All "Spiel des Jahres🇩🇪 1989" game award winners & nominees in comparison 2025

The "Spiel des Jahres" jury has determined the winner for Spiel des Jahres 🇩🇪1989 - they also published the list of nominees for the year of 1989. But which are really the best games of the 1989 vintage? We compared all the winners and nominees and sorted them by quality.

Game of the Year 🇩🇪 1989 Winners

  • Spiel des Jahres 1989 (Game of the Year):
    Café International
  • Kennerspiel des Jahres 1989 (Connoisseur's game of the year):
    (exists only since 2011)
  • Kinderspiel des Jahres 1989 (Children's game of the year):
    Gute Freunde

All other "Spiel des Jahres" years & awards

The Spiel des Jahres has been awarded since 1979, we have created several other lists for you:

Spiel des Jahres nominations and recommendations are also excellent

In our "Spiel des Jahres"-1989 list you will find not only the winners, but all games of the recommendation list as well as the nomination list.

List with all Spiel des Jahres 1989 games

Enclosed you find a comparison of all Spiel des Jahres 1989 games, which you can still buy in 2025:

This list was last updated on March 19, 2025. There's also a print version for this list.
  1. Escape from the Hidden Castle

    All details for the board game Escape from the Hidden Castle and similar games

    Players control party guests, with the number of guests depending on the number of players. Each turn, players roll a special die to determine Hugo's movement, who starts in the basement and moves through the gallery to catch guests. The game involves strategic placement and adjustment as players try to minimize their "scare points" while avoiding capture by Hugo.

    Nominated for 2 awards.

    More details for Escape from the Hidden Castle
    • 2 - 8 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  2. Breakaway Rider

    All details for the board game Breakaway Rider and similar games

    Players compete in a simple card game about bike racing, striving to hold the yellow jersey at the end of the race. Each player receives six cards and draws a seventh before playing a Pace card and any additional modifiers.

    More details for Breakaway Rider
    • 2 - 6 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  3. Such a Thing?

    All details for the board game Such a Thing? and similar games

    Players must come up with something that fits within a series of predefined categories. The game includes 220 cards with prompts like "needs fuel," "floats," or "can be used militarily." Players take turns adding cards from their hand until someone doubts the existence of a fitting item, resulting in penalties for the player whose claim is challenged or the doubter, depending on the outcome. The first player to run out of cards wins.

    More details for Such a Thing?
    • 2 - 8 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  4. Café International

    All details for the board game Café International and similar games

    Café International is a strategic board game that simulates the seating arrangements of guests from different nationalities in an international cafe. The game intricately combines tile placement and puzzle-solving elements, challenging players to thoughtfully arrange multi-national customers around tables to earn points while adhering to specific seating rules.

    Nominated for 1 award and won 1.

    ⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 1989

    More details for Café International
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 45 - 60 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  5. Abalone

    All details for the board game Abalone and similar games

    Abalone is a visually appealing and strategically rich board game designed for intense two-team competition. On the unique game board, two teams command large marbles, engaging in a calculated push-and-shove battle with a clear objective: to push six of the opposing player's marbles off the board.

    Nominated for 1 award and won 1.

    More details for Abalone
    • 2 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 7+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  6. Pole Position

    All details for the board game Pole Position and similar games

    Players race on a modular game board using cards numbered from 1 to 9. Each player chooses a card to reveal simultaneously, with the highest card moving first. Certain spaces, like TURBO, offer special features that enhance gameplay. Players take additional movement points to advance past opponents. The winner is the player with the most points from their three cars.

    More details for Pole Position
    • 2 - 5 Players
    • 60 Minutes
    • 10+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  7. Magic Dance

    All details for the board game Magic Dance and similar games

    A memory and strategy game, it is also published by F.X. Schmid under the title "Dance of the Witches." Like the enchanted forest from Sagaland, which players will remember, it is more of a family game than just a children's game.

    More details for Magic Dance
    • 3 - 6 Players
    • 45 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  8. Gute Freunde

    All details for the board game Gute Freunde and similar games

    Frogs leap for silver and gold in a sunny clearing beside a dark forest. Players take on the role of frogs jumping to collect coins at the bottom of a lily-covered pond. The game features twelve wooden tiles depicting lilies, allowing easy jumping between them. The length of each jump is determined by dice, and players must navigate carefully as they race to gather the most coins while avoiding obstacles.

    Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.

    ⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 1989

    More details for Gute Freunde
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 20 Minutes
    • 5+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  9. Maestro

    All details for the board game Maestro and similar games

    Players manage a talent agency for musicians and each has a personal game board. They race to complete compositions, each with unique requirements. Unused musicians at the end of the game will cost players points, creating a challenge in managing their roster, which must be paid, while also having the option to steal musicians from competitors.

    Nominated for 1 award and won 1.

    More details for Maestro
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 20 - 30 Minutes
    • 8+ years old
    • Easy to learn
  10. Henne Berta

    All details for the board game Henne Berta and similar games

    Players feed a hen with grain and collect eggs in a small basket. The first player to collect 3 eggs is the winner. The game includes a wooden board, large wooden pieces, and small baskets for each player.

    Nominated for 1 award and won 1.

    ⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 1989

    More details for Henne Berta
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 10 - 15 Minutes
    • 4+ years old
    • Immediately playable
  11. Flieg Dumbo Flieg

    All details for the board game Flieg Dumbo Flieg and similar games

    Players guide Dumbo to reach various targets. The player whose Dumbo achieves the most goals by the end wins. Each Dumbo figure consists of three game pieces, with movement determined by the direction of the top piece's trunk. After moving, the top piece is placed at the bottom of the player's stack, requiring players to plan their moves three turns in advance.

    More details for Flieg Dumbo Flieg
    • 2 - 4 Players
    • 30 Minutes
    • 6+ years old
    • Easy to learn

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: