The best "À la carte🇩🇪" award card games 2024
The "À-la-Carte" award🇩🇪 is awarded by the German magazine Fairplay to the best card game of the year. A 35-member jury decides on the winners from among all the card games published in the current year. The prize will be awarded in October at the international game fair in Essen.
À la carte is the only game award that focuses entirely on card games🃏.
For more information, visit the official website of the À la carte award.
All "À-la-Carte" years listed individually
The À-la-Carte has been awarded since 1991. We have therefore created separate lists for all years:
List with the best À-la-Carte🇩🇪 winners and nominees:
Attached is our list of the best "Card Game of the Year" games to buy 2024:
Just One
Just One is a cooperative party game that combines elements of mystery and creativity. Players work together to guess as many words as possible, using unique clues provided by their teammates.
Nominated for 15 awards and won 4.
⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2019
More details for Just One- 3 - 7 Players
- 20 - 60 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Just One
SCOUT
SCOUT is an innovative card game that blends elements of hand management and ladder-climbing mechanics. The unique twist in this game is the dual-indexed cards and the restriction on rearranging your hand, creating a challenging and strategic gameplay experience.
Nominated for 8 awards and won 4.
⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2022
More details for SCOUT- 2 - 5 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 9+ years old
- Immediately playable
Codenames
Codenames is a captivating and popular party game that involves clever wordplay and deduction. Two teams compete, each led by a spymaster who knows the secret identities of 25 agents, represented by cards bearing single-word codenames like "disease," "Germany," or even "carrot." The objective is for each team to be the first to correctly identify all their agents based on clues given by their spymaster, while avoiding the dangerous assassin.
Nominated for 27 awards and won 15.
⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2016
More details for Codenames- 2 - 8 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Immediately playable
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea is a cooperative trick-taking card game that embarks players on an underwater expedition to discover the lost continent of Mu. Building on the foundations of its predecessor, The Crew, this game combines the familiar mechanics of trick-taking with unique cooperative elements and a compelling thematic narrative.
Nominated for 4 awards and won 3.
🔥 Deal: 7% cheaper than the best Geizhals deal, likely for a short time only!
More details for The Crew: Mission Deep Sea- 2 - 5 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
🔥 Great price!Check for best price now at*7 Wonders Duel
7 Wonders Duel takes the essence of the classic 7 Wonders and refines it for an intense two-player experience. It retains the thematic elements of building a civilization through acquiring various types of cards, but it introduces unique mechanics suited for a duel.
Nominated for 16 awards and won 9.
More details for 7 Wonders Duel- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for 7 Wonders Duel
Jaipur
In the bustling city of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, you find yourself in a fierce competition as one of the two most powerful traders. However, being a prominent trader isn't enough; the ultimate goal is to earn two coveted "seals of excellence" to secure an invitation to the Maharaja's prestigious court. To outshine your direct competitor, you'll need to demonstrate superior trading skills by buying, exchanging, and selling goods at advantageous prices, all while carefully managing your valuable camel herds.
Nominated for 7 awards and won 4.
More details for Jaipur- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Love Letter
In Love Letter, you must compete with other suitors to deliver a romantic letter to Princess Annette, who has secluded herself in the palace.
Nominated for 14 awards and won 7.
More details for Love Letter- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Love Letter
Top Ten
Top Ten is a lively party game that challenges players to creatively rank responses based on humorous or bizarre scenarios. Each player’s task is to align their answer with a secret number they are assigned, ranging from worst (1) to best (10), according to the theme provided by the round's chief. The game combines elements of comedy, strategy, and social deduction as players try to guess and assign the correct rankings to each other's answers.
Nominated for 5 awards and won 1.
⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2022
More details for Top Ten- 4 - 9 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine is a cooperative trick-taking game that takes players on an adventurous space journey, filled with challenges and strategic gameplay.
Nominated for 26 awards and won 13.
⭐️ Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020
More details for The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine- 2 - 5 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Sea Salt & Paper
Sea Salt & Paper is a set collection card game that combines strategic decision-making with the excitement of timing your moves just right. Similar to Rummy in gameplay, it involves collecting sets of cards to score points, while also navigating the timing of when to end the round for optimal advantage.
Nominated for 10 awards and won 3.
More details for Sea Salt & Paper- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Point Salad
Point Salad is a dynamic and engaging card drafting game that is suitable for players of all ages. It stands out for its simplicity and the vast array of scoring strategies it offers.
Nominated for 13 awards and won 3.
More details for Point Salad- 2 - 6 Players
- 15 - 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Point Salad
No Thanks!
No Thanks! is a straightforward and captivating card game that offers a blend of strategy and luck. The game's simplicity makes it appealing and accessible to a wide range of players.
Nominated for 4 awards.
⭐️ Nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2005
More details for No Thanks!- 3 - 7 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Hanamikoji
Hanamikoji is a strategic card game set in the historical context of Geisha culture in Japan. The game immerses players in the role of patrons who are competing to gain the favor of seven renowned Geishas by collecting items related to their art and performances.
Nominated for 1 award.
🔥 Deal: 6% cheaper than the best Geizhals deal, likely for a short time only!
More details for Hanamikoji- 2 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
🔥 Great price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Hanamikoji
Lost Cities
Lost Cities is a two-player card game focused on building profitable archaeological expeditions. Part of the Kosmos two-player series, it features a deck with cards ranked 2–10 in various colors, including a new sixth color added in 2019. The game also employs "handshake" cards as multipliers for scoring.
Nominated for 3 awards and won 2.
