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A board game fanatic’s analysis of the nominees for «Spiel des Jahres 2022»

14/7/2022

Every year, a Game of the Year and a Connoisseur’s Game of the Year are chosen. Three nominees are selected in each category. I’ve tested all six of this year’s nominees and chosen my own personal favourite.

Almost two months ago, Ramon gave us an overview of these games and since then, I and my fellow board game addicts have thoroughly put them to the test.

The winners of both categories will be chosen live on Saturday, 16 July. This year, competitive games in particular are back in vogue.

Game of the Year

The following games are suitable for both children and adults in search of a straightforward game.

Cascadia

Welcome to Cascadia! Here, in the Pacific Northwest, the animals live wild and free: buzzards circle in the sky, bears amble in pairs, deer roam and foxes ramble. And don’t forget the salmon. They pass by ever-changing scenery on their long water-bound journeys. In this game, players draft Wildlife Tokens and Habitat Tiles to create diverse landscapes with varied wildlife. Players can jump right in and create a home for their animals from the very first turn – with a little luck and the right strategy. An eventful family game and a great gift for fans of laying games and nature lovers alike. With its Solo Mode, the game is also good for one.

1 to 4 players
Ages 10+
30 to 60 minutes
For: Aspiring national park rangers

Kosmos Familienspiel Cascadia – Im Herzen der Natur (German)

Tile-based games

EUR33,10

Kosmos Familienspiel Cascadia – Im Herzen der Natur

German

Here’s how to play: After a short setup, players take turns drafting Habitat Tiles and their accompanying Wildlife Tokens from the center of the board and adding them to their growing Environments. The various scoring cards determine how animals can be placed within each Environment. Nature Tokens can be used to perform special actions. The game continues until there are no more Habitat Tiles in play. Points are awarded based on the scoring cards and bonus points are awarded for having the largest contiguous Habitat Corridor for each habitat type (Forests, Mountains, etc). The player with the most points wins.

My analysis: Cascadia is a great family game for all ages. The various scoring cards and chance elements make you want to play again and again. I think the game is worthy of the nomination it’s received and will probably win Game of the Year – but my personal favourite is yet to come.

Scout

You’ve suddenly been appointed ringmaster of a circus. It’s up to you and the other members of your troupe to shine and put on a better show than your rivals. If you’re short a performer for a particular attraction, you must scout new talent for your troupe. Sometimes the addition of just one performer is enough to inspire the whole troupe and make your whole show unbeatable. Whether you decide to do your best with the troupe you have or wait to perform until you have assembled the perfect troupe, there’s nothing better than when all goes according to plan!

2 to 5 players
Ages 9+
Approx. 20 minutes
For: Luck pushers

Here’s how to play: Each player receives a certain number of cards (according to the number of players), which may not be rearranged. Players can decide which side of the cards to play with and whether to use the number at the top left of the card or the smaller number in the black box directly below. Once these decisions have been made, the game can begin. Each turn consists of putting on a show, in which players can use one or more of their cards. A show requires placing cards in consecutive order or placing cards of the same number (doublets or triplets) on the table. Players must either put on a better show than the previous players (each show earns a point value) or scout one of the previously played cards (in this case, the former ringmaster earns a point), and add that card to their hand. The scouted card can be placed anywhere in the hand in preparation for the player’s next turn and maximise chances of an unbeatable show. So continues the game until at least all but one of the players has scouted a card in turn or someone runs out of cards in their hand. The number of rounds played mirrors the number of players in the game. At the end of the game, the player with the most points wins.

My analysis: The creators of Scout have managed to combine age-old approaches with fresh, new ideas to come up with an original, innovative game. Because of Scout’s simplicity, short playing time and captivating elements, players will find themselves eager for another round and ready to put on another show, even if luck is not on their side. This is definitely my favourite out of all the nominees and therefore Game of the Year in my book.

Top Ten

You and your friends are standing on the deck of the sinking Titanic. What item will you use to save yourselves? The answers to these and other questions in Top Ten are sure to leave you laughing... and challenge you. Can you put the answers in the assigned order, from useless to very useful?

4 to 9 players
Ages 12+
Approx. 30 minutes
For: Team players

Card games

EUR21,81

Cocktail games Top Ten (DE)

German

Here’s how to play: Top Ten is a cooperative game in which all players form one team. Each player receives a number that determines how useful or useless a given answer should be and then comes up with a corresponding answer. The Cap’ten must then put everyone’s answers in the correct order. For every answer that’s out of order, a counter gets moved from the Unicorn Pile to the Poop Pile, which naturally shouldn’t grow too large. After five rounds, the fun is won, at least if the Cap’tens have managed to keep the counters mostly on the Unicorn Pile.

My analysis: This is a good party game that reminds me a bit of Perfect Match and is fun for everyone. This game fosters discussion among players with different worldviews and perspectives, which makes it even more interesting. Not a Game of the Year for me, but definitely recommendable and rightly nominated.

