All "Spiel des Jahres🇩🇪 2009" game award winners & nominees in comparison 2026

The Magic Labyrinth is an enchanting board game that tests players’ memory and skill as they navigate through a tricky maze. Designed for younger players, this game casts participants as little magician apprentices who must recover lost magical objects from within their master’s labyrinth. The catch? The walls of the maze are invisible, and players must rely on their memory and careful maneuvering to avoid them.

Fauna is an educational guessing game for 2-6 players: each round you estimate an animal's weight, length, and habitat by placing tokens on a large map and scales — and since every spot can only be claimed once, timing matters as much as knowledge.

In Dominion, you step into the shoes of a monarch, much like your ancestors, ruling over a small, picturesque kingdom. However, your ambitions stretch far beyond the peaceful realm you've inherited. Your goal is to expand your territory, transforming these modest lands into a vast dominion filled with diverse landscapes and resources.

Pandemic is a highly acclaimed cooperative board game where players take on the roles of disease-fighting specialists. Their mission is to contain and cure four deadly diseases that have broken out across the globe. The game is set on a board depicting major world population centers and requires players to strategize and work together to manage the outbreaks and develop cures before the diseases spiral out of control.

Poison offers a strategic yet straightforward card game experience where players navigate the challenge of managing cauldrons without letting them overflow. The gameplay revolves around avoiding the accumulation of cards from the central area, with a unique twist on scoring: if you collect the most cards in one suit, you can discard them, turning potential defeat into victory. This dynamic makes each round unpredictable and engaging.

A hide-and-seek game for 2 to 6 players. One player acts as the wolf and gives the other players 5 seconds to hide their goats in one of seven pieces of furniture. The wolf can then look at 2 pieces of furniture and collect any goats found there, while the undiscovered goats earn points.

Farmer Bertram has planted seedlings in his field and set up a scarecrow to protect his harvest. However, he should have considered the snails, eager for a tasty meal. Players roll their snails down a ramp to knock over plants in a scarecrow-guarded garden, trying to collect as many of their colored plants as possible. The first player to collect eight plants wins the game.

FITS (Fill In The Spaces) delivers a unique board game experience reminiscent of Tetris, where spatial reasoning and strategic planning take the forefront. This game differentiates itself with a physical, tactile approach to the classic video game's puzzle-solving mechanics, catering to a more social, multiplayer environment.

Pack & Stack is a dynamic and engaging board game that challenges players to master the art of packing. In this game, players are tasked with loading trucks with various-sized goods, aiming to utilize space as efficiently as possible. The game cleverly combines elements of spatial reasoning, quick assessment, and strategic planning, making it an entertaining experience for players of all ages.

GiftTRAP is a unique and engaging party game that has garnered acclaim, including a special Spiel des Jahres prize, for its fresh take on gift-giving. Unlike traditional party games that might require specific skills, GiftTRAP offers a fun and inclusive experience suitable for a diverse group of players regardless of their age or skills.

Welcome to the sun-soaked island of Mallorca, where the game of Finca unfolds against a backdrop of golden beaches, a light-blue sea, and abundant orchards. In this strategic board game, players take on the role of Mallorcan farmers as they endeavor to cultivate and deliver the island's finest fruits, including oranges, lemons, almonds, and grapes. The key to success lies in efficiently managing your resources and outpacing your competitors in the race to deliver your crops.

Animals embark on a rafting tour each year on a wild river, and everyone wants to join the fun. Players lay out ten animal tiles around a raft and draw animal cards to see which creatures board. They secretly vote on whether there’s enough space for all the revealed animals, with points awarded based on correct predictions after six rounds.

Cows and flies are the main characters in this new card game. It is a simple game for 2-5 players, illustrated by Sandra Tagliabue, and published by Hurrican. Players collect points by forming a herd while trying to avoid accumulating too many flies, which can significantly reduce their total score.