More details for Lost Cities- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Skull King
More details for Skull KingSkull King is an exciting and competitive trick-taking game that adds unique twists to the traditional format found in games like Oh Hell!, Wizard, Euchre, and Spades.
- 2 - 8 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for Skull King
Take 5
6 nimmt!, also known as Take 5, Category 5 and other names, is a card game focused on scoring as few points as possible. It combines elements of strategy, prediction, and a bit of luck.
Nominated for 5 awards and won 3.
More details for Take 5- 2 - 10 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Fantasy Realms
Fantasy Realms immerses players in the role of rulers striving to build the most powerful realm. This card game is all about strategic combinations and choices, with every decision shaping the strength and nature of your realm.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2021
More details for Fantasy Realms- 2 - 7 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Easy to learn
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*That's Not a Hat
Nominated for 3 awards.
More details for That's Not a Hat- 3 - 8 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Cahoots
Cahoots is a cooperative card game where players work together to meet a series of challenging goals. Each player must strategically contribute to four communal piles by matching either the color or the number of the cards. Communication about the contents of one's hand is not allowed, adding a layer of challenge as players must intuitively cooperate to meet the objectives.
Nominated for 1 award and won 1.
More details for Cahoots- 1 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Cahoots
Tempel des Schreckens
- 3 - 10 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Tempel des Schreckens
Hero Realms
Hero Realms is a captivating, fantasy-themed deck-building game that builds on the mechanics of the highly acclaimed Star Realms. It offers a versatile gaming experience suitable for different player formats and styles.
Nominated for 5 awards and won 1.
More details for Hero Realms- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Coloretto
Engage in the colorful and strategic gameplay of Coloretto, where simplicity meets tactical decision-making. The game revolves around drawing cards to play into rows or claiming entire rows to expand your collection. As the rounds progress, players aim to create extensive sets, but there's a catch – exceeding three colors incurs penalties, adding a layer of strategic depth.
Nominated for 6 awards and won 3.
More details for Coloretto- 2 - 5 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Incan Gold
The board game known as Diamant or Incan Gold unfolds as an exhilarating press-your-luck experience, offering players a quick and enjoyable journey into mine shafts and jungle paths. As participants flip cards from a deck, the gems discovered are evenly distributed, creating a shared bounty. However, the decision to venture deeper comes with the risk of encountering hazards like scorpions, snakes, poison gas, explosions, and rockfalls.
Nominated for 9 awards and won 4.
⭐️ Nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2005
More details for Incan Gold- 3 - 8 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
High Society
More details for High SocietyHigh Society is a competitive auction-style card game designed by Reiner Knizia, where players vie to acquire wealth and status while avoiding financial pitfalls. The game focuses on strategic bidding and careful money management.
- 3 - 5 Players
- 15 - 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
5-Minute Dungeon
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.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for 5-Minute Dungeon- 2 - 5 Players
- 5 - 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Schotten Totten
More details for Schotten TottenSchotten Totten is a strategic card game that combines elements of poker with a battle for territory. Players compete to capture boundary stones by creating powerful card formations, with a clever twist on using logic to claim victory.
- 2 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Spicy
Spicy is a vibrant bluffing card game that captures the fiery competition among three big cats who, tired of their constant battling for supremacy, decide to engage in a spicy hot eating contest. This setup serves as a backdrop for a game filled with deceit, strategy, and quick thinking, designed for 2-6 players. The game's core mechanic revolves around players announcing their card plays without revealing them, allowing for a high degree of bluffing as cards are played face down.
Nominated for 6 awards.
More details for Spicy- 2 - 6 Players
- 15 - 20 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
The Mind
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.
Nominated for 20 awards and won 9.
⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2018
More details for The Mind- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Mindbug: First Contact
Mindbug: First Contact is an innovative and strategic duel card game where players summon unique hybrid creatures to battle their opponent. However, the twist lies in the Mindbug cards, which can turn the tide of the game by allowing players to take control of an opponent's creature.
Nominated for 6 awards.
More details for Mindbug: First Contact- 2 Players
- 15 - 25 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Cockroach Poker
Cockroach Poker is a lighthearted and engaging card game focused on bluffing and reverse set collection. It features various critters like cockroaches, rats, and stink bugs, and the aim is to trick others into collecting these undesirable creatures.
Nominated for 3 awards.
⭐️ Nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2004
More details for Cockroach Poker- 2 - 6 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Cockroach Poker
7 Wonders: Architects
7 Wonders: Architects invites 2-7 players into a fast-paced race to leave a lasting legacy in the ancient world by constructing an architectural marvel. Each player starts with an unconstructed wonder and embarks on a journey to gather resources, develop their society, and achieve greatness.
Nominated for 14 awards and won 5.
More details for 7 Wonders: Architects- 2 - 7 Players
- 25 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*7 Wonders
In 7 Wonders, you step into the role of a leader of one of the seven great cities of the Ancient World. Your objective is to gather resources, establish commercial routes, and assert your military might. The game is not just about managing resources but also about building an architectural wonder that will stand the test of time.
Nominated for 33 awards and won 19.
⭐️ Kennerspiel des Jahres 2011
More details for 7 Wonders- 2 - 7 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Watergate
Watergate thrusts players into the historical tug-of-war between the Nixon Administration and a determined journalist from the Washington Post. This game recreates the infamous political scandal, requiring strategic card play and keen decision-making.
Nominated for 9 awards and won 4.
More details for Watergate- 2 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for Watergate
Seas of Strife
- 3 - 6 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Belratti
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
More details for Belratti- 3 - 7 Players
- 25 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
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