Connoisseur’s Game of the Year

Connoisseur games are aimed at more experienced board game players. They are more complex and usually more time-consuming than the Game of the Year nominees.

Cryptid

Cryptid is a unique game of deduction in which you head out on a quest to find a mysterious creature. The goal is to collect info about the Cryptid you're looking for from your fellow players, without giving away too much of the info you've already gathered yourself. If you reveal too much, your opponents will beat you in the race to discover the mysterious Cryptid and claim all the glory for themselves!

3 to 5 players
Ages 14+
30 to 50 minutes
For: Focused monster hunters

Board games

Skellig Games Cryptid (DE)

German

Here’s how to play: After setup, each player receives exactly one clue as to the whereabouts of the mysterious Cryptid. By exchanging information, players can gather further info from the other players. When a player selects a space, everyone else places either a cube or a disc on the space to reveal whether that space «couldn’t be» or «could be» the creature’s habitat. If a player places a cube on a space that you have selected, you must then use your own clue to place a cube somewhere on the board. So continues the game until a player’s selection of a space as the Cryptid’s whereabouts is met only with discs by the other players. In this case, the player who chose the space has found the Cryptid and wins.

My analysis: If you've oiled the gears in your brain, go to it. This game definitely requires your full attention, otherwise you risk missing out on that key moment when it becomes possible to connect all the dots. This game can last as little as five minutes if luck is on your side, but it can also last well over an hour. This game is, in my book, worthy of its nomination.

Dune: Imperium

Hoist your banner over the vast wasteland before you. The Great Houses of the Landsraad have entered into war, deploying both their armed forces and their spies. Who will you join forces with and who will you betray? Before you stand a tyrannical emperor, the occult sisterhood Bene Gesserit, the cunning Spacing Guild, and the fierce desert Fremen. The power of the empire could be yours, but war is not the only way to claim it. ## Dune: Imperium combines deck-building and worker placement to yield a new, thematic strategy game where the fate of the empire rests in your hands.

1 to 4 players
Ages 13+
60-120 minutes
For: Dune fans and deck builders

Board games

EUR51,58

Asmodée Dune Imperium (DE)

German

Here’s how to play: After the somewhat lengthy game setup, each player is given a starting deck, from which he or she chooses five cards to create a hand. On each turn, players may take either an Agent Turn or a Reveal Turn. With an Agent Turn, players can send an agent to a board space to gain that space’s effects, as long as they play a card with a matching icon and can pay any associated costs or possess the necessary resources. With a Reveal Turn, players can gain extra effects and increase the strength of their troops. They can also buy new cards to make their deck stronger. In the Combat phase, the winner of a battle receives Victory Points based on the Conflict card in play. Used cards are then discarded and play continues until a player obtains 10 Victory Points and wins the game.

My analysis: This game is a lot like Lost Ruins of Arnak, which was nominated last year. What is different about this game is the battling at the end of each round. For me personally, Dune wins Connoisseur’s Game of the Year 2022.

Living Forest

A mystical forest, source of peace and tranquility, is threatened by the devastating flames of Onibi. In Living Forest, players take on the roles of the Spirits of Nature – Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter – and aim to protect the forest by extinguishing the flames, planting trees, and awakening the guardian of the forest. Who will succeed in driving out Onibi?

2 to 4 players
Ages 10+
30 to 60 minutes
For: Forest spirits and experienced board gamers

Board games

EUR37,73

Pegasus Living Forest (DE)

German

Here’s how to play: Every round, players draw animal cards from their own individual decks, which feature forest creatures. These forest creature have various special powers known as Elements. And among these creatures are a few unique species, which should not all be put into play at once. Using their creatures’ elements, players can perform one or two actions each turn such as planting trees, extinguishing flames, moving along the Circle of Spirits to trigger bonuses, attracting new animals or obtaining bits of magic. At the end of each round, players must face the remaining flames in the Circle of Spirits. Any players who can't extinguish them must include Fire Varans in their deck – solitary animals that act as firefighters but don't come with any elements. The game ends as soon as a player succeeds in collecting enough of one of the three resources that can be used to permanently protect the forest.

My analysis: I don’t believe this is a suitable family game, despite the publisher’s claim that it is. Players must have a specific strategy in order to collect enough points to win. That’s why this game has rightly been nominated for Connoisseur’s Game of the Year. But it could be even more advanced. So for those who hunger for rather heavy fare, Dune: Imperium will better fill your stomach.

My personal favourites are clear. Let's see what the jury of the «Spiel des Jahres e. V.» has to say about it on Saturday. What are your thoughts?

62 people like this article

Alessandro Grieco

Passionierter Brett- und Kartenspieler

ramon.schneider@digitecgalaxus.ch

Every week, I organize board game evenings in a private setting. I am open to all games. I also like puzzles and Escape Rooms. I am not afraid of challenges.

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