2016 was a year of wizards, gods, pirates, and knights, as well as trains, ships, and cheese factories. The best games of this year were recognised at the Spiel des Jahres 2016 awards, where Germany’s top board game critics judge and award excellence in family-friendly game design.
Alongside the 2016 Spiel des Jahres winners, the victors for the Kinderspiel des Jahres (Children’s Game of the Year) and Kennerspiel des Jahres (Connoisseur’s Game of the Year) awards were also announced. The ceremony also celebrates the achievements of the nominees of each category, showcasing the best game design and mechanics in the market.
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Spiel des Jahres 2016
Buy the Code Names Board Game
Winner
Code Names
The winner of the grand prize at the 2016 Spiel des Jahres, Codenames is led by two spymasters using code names, like “France”, “sausage”, or “frisbee” to help their team discover their own agents. The two teams compete to contact all their agents first while avoiding the moles. The spymasters can only give one word at a time and how many agents that is associated with, putting all their faith in their teammates.
Average Playtime: 15 minutes
Recommended Age: 14+
Number of Players: 2-8
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.26/5
Nominees
Imhotep
In Imhotep, players become builders in Egypt who are trying to emulate the first and best-known architect there, Imhotep. Over six rounds, players move wooden stones by boat to create five monuments all while balancing the procurement of new stones, loading them in boats, bringing them to the monuments, and playing action cards. While this sounds easy you must watch your back as your opponents are there to thwart your plans.
Average Playtime: 40 minutes
Recommended Age: 10+
Number of Players: 2-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 2.01/5
Karuba
Karuba is a tile-laying race game through the jungle, picking up gems on the way and reaching the temples. Players start with identical boards and draw tiles one at a time, with the goal being to reach and explore the temples first to earn points. The game ends when one player gets all their explorers to their corresponding temples or whenever the last tile is drawn and placed. The player with the most points wins.
Average Playtime: 30-40 minutes
Recommended Age: 8+
Number of Players: 2-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.43/5
Kinderspiel des Jahres 2016
This award recognises the year’s best board games that are made for children in its own category alongside the 2016 Spiel des Jahres award.
Winner
My First Stone Age
Travel into the past with Jonon and Jada, two stone age children, as you rediscover how the first humans settled the world. In this game players collect goods and build their own settlements. The game involves flipping tokens to indicate the players movement and actions, whether that be gathering or trading resources, visiting the construction site, or getting helper tokens for Guff the dog to gather resources. Use your memory to find the fastest paths and build three huts before the other players to win.
Average Playtime: 15 minutes
Recommended Age: 5+
Number of Players: 2-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.13/5
Nominees
Mmm!
The Smith’s family cat is on patrol as you and your team of fellow mice try to steal all the food in the kitchen. In Mmm!, you take turns rolling three dice, placing the dice on the corresponding foods. If you fail to place any dice, the cat will get closer. Once the dice are placed, you must then cover the space with a mouse token. You win when all the food is covered, and if the cat catches you its game over.
Average Playtime: 15-20 minutes
Recommended Age: 5+
Number of Players: 1-6
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.29/5
Leo Goes to the Barber
Leo the lion has grown his mane far too long, and now risks losing his reputation of king of the jungle. He must make it to a barber, but his fellow animals keep stopping him along the way. In this game you have five 12-hour days to get Leo to the barber, however, whenever these animals get in your way, they set you back up to five hours! Can you get Leo the haircut he needs?
Average Playtime: 30 minutes
Recommended Age: 6+
Number of Players: 2-5
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.16/5
Kennerspiel des Jahres 2018
This award recognises the year’s best games aimed at more experienced gamers who favour more complex gameplay, alongside the 2016 Spiel des Jahres award.
Winner
Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King
The winner of the grand prize at the 2016 Spiel des Jahres, Codenames is led by two spymasters using code names, like “France”, “sausage”, or “frisbee” to help their team discover their own agents. The two teams compete to contact all their agents first while avoiding the moles. The spymasters can only give one word at a time and how many agents that is associated with, putting all their faith in their teammates.
Average Playtime: 15 minutes
Recommended Age: 14+
Number of Players: 2-8
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.26/5
Nominees
Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
Pandemic Legacy is a co-operative campaign game, with a story that can last 12 to 24 sessions, depending on how well your team does in the early game. In this game work to fight the outbreak travelling the world searching for a cure or making strategic trades. Actions in the game have consequences that carry over into future games, such as cards being ripped up or written on as new rules are introduced. Are you ready for the challenge?
Average Playtime: 60 minutes
Recommended Age: 13+
Number of Players: 2-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 2.83/5
T.I.M.E Stories
T.I.M.E Stories is a narrative game, where players can give their character as deep a role as they want to immerse themselves in the game. The game itself sees you in a team at the T.I.M.E Agency, which protects humanity by preventing paradoxes and temporal faults from threatening the fabric of the universe. It’s time you become a temporal agent and save the worlds across the universe using local hosts to do so.
Average Playtime: 90 minutes
Recommended Age: 12+
Number of Players: 2-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 2.59/5
Add the Best Games from the Spiel des Jahres 2016 Awards to Your Collection Today!
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