All "Deutscher Spielepreis๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช 2004" game award winners & nominees in comparison 2026

We have clearly compared and listed all winners and nominees of the audience award "Deutscher Spielepreis๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช 2004".

Audience Award instead of Critics Award

In contrast to the Spiel des Jahres, the "Deutscher Spielepreis๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช" 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" & "Nรผrnberg" 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 Spielepreis๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช 2004 winners and nominees:

This list was last updated on June 6, 2026. There's also a print version for this list .
  1. Ticket to Ride (Spiel des Jahres 2004 winner)

    Ticket 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.

    Nominated for 18 awards and won 12.

    โญ๏ธ Spiel des Jahres 2004

    More details for Ticket to Ride (Spiel des Jahres 2004 winner)
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 5 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 30 - 60 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 8+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  2. Ingenious

    Ingenious, 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.

    Nominated for 15 awards and won 7.

    โญ๏ธ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2004

    More details for Ingenious
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 1 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 30 - 45 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 8+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  3. San Juan

    San 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.

    Nominated for 7 awards and won 2.

    More details for San Juan
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 45 - 60 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn

    Video reviews for San Juan

    • YouTube Review for the game "San Juan" by Shut Up & Sit Down
      Video
    • YouTube Review for the game "San Juan" by BoardGameGeek
      Video
  4. The "Spiel des Jahres" jury has determined the winner for Spiel des Jahres ๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช2004 - they also published the list of nominees for the year of 2004. But which are really the best games of the 2004 vintage? We compared all the winners and nominees and sorted them by quality.

    All "Spiel des Jahres๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช 2004" game award winners & nominees in comparison โ†’
  5. Saint Petersburg

    Saint 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.

    Nominated for 8 awards and won 1.

    โญ๏ธ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2004

    More details for Saint Petersburg
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 45 - 60 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  6. Fearsome Floors

    Fearsome Floors (also known as Finstere Flure), designed by Friedemann Friese, is a race game with a thrilling twist. Set in a treacherous dungeon, players must navigate their way to safety within a limited number of turns, all while avoiding a monstrous creature that roams the corridors in search of its next victim.

    Nominated for 3 awards.

    โญ๏ธ Nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2004

    ๐Ÿ”ฅ Deal: 61% cheaper on Amazon than at other retailers โ€” at a recent low!

    More details for Fearsome Floors
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 7 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 60 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  7. Attika

    • Meeples Choice AwardMeeples Choice Award
    • Tile-LayingTile-Laying
    • Route BuildingRoute Building
    • Ancient WorldAncient World
    • Strategy GameStrategy Game
    • City BuildingCity Building
    +3 more

    Attika 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.

    Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.

    More details for Attika
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 45 - 60 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  8. Dawn Under

    There 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.

    Nominated for 3 awards and won 1.

    โญ๏ธ Nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2004

    โญ๏ธ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2004

    More details for Dawn Under
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 6 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 30 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 6+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  9. Hansa

    Hansa is a strategic board game where players assume the roles of merchants in the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic and trading alliance during the Middle Ages. The game involves navigating a ship around a simplified map of Scandinavia, engaging in buying, selling, and expanding trading posts. The goal is to accumulate sets of goods to trade for victory points, while also expanding market presence to increase revenue.

    Nominated for 3 awards.

    More details for Hansa
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 60 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Easy to learn
  10. Goa

    • Meeples Choice AwardMeeples Choice Award
    • Economy & TradeEconomy & Trade
    • Nature & FarmingNature & Farming
    • Push Your LuckPush Your Luck
    • AuctionAuction
    • Strategy GameStrategy Game
    +4 more

    In Goa: A New Expedition, set in the early 16th century, you're immersed in a world of strategic auctions and resource management. The game captures the essence of this era's trading centers, focusing on spice trade, ship dispatch, and colony establishment.

    Nominated for 5 awards and won 1.

    More details for Goa
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 90 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 12+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Medium difficulty
  11. The Bridges of Shangri-La

    • Mensa SelectMensa Select
    • Tile-LayingTile-Laying
    • Area ControlArea Control
    • MythologyMythology
    • ExplorationExploration
    • Strategy GameStrategy Game
    +1 more

    In 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.

    Nominated for 3 awards and won 1.

    More details for The Bridges of Shangri-La
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 3 - 4 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 60 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 10+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Medium difficulty
  12. The "Deutscher Spielepreis" (German Game Award), which has been awarded since 1990, is presented annually for 10 family and 10 adult games. Unlike the Spiel des Jahres, however, this is not awarded by critics but by a professional audience (individual players, game circles, journalists, retailers). It is also called the "player" award - by players for players.

    The best "Deutscher Spielepreis"๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช award winners and nominees โ†’
  13. Maharaja: The Game of Palace Building in India

    • Nederlandse SpellenprijsNederlandse Spellenprijs
    • Area ControlArea Control
    • Route BuildingRoute Building
    • Strategy GameStrategy Game
    • City BuildingCity Building
    • Variable PowersVariable Powers
    +2 more

    Maharaja: 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.

    Nominated for 5 awards and won 1.

    โญ๏ธ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2004

    More details for Maharaja: The Game of Palace Building in India
    • ๐Ÿ‘ฅ 2 - 5 Players
    • โฑ๏ธ 90 Minutes
    • ๐Ÿง’ 12+ years old
    • ๐Ÿงฉ Medium difficulty
  14. Looking for a really good game from the year 2004? Then we have just the thing for you: our recommendation list with the best board games that were newly released in 2004.

    The best games released in 2004๐Ÿ“† โ†’

Didn't find the game you were looking for?

We're positive that you'll find it in one of our other lists! To make the search easier for you, we split our website into different categories. The following board game categories will help you find the right list: