All "Deutscher Spielepreis🇩🇪 2023" game award winners & nominees in comparison 2026

We have clearly compared and listed all winners and nominees of the audience award "Deutscher Spielepreis🇩🇪 2023".

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🇩🇪 2023 winners and nominees:

This list was last updated on June 11, 2026. There's also a print version for this list .
  1. HITSTER

    HITSTER

    With HITSTER, the ultimate music card game, you can instantly throw a party! Listen to over 100 years of fantastic hits, arrange them chronologically on your music timeline, and relive unforgettable memories. The first player to collect 10 hits is crowned the HITSTER.

    All details & rating
    2–10 30 min 16+ Immediately playable
  2. Heat: Pedal to the Metal

    Heat: Pedal to the Metal

    Heat: Pedal to the Metal is a dynamic and strategic racing board game that simulates the thrill and intricacies of car racing. It offers players a chance to experience the excitement of racing while managing crucial elements like speed, car upgrades, and varying track conditions.

    All details & rating
    1–6 30–60 min 10+ Easy to learn
    + 5 € above the best price
    54 € at Amazon*
  3. Dorfromantik: The Board Game

    Dorfromantik: The Board Game

    Dorfromantik: The Board Game transitions the charming and strategic essence of the beloved video game into a tactile family board game experience. Designed by Michael Palm and Lukas Zach, this game invites up to six players to collaboratively construct a picturesque landscape using hexagonal tiles. Players aim to satisfy community demands while strategically extending rivers and tracks, and optimizing points through clever area enclosure with flags.

    All details & rating
    1–6 30–60 min 8+ Easy to learn
    2 € below the next retailer
    25 € at Amazon*
  4. Planet Unknown

    Planet Unknown

    Planet Unknown is a competitive and strategic game for 1-6 players set in a future where Earth's resources are depleted. Players are tasked with developing the most efficient and habitable planet among a series of newfound worlds. Using polyomino-shaped tiles, each representing vital infrastructure, players work to efficiently cover their planets and build an effective support system for life.

    All details & rating
    1–6 60–80 min 10+ Easy to learn
  5. Challengers!

    Challengers!

    Challengers! offers a fresh and dynamic deck-management experience, where 1-8 players engage in a tournament-style battle that lasts around 45 minutes, regardless of the number of players. This game stands out by allowing players to encounter a new opponent in each round, pushing the excitement and strategic planning to new heights with every match.

    All details & rating
    1–8 45 min 8+ Easy to learn
  6. Mysterium Kids: Captain Echo's Treasure

    Mysterium Kids: Captain Echo's Treasure

    The legend says that the old mansion on the edge of town holds a legendary treasure. To find it, you decide to spend the night there. Just when you are about to give up, the ghost of Captain Echo appears to assist you, using a tambourine to guide you on which rooms to search. Players must work together to uncover the captain's treasure before the night ends. Each round, one player becomes the ghost, providing hints with the tambourine to help the others guess the correct sound cards. If successful, they can reveal a piece of the captain's treasure.

    All details & rating
    2–6 21 min 6+ Immediately playable
  7. Gigamons

    Gigamons

    The final event to join the Guild of Mages is here, focusing on mastering the summoning of Gigamons. Players must find pairs of Elemons to exchange for Gigamons. The one who captures the most Gigamons will be promoted to Elemage after this challenge.

    All details & rating
    2–4 15 min 5+ Immediately playable
  8. Carla Caramel

    Carla Caramel

    It's a hot day at the fairgrounds! Kids are lining up in front of Carla Caramel's ice cream stand. Players help Carla distribute delicious ice cream cones quickly to the children before they melt.

    All details & rating
    1–6 10–25 min 4+ Immediately playable
  9. Earth

    Earth

    Earth is an engrossing engine-building board game that celebrates the intricate ecosystems and diverse habitats of our planet. It invites players to dive into rich natural environments, crafting synergies that mirror Earth's extraordinary adaptability and abundance.

    All details & rating
    1–5 45–90 min 13+ Medium complexity
    + 21 € above the best price
    46 € at Amazon*
  10. Dorfromantik: The Duel

    Dorfromantik: The Duel

    Following the success of the previous game, the next installment shifts from collaboration to friendly competition. Players build their own landscapes using newly revealed tiles while tackling new double and round tasks. The game includes two standalone modules for added challenge and interaction, and new special tiles can be integrated into the original game for cooperative play.

    All details & rating
    2 30–45 min 8+ Easy to learn
  11. Marrakesh - Stefan Feld City Collection No. 4

    Marrakesh - Stefan Feld City Collection No. 4

    Compete with other influential families in the city to earn the most honor titles by strategically using your available assistants and resources. The game is played over three rounds, each consisting of four turns where players secretly choose colored cylinders and then use them to activate actions on their player board. Players can gain wealth and exchange it for influence in the city, with bonuses available to enhance their actions throughout the game. The player with the most points at the end wins.

    All details & rating
    2–4 120 min 14+ Medium complexity
  12. Tiletum

    Tiletum

    Tiletum transports players back to the splendor of the Renaissance, a period marked by the flourishing of trade and the arts across Europe. In this game, players embody wealthy merchants traversing from Flanders to Venice, engaging in commerce, constructing cathedrals, and currying favor with noble families to establish themselves as preeminent figures of the era.

    All details & rating
    1–4 60–100 min 14+ Medium complexity
  13. Woodcraft

    Woodcraft

    Woodcraft immerses players in the enchanting world of forest inhabitants, each managing their workshop, crafting goods, and vying to establish the most successful operation. This game combines resource management, strategic planning, and dice manipulation, allowing players to gather materials, hire assistants, and upgrade their workshops for improved efficiency.

    All details & rating
    1–4 60–120 min 12+ For connoisseurs
    + 5 € above the best price
    58 € at Amazon*

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