Welcome to the annual Board Game Quest Board Game Awards. There are many outstanding games produced each year, and we like to take some time out each spring to recognize the best games of the previous year.
You may be wondering why we wait until spring to hand out our awards from the previous year. With the annual Essen gaming convention being in October every year, it can take some time for games to not only make their way across the ocean, but also for us to get a chance to play them!
We have a total of 10 award categories this year, with five nominees in each (except Game of the Year which has 6). Our editorial staff has combed through the 2015 releases and chosen some truly outstanding games to be nominated.
From among these nominations, our editorial staff will choose a winner. However, since we wouldn’t be doing this without you, our awesome readers, you get a vote as well!
Below is a poll for each of the 10 categories to allow you to cast a vote for which games you think should win. Our readers here will collectively get one vote, and along with each member of our editorial staff, the winner will be chosen. The voting will be open until April 8th, 2016 and the winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
Congratulations to all the nominees and may the best game win!
2015 Board Game Award Nominees
Best Cooperative Game
The Grizzled Designer: Fabien Riffaud, Juan Rodriguez Cool Mini or Not Games Get Your Copy
Pandemic: Legacy Designer: “Rob Daviau, Matt Leacock” Z-Man Games Get Your Copy
TIME Stories Designer: “Peggy Chassenet, Manuel Rozoy” Space Cowboys Get Your Copy
XCom: The Board Game Designer: Eric Lang Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Burgle Bros. Designer: Tim Fowers Self-Published Get Your Copy
Best Tactical/Combat Game
Blood Rage Designer: Eric Lang Cool Mini or Not Games Get Your Copy
Star Wars: Armada Designer: James Kniffen, Christian T. Petersen Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Zombicide: Black Plague Designer: Raphaël Guiton, Jean-Baptiste Lullien, Nicolas Raoult Cool Mini or Not Games Get Your Copy
Cthulhu Wars Designer: Sandy Petersen Petersen Games Get Your Copy
Forbidden Stars Designer: Samuel Bailey, James Kniffen, Corey Konieczka Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Most Innovative Game
504 Designer: Friedemann Friese Stronghold Games Get Your Copy
TIME Stories Designer: Peggy Chassenet, Manuel Rozoy Space Cowboys Get Your Copy
Rattle, Battle, Grab the Loot Designer: Ignacy Trzewiczek Portal Games Get Your Copy
XCom: The Board Game Designer: Eric Lang Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Above and Below Designer: Ryan Laukat Red Raven Games Get Your Copy
Best Game Expansion
Abyss: Kraken Designer: Bruno Cathala, Charles Chevallier Asmodee Games – Bombyx Get Your Copy
Imperial Settlers: Atlanteans Designer: Ignacy Trzewiczek Portal Games Get Your Copy
Five Tribes: Artisans of Naqala Designer: Bruno Cathala Days of Wonder Get Your Copy
Orléans: Invasion Designer: Inka Brand, Markus Brand, Reiner Stockhausen DLP Games Get Your Copy
Kemet: Ta-Seti Designer: Jacques Bariot, Guillaume Montiage Matagot Get Your Copy
Best Production Values
Flick ‘Em Up Designer: Gaëtan Beaujannot, Jean Yves Monpertuis Pretzel Games Get Your Copy
The Gallerist Designer: Vital Lacerda Eagle-Gryphon Games Get Your Copy
Poseidon’s Kingdom Designer: Gordon Lamont, Fraser Lamont Fragor Games Get Your Copy
Star Wars: Armada Designer: James Kniffen, Christian T. Petersen Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Blood Rage Designer: Eric Lang Cool Mini or Not Games Get Your Copy
Best Thematic Game
TIME Stories Designer: Peggy Chassenet, Manuel Rozoy Space Cowboys Get Your Copy
Above and Below Designer: Ryan Laukat Red Raven Games Get Your Copy
Flick ‘Em Up Designer: Gaëtan Beaujannot, Jean Yves Monpertuis Pretzel Games Get Your Copy
