All "Spiel des Jahres🇩🇪 2018" game award winners & nominees in comparison 2026

Azul invites you to step into the captivating world of Portuguese artistry and craftsmanship. This board game draws inspiration from the introduction of azulejos, originally white and blue ceramic tiles, by the Moors. The tiles found a new home in Portugal when King Manuel I, during a visit to the Alhambra palace in Southern Spain, was enchanted by the exquisite Moorish decorative tiles adorning its interior. Filled with awe and inspiration, the king promptly ordered the embellishment of his own palace in Portugal with similar decorative tiles. As a skilled tile-laying artist, you are tasked with the prestigious mission of adorning the walls of the Royal Palace of Evora.

Become a cunning charlatan or a quack doctor in the whimsical world of The Quacks of Quedlinburg. In this quirky board game, each player concocts their own secret brew, one ingredient at a time. But beware, for a careless addition could spoil the entire mixture!

Rhino Hero: Super Battle is a captivating 3D stacking game that sees the return of Rhino Hero, this time joined by fellow super-heroes Giraffe Boy, Big E., and Batguin. Players engage in an exciting challenge of building a wobbly skyscraper while navigating fierce battles among these charismatic characters. The game adds an extra layer of fun with the presence of mischievous spider monkeys that players must contend with during their skyscraper construction and superhero battles.

That's Pretty Clever is a strategic dice game where players must make thoughtful choices to optimize their score. The game's title, Ganz schön clever in German, aptly describes the need for cleverness and tactical thinking.

5-Minute Dungeon is a fast-paced, cooperative, real-time card game that challenges players to escape a dungeon within a five-minute time limit. The game is characterized by its intense pace and the need for quick thinking and effective teamwork.

Santorini is a beautifully re-imagined strategy game that combines abstract elements with accessible gameplay, suitable for a wide range of players.

The Mind is a unique card game that combines elements of cooperation, intuition, and silent communication. It is as much an experiment in group dynamics as it is a game.

Clank!: A Deck-Building Adventure is an exciting board game where players become daring thieves, sneaking into a dragon's lair to steal artifacts while avoiding making noise to prevent waking the dragon.

Players need the power of memory and a bit of pirate luck to escape Captain Goldfish's island before the lava engulfs them in the game. They reveal locations connected to the last shown spot, but making a wrong connection eliminates them from the round. The last remaining pirate claims a valuable treasure, with each round building on previously gathered information for a chance at victory. Advanced players can utilize special actions triggered by connected locations for an even more exciting experience.

React, anticipate, and work together as a team to save the four dinosaurs in SOS Dino! Draw a tile, place it on the board, and then move one of the dinosaurs closer to safety in the mountains. Beware of lava flows and meteor showers!

During an expedition, the dragon children Mira, Feo, Luna, and Diego discover a sparkling treasure: a pillar of ice filled with glittering stones. Unable to carry it back to their cave, they decide to melt it with the help of their father, who breathes fire to melt the ice, allowing them to collect the precious stones. Players aim to gather the most sparkling stones for their cave by selecting tiles, lifting ice rings, and collecting the fallen gems.

In Luxor, players embark on an adventurous quest through the legendary temple of Luxor in search of treasures and the ultimate prize: the tomb of the pharaoh. This game stands out for its ever-changing path to the tomb, ensuring a unique experience in each playthrough.

Majesty: For the Realm is a strategic board game set in the Middle Ages, where players vie for the crown by building the most prosperous domain. The game revolves around recruiting a variety of characters from the medieval society, each contributing to the growth and wealth of your kingdom in different ways. Players must make tactical decisions to assemble the most effective combination of subjects to outmaneuver their rivals and claim supremacy.

Players try to find common themes within pairs of cards. One player selects cards that represent various animals, people, and objects, aiming to establish a shared theme for each. Points are awarded for correct theme selections, and the player with the highest score after several rounds wins.

Are you ready to bring the black-and-white image to life by coloring it? Players each have a double-sided card featuring a colorful picture on one side and the same image in black and white on the other. They memorize the colorful side, flip the card, and then color it as quickly and accurately as possible to earn points, with the added challenge of changing markers at the end of each round.

Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 is an epic, cooperative board game that continues the narrative and innovative gameplay of its predecessor. This game is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity struggles to survive after a devastating plague. It offers a unique gaming experience, where players' decisions and actions have long-lasting consequences, making each playthrough distinct.

An Archaeopteryx leaps through thick ferns, unaware that a Velociraptor has spotted it. The agile hunter is also wary of the looming presence of the mighty T-Rex, feared by all dinosaurs. Players aim carefully and play their cards strategically to slide dinosaur cards from the box, capturing the most prey in this thrilling prehistoric chase.

Young squirrel scouts gather around the fire to hear the troop leader tell the terrifying legend of the Wendigo, a creature with a heart of ice. The legend tells of a spirit that roams the forest, attacking anyone who dares to utter its name.

"Emojito!" is a party game full of emotions. Players express the feelings depicted on cards featuring various creatures and objects. It can be played cooperatively or competitively, and there are two variant rules for experienced players to enhance fun and interaction.

The villa on the hill has always been rumored to be cursed. After dark, villagers see strange movements behind the windows while the house sways. To break the curse, players must collect creepy spirits, wandering eyes, slithering snakes, crawling spiders, and other objects that inhabit the dusty walls. Be the first to complete five challenges by gently tilting and shaking the box to place the correct objects in a room while following the instructions on the cards.

Woodlands takes you into a wonderful world of legends and fairy tales, featuring four different stories of increasing difficulty. Each story consists of several chapters, with plastic overlays showing various collectibles, obstacles, and goals. Players build their own network of tracks on personal boards to complete chapters and earn points, checking achievements by placing overlays on their tracks. Additional overlays can increase chapter difficulty, and players can use the reverse side of track tiles for an even greater challenge.

Heaven & Ale is a strategic board game set in the intriguing world of monastic brewing. Players take on the roles of monks in charge of ancient monasteries, tasked with brewing high-quality beer. The game combines resource management, timing, and competitive elements, challenging players to skillfully balance the upgrading of their monastery's garden with the efficient harvesting of resources necessary for brewing.

Players attempt to settle cities depicted on the board with their pioneers and transport them via wagons. Each pioneer has a specific profession and can only settle in a city where their skills are needed. After placing all pioneers in a wagon, the controlling player earns money and victory points, while also constructing roads between cities to expand their network and earn from other players using their roads. At the end, players gain additional victory points based on the size of their largest connected road network, determining the winner.