All "Deutscher Spielepreis🇩🇪 2004" game award winners & nominees in comparison 2026
We have clearly compared and listed all winners and nominees of the audience award "Deutscher Spielepreis🇩🇪 2004".
- Winner Deutscher Spielepreis 2004: Saint Petersburg
- Winner Deutscher Kinderspielpreis 2004: Dawn Under
Audience Award instead of Critics Award
In contrast to the Spiel des Jahres, the "Deutscher Spielepreis🇩🇪" is not awarded by critics but by a professional audience (individual players, retailers, game circles, journalists). It is also called the "player" award – by players for players.
All games between "Essen" & "Nürnberg" are nominated
All games published between the SPIEL in Essen of the previous year and the Nuremberg Toy Fair of the same year are included in the nomination list for the "Deutscher Spielepreis" (german for "German Game Award").
Anyone can participate
In addition to trade magazines and retailers, everyone (since 2001) may vote online. All participants choose what they think are the 5 best games of the vintage – first place gets 5 points, second 4, third 3, fourth 2 and fifth 1 point. Each participant is weighted exactly the same and their points are added up.
List of the 10 best games of the year
Finally, the 10 games with the highest total score are published. The game with the highest score is then the winner of the "German Game Award".
Since 1992 also "Deutscher Kinderspielpreis" (German Children's Game Award)
In addition to the 5 best games, each participant may also select a children's game. The one with the most votes then becomes the winner of the "Deutscher Kinderspielpreis" for the respective year.
All other "Deutscher Spielepreis" years
The German Game Prize is awarded since 1990, we have listed for you both across all years, all Children's Game Prize winners and separated by year you can find at the bottom of the page.
More info can be found on the official website of the "German Games Award".
List with all Deutscher Spielepreis🇩🇪 2004 winners and nominees:
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Ticket to Ride
All details & ratingTicket to Ride offers a delightful and accessible gaming experience that can be grasped in under 15 minutes, making it perfect for both newcomers and seasoned gamers. Designed by the renowned Alan R. Moon, this board game revolves around a railway adventure across North America.
2–5 30–60 min 8+ Easy to learn+ 8 € above the best price46 € at Amazon* -
Ingenious
All details & ratingIngenious, also known as Einfach Genial, is a strategic tile-placement game that challenges players to think tactically about color scoring. It's a game that balances individual progress with the need to perform well across different areas.
1–4 30–45 min 8+ Easy to learn -
San Juan
All details & ratingSan Juan is a captivating card game that is inspired by the highly acclaimed board game, Puerto Rico. It is a game of strategy and resource management, set against the backdrop of the historic city of San Juan.
2–4 45–60 min 10+ Easy to learnVideo reviews 2 -
Saint Petersburg
All details & ratingSaint Petersburg is a strategic card game that transports players to the early days of the famous Russian city. The game revolves around building the most impressive version of Saint Petersburg by acquiring various cards representing craftsmen, buildings, and aristocrats.
2–4 45–60 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Attika
All details & ratingAttika is a strategic board game set in ancient Greece, where players compete as the leaders of prominent Greek city-states like Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and Thebes. The game involves carefully planning and constructing a city-state, balancing the use of resources and strategic placement to outmaneuver opponents.
2–4 45–60 min 10+ Easy to learn -
Dawn Under
All details & ratingThere are sixty vampire tokens, consisting of ten vampires in six different colors. Players distribute these tokens face down and reveal the identities at both ends of their lines. Players take turns flipping a grave cover, aiming to match colors to place vampires in graves. Collecting stakes leads to other players giving up their vampires, while finding garlic can also yield advantages. The game continues until one player has disposed of all their vampires, declaring them the winner.
2–6 30 min 6+ Easy to learn26 % cheaper than at other retailers48 € at Amazon* -
The Bridges of Shangri-La
All details & ratingIn a mysterious and isolated Utopia high in the mountains, a peculiar struggle for dominance has begun. Players take on the role of tribal leaders competing to control empty villages by strategically moving their leaders and recruiting students. As they expand their influence, players must navigate the risk of losing leaders to rival tribes, with the ultimate aim of having the most leaders on the board at the end of the game.
3–4 60 min 10+ Medium complexity -
Maharaja: The Game of Palace Building in India
All details & ratingMaharaja: The Game of Palace Building in India is a strategy game that combines elements of area control and simultaneous action selection. Suitable for 2 to 5 players, it immerses players in the task of constructing palaces and houses in various Indian cities to gain favor with the Maharaja.
2–5 90 min 12+ Medium complexity
Frequently asked questions
Which game ranks first on this list?
Ticket to Ride (Spiel des Jahres 2004 winner) currently tops our list. The ranking is derived from player community ratings and is recalculated continuously.
How many players do the games on this list support?
Most games on this list support 2 to 4 players. The exact player count is listed with each game.
What age are these games suitable for?
Publisher age recommendations on this list start at 6 years. Each game carries its own age rating.
How long does a game take?
A typical game takes about 45 to 60 minutes. Each game's playing time is listed individually.
Didn't find the game you were looking for?
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