List of Game of the Year awards (board games)
Game of the Year is a title awarded annually by various magazines, websites, and game critics to deserving tabletop games, including board games and card games. Many publications award a single "Game of the Year" award to a single title published in the previous year that they feel represents the pinnacle of gaming achievement that year.
Organizations
Organizations and publications that award Game of the Year awards for board games include:- Two truths and a trash
- Årets spel
- As d'Or / Golden Ace
- BoardGameGeek
- Deutscher Spiele Preis
- Dicebreaker
- Games
- Gry-Planszowe.pl / Gra Roku
- Le Diamant d'Or
- Origins Award
- Premio JdA
- Premio Ludopedia
- Spiel des Jahres
- *Kennerspiel des Jahres
- *Kinderspiel des Jahres
- Spiel Portugal
Awards
American Tabletop Awards
These are winners of the American Tabletop Awards, a US-based board game award selected by a committee of board game media creators for games released in the previous calendar year.Early Gamers
These are winners in the Early Gamers category, a category for games targeted at people new to board games.
| Year | Winner | Designer | Publisher |
| 2025 | Captain Flip | Remo Conzadori, Paolo Mori | PlayPunk |
| 2024 | Blob Party | Pam Walls | WizKids |
| 2023 | boop. | Scott Brady | Smirk & Laughter Games |
| 2022 | Happy City | Toshiki Sato, Airu Sato | Gamewright |
| 2021 | Abandon All Artichokes | Emma Larkins | Gamewright |
| 2020 | Draftosaurus | Antoine Bauza, Corentin Lebrat, Ludovic Maublanc, Théo Rivière | Ankama |
| 2019 | Catch the Moon | Fabien Riffaud & Juan Rodriguez | Studio Bombyx |
Casual Games
These are winners in the Casual Games category, a category intended for gamers of all experience levels.
| Year | Winner | Designer | Publisher |
| 2025 | The Gang | John Cooper, Kory Heath | Thames & Kosmos |
| 2024 | Sea Salt & Paper | Bruno Cathala, Théo Rivière | Bombyx, Pandasaurus Games |
| 2023 | Turing Machine | Fabien Gridel, Yoann Levet | Le Scorpion Masqué |
| 2022 | Cubitos | John D. Clair | Alderac Entertainment Group |
| 2021 | The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine | Thomas Sing | KOSMOS |
| 2020 | ShipShape | Rob Daviau | Calliope Games |
| 2019 | The Quacks of Quedlinburg | Wolfgang Warsch | North Star Games |
Strategy Games
These are winners in the Strategy Games category, a category for games that have additional "complexity, planning requirements, and duration" compared to Casual Games.
| Year | Winner | Designer | Publisher |
| 2025 | Let’s Go! To Japan | Josh Wood | Alderac Entertainment Group |
| 2024 | Thunder Road: Vendetta | Dave Chalker, Brett Myers, Noah Cohen, Rob Daviau, Justin D. Jacobson, Jim Keifer, Brian Neff | Restoration Games |
| 2023 | Planet Unknown | Ryan Lambert, Adam Rehberg | Adam’s Apple Games, LLC |
| 2022 | Cascadia | Randy Flynn | Flatout Games, Alderac Entertainment Group |
| 2021 | Calico | Kevin Russ | Flatout Games |
| 2020 | Wingspan | Elizabeth Hargrave | Stonemaier Games |
| 2019 | Chronicles of Crime | David Cicurel | Lucky Duck Games |
Complex Games
These are winners in the Complex Games category, a category intended for "longer-form games that typically appeal to more experienced players".
| Year | Winner | Designer | Publisher |
| 2025 | Fromage | Matthew O’Malley, Ben Rosset | Road To Infamy Games |
| 2024 | The White Castle | Isra C., Shei S. | Devir |
| 2023 | Carnegie | Xavier Georges | Pegasus Spiele |
| 2022 | Lost Ruins of Arnak | Elwen, Mín | Czech Games Edition |
| 2021 | Dominations: Road to Civilization | Éric Dubus, Olivier Melison | Holy Grail Games |
| 2020 | The Taverns of Tiefenthal | Wolfgang Warsch | North Star Games |
| 2019 | Root | Cole Wehrle | Leder Games |
As d'Or / Golden Ace
These are winners of the As d'Or Award, which is awarded to the best board game of the year submitted at the Cannes International Game Festival.| Year | Category | Winner | Designer | Publisher |
| 2023 | As d'Or Jeu de l'année | Akropolis | Jules Messaud | Gigamic |
| 2022 | As d'Or Jeu de l'année | 7 Wonders: Architects | Antoine Bauza | Repos Production |
| 2021 | As d'Or Jeu de l'année | MicroMacro: Crime City | Johannes Sich | Edition Spielwiese |
| 2020 | As d'Or Jeu de l'année | Oriflamme | Adrien Hesling, Axel Hesling | Studio H |
| 2019 | As d'Or Jeu de l'année | The Mind | Wolfgang Warsch | Oya |
| 2018 | As d'Or Jeu de l'année | Azul | Michael Kiesling | Plan B Games |
