 1-100
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.88/5
Buy the Cartographers Board Game
The King’s Dilemma
Being the king isn’t easy, and this has never been more apparent than in The King’s Dilemma. As members of the King’s council, players draw cards to reveal the latest dilemma and must decide the right action to take. These choices affect the game’s storyline, creating an immersive narrative experience with legacy elements and branching storylines. Your choices can either carry the Kingdom to a new golden age or result in its eventual ruin.
Average Playtime: 45-60 minutes
Recommended Age: 14+
Number of Players: 3-5
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 2.25/5
Add the Best of the Spiel des Jahres 2020 Awards to Your Collection Today!
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