One player controls a gang of thieves attempting to break into lockers. The other player is the police, trying to catch them before they escape. The thieves roll special dice to crack the locker combinations while the police navigate a city map with a tilted board to uncover the gang's hiding place. If the police find the hiding spot before the thieves succeed, the thieves leave empty-handed.

Players place a series of sticks, some of which are magnetic, on a floating platform. The first player to position all their sticks wins.

The game features a play area with motorized trees that have rotating tips. Players use levers to raise and lower the treetops to catch animals and transport them through the jungle to the beach. You can also knock down your opponents' animals using the treetops, sending them back to the start. The first player to bring five animals to the beach wins.

The children's version of a popular card game involves players placing animals into four stables. Players take turns revealing cards that show one or more of six different animals. If a stable receives its sixth unique animal, the player collects all the cards in that stable as points. The game ends when the draw pile is depleted, and the player with the most cards wins. The rulebook includes some variations, including one where players do not collect cards as in the base game.

Players explore the islands of Polynesia. The winner is the player who scores the most points by placing game pieces on their board. Palm trees, huts, shells, and boats on the pieces affect the scoring. It can be played with 2 to 5 players.

Players act as architects, striving to create the most attractive city for tourists. They strategically position attractions, build large parks, and create waterfront terraces. However, uncertainty arises with each tile drawn, forcing players to decide whether to wait for the ideal piece, adjust their plans, or cleverly place tiles to maximize points. Each player creates their city and must make better decisions than their opponents.

Space Alert is a thrilling cooperative game where players become crew members of a spaceship navigating dangerous parts of the galaxy. Unique for its real-time gameplay, each mission in Space Alert is a frantic race against time, lasting precisely 10 minutes. The game stands out for its use of a soundtrack that not only enhances the thematic experience but also functions as a timer for the game.

Percy Pilferer, the notorious pickpocket, has struck again in the city. The suitcase detectives, who have always solved every case, now need your help to identify what items he has stolen from the suitcase.

A valley of unimaginable wealth lies hidden long before our time. Drawn by the allure of gold, silver, and precious gems, adventurers from around the world soon make their way there. Those seeking fame and fortune must outsmart their rivals.

Players aim to collect the treasures of Captain One-Eyed. There are eight colors of treasure cards that can be purchased with money. Each card offers rewards like treasures, sabers, cash, and diamonds, and players benefit from previously purchased cards of the same color. Battles for cards are fought using sabers, and players score points based on the treasures collected, with the player holding the most points at the end declared the winner.

London, 1899: Four successful gem traders compete in the prestigious Diamond Club to beautifully furnish their country estates using profits from gemstone trading. The goal is to build a magnificent park with various attractions, with the game ending when a player completes their park. Players earn victory points based on their park's contents, technological advancements, and achievements throughout the game, with the player holding the most points declared the winner.

Five different objects are shown to the players. The moderator hides all objects under black shells and then moves three of the shells, asking where a specific object is. Players point to the object; if they’re correct, they earn cheese, but if they’re wrong, they pay cheese. If they choose the black cat, they pay two cheese.

Participate in a race for the treasures of the island kingdom! Beware, the sea routes to the islands are treacherous. Some will lead you to the islands, while others will not, so remember the correct path! Unique flip cards and variable settings keep each game exciting and fresh.

Which is the best sheepdog in the valley of hungry wolves? Players move across the meadow with shouts of "Woof!" and "Baa!" They must catch the next dog and be the first to collect three sheep to win this lively game for 2-4 players.

Trenk, the son of a serf, dreams of becoming a knight and ventures into the city with his piglet, encountering various adventures along the way. Players roll a die to move either Trenk or his pig and can take on tasks to collect dragon baby teeth. Tasks include memorizing details about robbers, hitting targets with a slingshot, or finding specific items in a medieval scene. The game ends when a player collects seven dragon teeth or when a flag reaches the top of the flagpole.

There are two types of cards, each featuring three animals. The larger type of cards is placed face up on the table, while the other serves as a draw pile. One player draws a card and reveals it, while the other players take turns guessing the animals by mimicking their sounds.