| 2017 | As d'Or Jeu de l'année | Unlock! | Cyril Demaegd et Thomas Cauët et Alice Carroll | Space Cowboys |
| 2016 | As d'Or Jeu de l'année | Mysterium | Oleg Sidorenko et Oleksandr Nevskiy | Libellud |
| 2015 | As d'Or Jeu de l'année | Colt Express | Christophe Raimbault | Ludonaute |
| 2015 | As d'Or Jeu de l'année Grand Prix | Five Tribes | Bruno Cathala | Days of Wonder |
| 2015 | As d'Or Jeu de l'année Enfant | La Chasse aux Gigamons | Karim Aouidad, Johann Roussel | Elemon Games |
| 2015 | As d'Or Jeu de l'année Prix du Jury | Loony Quest | Laurent Escoffier, David Franck | Libellud |
Board Game Quest Awards
These are winners of the Board Game Quest Game of the Year Award. This award is presented by the Board Game Quest editorial team, a United States-based board game media outlet, to the best board game of the year.| Year | Winner | Designer | Publisher |
| 2023 | Thunder Road: Vendetta | Brett Myers, Dave Chalker | Restoration Games |
| 2022 | Foundations of Rome | Emerson Matsuuchi | Arcane Wonders |
| 2021 | Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile | Cole Wehrle | Leder games |
| 2020 | Lost Ruins of Arnak | Elwen and Mín | Czech Games Edition |
| 2019 | Wingspan | Elizabeth Hargrave | Stonemaier Games |
| 2018 | Root | Cole Wehrle | Leder Games |
| 2017 | Clans of Caledonia | Juma Al-JouJou | Karma Games |
| 2016 | Terraforming Mars | Jacob Fryxelius | Stronghold Games |
| 2015 | Pandemic Legacy | Rob Daviau, Matt Leacock | Z-Man Games |
| 2014 | Five Tribes | Bruno Cathala | Days of Wonder |
| 2013 | Nations | Rustan Håkansson, Nina Håkansson, Einar Rosén, Robert Rosén | Lautapelit.fi |
Deutscher Spiele Preis
Source:The Deutscher Spiele Preis is a prestigious award for board games started in 1990 by the German magazine Die Pöppel-Revue, which collects votes from the industry's stores, magazines, professionals and game clubs. The results are announced every October at the Spiel game fair in Essen, Germany. The Essen Feather is awarded at the same ceremony.
| Year | Winner | Designer | Publisher |
| 2024 | Forest Shuffle | Kosch | Lookout Games |
| 2023 | Planet Unknown | Ryan Lambert, Adam Rehberg | Strohmann Games |
| 2022 | Ark Nova | Mathias Wigge | Feuerland Spiele , Campstone Games |
| 2021 | Lost Ruins Of Arnak | Mín & Elwen | Czech Games Edition |
| 2020 | The Crew | Thomas Sing | Kosmos |
| 2019 | Wingspan | Elizabeth Hargrave | Stonemaier Games |
| 2018 | Azul | Michael Kiesling | Plan B Games |
| 2017 | Terraforming Mars | Jacob Fryxelius | Stronghold Games |
| 2016 | Mombasa | Alexander Pfister | |
| 2015 | The Voyages of Marco Polo | Simone Luciani, Daniele Tascini | Hans im Glück Verlags-GmbH |
| 2014 | Russian Railroads | Helmut Ohley, Leonhard "Lonny" Orgler | Hans im Glück Verlags-GmbH |
| 2013 | Terra Mystica | Jens Drögemüller, Helge Ostertag | Feuerland Spiele |
| 2012 | Village | Inka Brand, Markus Brand | Pegasus Spiele |
| 2011 | 7 Wonders | Antoine Bauza | Repos Production |
| 2010 | Fresco | Marcel Süßelbeck, Marco Ruskowski, Wolfgang Panning | Queen Games |
| 2009 | Dominion | Donald X. Vaccarino | Hans im Glück Verlags-GmbH |
| 2008 | Agricola | Uwe Rosenberg | Lookout Games |
| 2007 | The Pillars of the Earth | Michael Rieneck, Stefan Stadler | Kosmos |
| 2006 | Caylus | William Attia | Ystari Games |
| 2005 | Louis XIV | Rüdiger Dorn | Ravensburger Spieleverlag GmbH |
| 2004 | Saint Petersburg | Bernd Brunnhofer | Hans im Glück Verlags-GmbH |
| 2003 | Amun-Re | Reiner Knizia | Hans im Glück Verlags-GmbH |
| 2002 | Puerto Rico | Andreas Seyfarth | Ravensburger Spieleverlag GmbH |
| 2001 | Carcassonne | Klaus-Jürgen Wrede | Hans im Glück Verlags-GmbH |
| 2000 | Taj Mahal | Reiner Knizia | alea |
| 1999 | Tikal | Michael Kiesling, Wolfgang Kramer | Ravensburger Spieleverlag GmbH |
| 1998 | Tigris and Euphrates | Reiner Knizia | Hans im Glück Verlags-GmbH |
| 1997 | Löwenherz | Klaus Teuber | Goldsieber Spiele |
| 1996 | El Grande | Richard Ulrich, Wolfgang Kramer | Hans im Glück Verlags-GmbH |
| 1995 | The Settlers of Catan | Klaus Teuber | Franckh |
| 1994 | 6 nimmt! | Wolfgang Kramer | AMIGO Spiel + Freizeit GmbH |
| 1993 | Modern Art | Reiner Knizia | Hans im Glück Verlags-GmbH |
| 1992 | Flying Dutchman | Klaus Teuber | Parker Brothers |
| 1991 | Master Labyrinth | Max J. Kobbert | Ravensburger Spieleverlag GmbH |
| 1990 | Hoity Toity | Klaus Teuber | F.X. Schmid |