Every year in July, a jury of some of Germany’s biggest board game critics come together to elect their game of the year, alongside highlighting some honourable mentions. The winning game must feature rewarding family-friendly game design while promoting excellence in the German market. The ceremony also honours the year’s best children’s games.
The Spiel des Jahres 2022 saw several high-quality games recognised for their excellent game design and fun gameplay mechanics. The victors of the Kinderspiel des Jahres (Children’s Game of the Year) and Kennerspiel des Jahres (Connoisseur’s Game of the Year) were also announced alongside the Spiel des Jahres 2022 winners. Beyond the victors, the nominees for each category were also recognised for their achievements.
If you’re looking to buy board games online, look no further than More Than Meeples. Browse our extensive range on our website, and if you have any enquiries, please contact us.
Spiel des Jahres 2022
Winner
Cascadia
As the winner of the 2022 Spiel des Jahres, Cascadia is recognised as the year’s best. A tile-laying game that charges you with creating your own habitat for wildlife to exist in, Cascadia is a pleasant and therapeutic experience. One of the coziest board games ever created, players earn points by maximising the amount of wildlife they have on the board. Strategy comes into play as you must decide which animals must stay together and which ones must stay apart.
Average Playtime: 30-45 minutes
Recommended Age: 10+
Number of Players: 1-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.85/5
Nominees
Scout
Recognised as one of the top Spiel des Jahres nominees 2022 had to offer, Scout is a card game that takes players into the thrilling world of circus life. As talent scouts, players must identify the best performers at rival circuses and use their cards to pinch them for their own act. The key to victory is to put on the ultimate show, which is easier than it sounds as up to 5 players scramble to scout and play performers of their own.
Average Playtime: 15 minutes
Recommended Age: 9+
Number of Players: 2-5
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.34/5
Buy the Scout Card Game
Top Ten
Are you the kind of person who loves asking absurd hypothetical questions? Then Top Ten is perfect for you! Whether it’s which superpowered farm animal should replace Superman as Earth’s greatest defender, or how useful would gold-coated barbecue tongs be on the Titanic, players are assigned a random number and must give an answer based on this value. Players must then guess which number each answer relates to, with right answers resulting in unicorns and incorrect answers scoring nothing but poop in this entertaining Spiel des Jahres nominees 2022.
Average Playtime: 30 minutes
Recommended Age: 14+
Number of Players: 4-9
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.09/5
Kinderspiel des Jahres 2022
This award recognises the year’s best board games that are targeted towards children.
Winner
Magic Mountain
Magic Mountain, or Zauberberg as it is known in German, sees players racings wizards down a mountain using an unpredictable will-o-the-wisp ball. Heralded as the year’s best children’s game at the Spiel des Jahres 2022 awards, Magic Mountain is great fun whether you choose to play cooperatively, competitively, or alone. To win the game, players must get all their tiny wizards down to the bottom of the mountain before the witches do the same.
Average Playtime: 15 minutes
Recommended Age: 5+
Number of Players: 1-6
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.00/5
Nominees
That’s Pretty Clever! Kids
A child-friendly version of the That’s Pretty Clever formula, That’s Pretty Clever! Kids sees players tasked with grabbing as much loot as possible at a child’s birthday party. As players take turns rolling the dice, they decide which items they want to take from an assortment of balloons, gifts, or sweets. Marking off what you have claimed, the dice is passed around until one player is able to complete their list and declare victory.
Average Playtime: 15 minutes
Recommended Age: 5+
Number of Players: 2-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.11/5
Quacks & Co.: Quedlinburg Dash!
Another game that has been reinvented for a younger audience, Quedlinburg Race follows riders and their animal companions as they race to be the first over the finish line. On their turn, racers draw a coloured token from their bag and enjoy its benefits while moving closer towards the finish. These bonuses include moving extra spaces, earning rubies, or taking another turn to draw an extra token.
Average Playtime: 25 minutes
Recommended Age: 6+
Number of Players: 2-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 1.17/5
Kennerspiel des Jahres 2022
This award recognises the year’s best games aimed at more experienced gamers through complex gameplay.
Buy the Living Forest Board Game
Winner
Living Forest
With their sacred forest on the verge of destruction, players must draw guardian animals into their deck and use them to regrow the forest while combatting threats. The recipient of the 2022 Spiel des Jahres award for its complex gameplay, Living Forest tasks players with planting trees, collecting flowers, and putting out literal fires to earn victory points. This allows for plenty of viable strategies when it comes to securing the win.
Average Playtime: 40 minutes
Recommended Age: 10+
Number of Players: 1-5
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 2.21/5
Nominees
Cryptid
As a cryptozoologist, you have been studying elusive and mysterious creatures for years. When one is finally located, you leap at the chance to finally catch a break and make your first big discovery. Unfortunately, your rivals have the exact same idea, forcing you to play a game of deduction and misdirection as you try to find out what your opponent’s know without giving away your own secrets. With hundreds of possible scenarios, Cryptid offers endless replay value.
Average Playtime: 30-50 minutes
Recommended Age: 10+
Number of Players: 3-5
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 2.25/5
Buy the Cryptid Board Game
Buy the Dune Imperium Board Game
Dune: Imperium
Based on the famous science fiction universe, Dune: Imperium tasks players with taking control of one of the Great Houses of the Landsraad. As war breaks out for control of the planet Arrakis, players build and play their deck as they grow their military, send out spies, and gain political favours. Great fun for both newcomers to the franchise and diehard fans, Dune: Imperium encourages rematches as players learn and implement their favourite strategies.
Average Playtime: 60-120 minutes
Recommended Age: 14+
Number of Players: 1-4
Difficulty (BGG Weight): 3.05/5
Shop the Best of the Spiel des Jahres 2022 Awards Today!
At More Than Meeples, we pride ourselves on being the one-stop board game shop you can rely on for all your board games, graphic novels, and collectibles. Whether you are shopping for new releases or looking for something you can’t find anywhere else, our extensive collection is always growing and adding exciting new discoveries. Explore our range online to find your next favourite game or contact us if you are seeking any recommendations.
