The Spiel des Jahres: A Look Back On The Decade
With 2020 marking the start of a new decade, we thought it was only right that we marked it in a way that gamers would appreciate.
Spiel des Jahres is the biggest accolade in the everchanging tabletop gaming industry. The New Year is always time for reflection, so let’s take a look back at the winners of the award from the last 9 years. According to Spiel des Jahres, these are some of the best games out there, so you never know, you might even find your new favourite game below.
2010 - Dixit
The decade opened with Dixit being crowned the best game of the year. The storyteller chooses a picture card from their deck and comes up with a sentence that best describes it. The other players must then choose their own card that is the best match for that sentence. Following that, everyone must decide which card was the story teller’s original card. Correctly guessing the storyteller’s card is good, but if convincing everyone that yours was the original card is even better. This fun little game sparks the imagination and makes a welcome change from the typical board game. Why not give it a go and see how good your storytelling skills are?
2011 - Qwirkle
For tabletop gamers, 2011 was the year that Qwirkle won the Spiel des Jahres. This board-less game will get you thinking. Each player starts with 6 tiles, then on their turn, they must either place one or several tiles on the table or instead of playing tiles, they can exchange one or more tiles in their hand for other random tiles. The game continues until one player has no more tiles to play.
2012 - Kingdom Builder
In the Spiel des Jahres world, it was the year that Kingdom Builder was crowned the best game. Players have to construct their own kingdoms, with the aim being to earn the most gold by the end of the game. Using terrain cards, players work to develop their own settlements, gold can be earned by building next to a castle. It takes skill and careful planning to be successful at this game. If you didn’t catch it in 2012, then don’t worry, you can still give it a try today.
2013 - Hanabi
Hanabi can serve as a very fitting new years game to play, as it involves players working together to try and create the perfect fireworks show. The aim is to place the coloured cards in a row in the right order from 1-5, however, the biggest twist is that the players hold their cards so that they’re only visible to the other players. To assist the other players in choosing the correct card, you must give your teammates hints on what one to select. If you’re planning a few chilled days over new years, then this is the game for you.
2014 - Camel Up
This is a lighthearted alternative to some other games and is sure to give you a good laugh. Players place bets on five racing camels as to which will be first and second in a race around a pyramid. Guess correctly and guess early and you can win more. Unfortunately, the way a camel runs is never predictable, and it all depends on the way the dice leaves the pyramid dice shaker. After a family-friendly game? Why not Camel up? You know it’ll be good.
2015 - Colt Express
There is something almost thrilling about the story behind this game. The year is 1899 and the Union Express has departed New Mexico. Suddenly Gunfire and footsteps on the roof are heard, armed bandits have taken over the train and have come to rob wallets and jewels, and most importantly, the monthly payment for Nice Valley Coal Company employees. The aim for players is to assume the role of one of the bandits and you must try and become the richest bandit on the train in order to win. If you like a bit of excitement then Colt Express can give you exactly that.
2016 - Codenames
Ever fancied yourself as a bit of a spy? Well, this game gives you that opportunity. In Codenames, you’ll be divided into two teams, one player from each team takes on the role of the spymaster, and the teams compete to see who can make contact with all of the agents first. The spymasters give one-word clues that can point to multiple words on the board. Each team must try to guess the words of the right colour, while also avoiding those that belong to the other team. It’s not every day that you can take on the role of a spy, so give it a try.
2017 - Kingdomino
Become a Lord and seek out new lands on which you can expand your kingdom. You must consider all locations including, wheat fields, lakes, and mountains, to enable you to spot the best places, but you’ll be competing with other Lords to bag them first. Inspired by dominoes, the game uses tiles and two sections, on each turn a player must select a domino to connect to their existing kingdom. Far from being outdated, this might just be the game you’ve been looking for.
2018 - Azul
Take turns drafting coloured tiles from suppliers to the player board. You’ll score points based on the placement of their tiles when decorating the palace. Specific patterns will earn you extra points alongside completing sets. However, be careful not to waste supplies, as this will damage your score. You must accrue the most points to win. Azul is only a year old, take your opportunity to try one of the most recent Spiel des Jahres winners.
2019 - Just one
And finally, we’ve come to the last year of the decade. So, what was the best game of this year? A cooperative party game, where players work together to uncover as many mystery words as possible. You need to come up with the best clues in order to help your teammate, be mindful to make them unique though as all identical clues will be cancelled. If you’re a lover of tabletop games, then it only seems right that you keep up to date with the latest and best games.
If this has made you feel nostalgic for the past decade, or you missed any of the games the first time around, then make sure you give them a go. They’ve received the highest accolade that they can, so you can rest assured that you’ll love them.
Hopefully, you’ve found your next game, we’d love to hear from you if you do.
