All "Spiel des Jahres🇩🇪 1989" game award winners & nominees in comparison 2026

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.