The Gallerist Designer: Vital Lacerda Eagle-Gryphon Games Get Your Copy
Blood Rage Designer: Eric Lang Cool Mini or Not Games Get Your Copy
Best Strategy/Euro Game
Discoveries Designer: Cédrick Chaboussit Asmodee Games – Ludonaute Get Your Copy
Champions of Midgard Designer: Ole Steiness Grey Fox Games Get Your Copy
Nippon Designer: Nuno Bizarro Sentieiro, Paulo Soledade Asmodee Games – What’s Your Game Get Your Copy
Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King Designer: Andreas Pelikan, Alexander Pfister Mayfair Games Get Your Copy
Food Chain Magnate Designer: Jeroen Doumen, Joris Wiersinga Splotter Spellen Get Your Copy
Best Card Game
The Grizzled Designer: Fabien Riffaud, Juan Rodriguez Cool Mini or Not Games Get Your Copy
7 Wonders: Duel Designer: Antoine Bauza, Bruno Cathala Asmodee Games – Repos Production Get Your Copy
Arboretum Designer: Dan Cassar Z-Man Games Get Your Copy
Tides of Time Designer: Kristian Čurla Portal Games Get Your Copy
Ashes: Rise of the Phoenixborn Designer: Isaac Vega Plaid Hat Games Get Your Copy
Best Game from a Small Publisher
Burgle Bros Designer: Tim Fowers Self-Published Get Your Copy
Trickerion Designer: Richard Amann, Viktor Peter Mindclash Games Get Your Copy
Cthulhu Wars Designer: Sandy Petersen Petersen Games Get Your Copy
Champions of Midgard Designer: Ole Steiness Grey Fox Games Get Your Copy
Hostage Negotiator Designer: A. J. Porfirio Van Ryder Games Get Your Copy
Game of the Year
Pandemic: Legacy Designer: Rob Daviau, Matt Leacock Z-Man Games Get Your Copy
TIME Stories Designer: Peggy Chassenet, Manuel Rozoy Space Cowboys Get Your Copy
Blood Rage Designer: Eric Lang Cool Mini or Not Games Get Your Copy
Codenames Designer: Vlaada Chvátil Czech Games Edition Get Your Copy
Flick ‘Em Up Designer: Gaëtan Beaujannot, Jean Yves Monpertuis Pretzel Games Get Your Copy
Star Wars: Armada Designer: James Kniffen, Christian T. Petersen Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Note: Whichever game wins Game of the Year will automatically be removed from any of the above categories except Best Production Values and Most Innovative Game. Our reasoning is if a game wins Game of the Year, chances are it should win any of the other categories by default. That just seemed a bit redundant. If a game wins Game of the Year, you know it is really good.
While I know there were many games published in 2015, I was a little disappointed to see Lanterns: The Harvest Festival not included in a single category, especially in games from a small publisher.
Thanks for the comment Thomas. While we do love Pandemic: Legacy (see our review), it was built upon a lot of things that both Pandemic and Risk: Legacy did. So while it was fantastic, we didn’t feel it was as innovative or unique as our other nominees in that category.
While I know there were many games published in 2015, I was a little disappointed to see Lanterns: The Harvest Festival not included in a single category, especially in games from a small publisher.
Thanks for the comment. Lanterns was definitely on a few short lists, there were just some other games we enjoyed a bit more.
I can’t believe Above and Below was snubbed for GOTY. Ah well, Codenames is really great too!
How could you possibly not include Pandemic Legacy in the most innovative game category ?
Nevermind 504 will win it anyway
Thanks for the comment Thomas. While we do love Pandemic: Legacy (see our review), it was built upon a lot of things that both Pandemic and Risk: Legacy did. So while it was fantastic, we didn’t feel it was as innovative or unique as our other nominees in that category.
My bad, you’re right, I didn’t play Risk: Legacy and didn’t think of it !
Best Family Game and Best Party Game should be categories. If not, great games such as Codenames get left out.