Welcome to the 5th annual Board Game Quest Board Game Awards. Each Spring we like to take some time to honor the best and most creative board games that came out the previous year.
We have a total of 11 award categories this year, with five nominees in each (except Game of the Year which has 7). Our editorial staff has spent many hours playing the 2017 game releases and, after much debate, have 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 11 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 14th, 2018 and the winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees!
2017 Board Game Award Nominees
Best Cooperative Game
Spirit Island Designer: R. Eric Reuss Greater Than Games Get Your Copy
Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 Designer: Rob Daviau, Matt Leacock Z-Man Games Get Your Copy
Gloomhaven Designer: Isaac Childres Cephalofair Games Get Your Copy
Deadline Designer: Dan Schnake, Adam West WizKids Games Get Your Copy
7th Continent Designer: Ludovic Roudy, Bruno Sautter Serious Poulp Get Your Copy
Best iOS Board Game
Race for the Galaxy Developer: Temple Gates Games Rio Grande Games Get Your Copy
Through The Ages Developer: Czech Games Edition Czech Games Edition Get Your Copy
Jaipur Developer: Asmodee Digital GameWorks Get Your Copy
Onirim Developer: Asmodee Digital Z-Man Games Get Your Copy
Imperial Settlers: Aztecs Designer: Ignacy Trzewiczek Portal Games Get Your Copy
Scythe: The Wind Gambit Designer: Kai Starck, Jamey Stegmaier Stonemaier Games Get Your Copy
Clank!: Sunken Treasures Designer: Paul Dennen Renegade Games Get Your Copy
Imperial Assault: Jabba’s Realm Designer: Todd Michlitsch, Paul Winchester Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Flamme Rouge: Peloton Designer: Asger Harding Granerud Stronghold Games Get Your Copy
Best Production Values
Lisboa Designer: Vital Lacerda Eagle-Gryphon Games Get Your Copy
Wasteland Express Delivery Service Designer: Jonathan Gilmour, Ben Pinchback, Matt Riddle Pandasaurus Games Get Your Copy
Photosynthesis Designer: Hjalmar Hach Blue Orange Games Get Your Copy
Dinosaur Island Designer: Jonathan Gilmour, Brian Lewis Pandasaurus Games Get Your Copy
Anachrony Designer: Richard Amann, Viktor Peter, Dávid Turczi Mindclash Games Get Your Copy
Best Thematic Game
Wasteland Express Delivery Service Designer: Jonathan Gilmour, Ben Pinchback, Matt Riddle Pandasaurus Games Get Your Copy
Gloomhaven Designer: Isaac Childres Cephalofair Games Get Your Copy
This War of Mine Designer: Michał Oracz, Jakub Wiśniewski Awaken Realms, Ares Games Get Your Copy
Dinosaur Island Designer: Jonathan Gilmour, Brian Lewis Pandasaurus Games Get Your Copy
7th Continent Designer: Ludovic Roudy, Bruno Sautter Serious Poulp Get Your Copy
Best Strategy/Euro Game
Clans of Caledonia Designer: Juma Al-JouJou Karma Games Get Your Copy
Lisboa Designer: Vital Lacerda Eagle-Gryphon Games Get Your Copy
London: Second Edition Designer: Martin Wallace Osprey Games Get Your Copy
Calimala Designer: Fabio Lopiano ADC Blackfire Entertainment GmbH Get Your Copy
Sid Meier’s Civilization: A New Dawn Designer: James Kniffen Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Best Card Game
The Fox in the Forest Designer: Joshua Buergel Renegade Games Studios Get Your Copy
Deadline Designer: Dan Schnake, Adam West WizKids Games Get Your Copy
7th Continent Designer: Ludovic Roudy, Bruno Sautter Serious Poulp Get Your Copy
Alien Artifacts Designer: Marcin Senior Ropka, Viola Kijowska Portal Games Get Your Copy
London: Second Edition Designer: Martin Wallace Osprey Games Get Your Copy
Best Game from a Small Publisher
Clans of Caledonia Designer: Juma Al-JouJou Karma Games Get Your Copy
Azul Designer: Michael Kiesling Plan B Games Get Your Copy
7th Continent Designer: Ludovic Roudy, Bruno Sautter Serious Poulp Get Your Copy
Fog of Love Designer: Jacob Jaskov Hush Hush Projects Get Your Copy
Too Many Bones Designer: Adam Carlson, Josh J. Carlson Chip Theory Games Get Your Copy
Best Two Player Game
The Fox in the Forest Designer: Joshua Buergel Renegade Games Studios Get Your Copy
Fog of Love Designer: Jacob Jaskov Hush Hush Projects Get Your Copy
Codenames: Duet Designer: Vlaada Chvátil, Scot Eaton Czech Games Edition Get Your Copy
Tak Designer: James Ernest, Patrick Rothfuss Cheapass Games Get Your Copy
Techno Bowl Designer: Brent Spivey Bombshell Games Get Your Copy
Best Family Game
The Quest for El Dorado Designer: Reiner Knizia Ravensburger Get Your Copy
Harvest Dice Designer: Danny Devine Grey Fox Games Get Your Copy
Rhino Hero: Super Battle Designer: Scott Frisco, Steven Strumpf HABA Games Get Your Copy
Kingdomino Designer: Bruno Cathala Blue Orange Games Get Your Copy
Slide Blast Designer: Sam-goo, Evan Song FoxMind Games Get Your Copy
Game of the Year
Clans of Caledonia Designer: Juma Al-JouJou Karma Games Get Your Copy
Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 Designer: Rob Daviau, Matt Leacock Z-Man Games Get Your Copy
Wasteland Express Delivery Service Designer: Jonathan Gilmour, Ben Pinchback, Matt Riddle Pandasaurus Games Get Your Copy
Lisboa Designer: Vital Lacerda Eagle-Gryphon Games Get Your Copy
Spirit Island Designer: R. Eric Reuss Greater Than Games Get Your Copy
7th Continent Designer: Ludovic Roudy, Bruno Sautter Serious Poulp Get Your Copy
Sid Meier’s Civilization: A New Dawn Designer: James Kniffen 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. 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 agree that Gloomhavan should have been featured among those nominated for game of the year (based on what I’ve played), I like that the Boardgamequest team represents a different perspective and does not just reiterate what is being promoted elsewhere.
I agree 100%. Gloomhaven is not for everyone by any means. But to not include it in a list of SEVEN nominees for game of the year is a major oversight.
I wonder if a substantial portion of gamers are underrepresented by the editors of this site?
Thank you for the comment. I assure you most all of the BGQ staff has played Gloomhaven, and some even own it. However there were just other games we felt were more deserving of the award.
How did Gloomhaven not feature among those nominated for Game of the Year?
Our editorial team voted our nominations in, and Gloomhaven wasn’t one of the top 7 vote getters for that category.
Couldnt agree more. Clearly the game of the year
While I agree that Gloomhavan should have been featured among those nominated for game of the year (based on what I’ve played), I like that the Boardgamequest team represents a different perspective and does not just reiterate what is being promoted elsewhere.
I agree 100%. Gloomhaven is not for everyone by any means. But to not include it in a list of SEVEN nominees for game of the year is a major oversight.
I wonder if a substantial portion of gamers are underrepresented by the editors of this site?
Thank you for the comment. I assure you most all of the BGQ staff has played Gloomhaven, and some even own it. However there were just other games we felt were more deserving of the award.
Wow! I did not realize 2017 was such a lackluster year. That’s a bunch lists of mediocrity. 🙁
Time of Crisis was my personal game of the year for 2017
A shame not to see Fog of Love in the best production values and game of the year categories.