The Best "Ion Award🇺🇸" winners and nominees 2025

Deep in the mountains of a mythical land, there exists a world-famous dim sum restaurant called "Dim Sum." Known for its five popular dishes, it attracts food lovers from around the globe.

Xenon is a valuable noble gas found in trace amounts in the Earth's atmosphere. In Xenon Profiteer, players control their own air separation plants to distill xenon and secure profitable contracts. The game encourages players to strategically remove cards from their decks to isolate xenon while managing the challenges posed by other elements. Efficiency upgrades can be purchased to improve performance, and players can trigger the end of the game by completing contracts or installing upgrades, with the player having the most xenon points declared the winner.

Pizza Theory is designed for exactly three players and features no randomness or simple moves, but the outcome of each round is unpredictable as each chef has their own idea of how to best prepare the food. Players place toppings on the board without placing them adjacent to their own, secretly choose a number, and then contribute their unique toppings to create various outcomes. The first player to place all 16 of their toppings on the board wins; in a two-player game, the third color's toppings are still used, and if they fill the board before either player can do so, both players lose.

Players assume the role of pirates treading water in the ocean, engaging in a game of "Hold Your Breath" to determine who is the toughest. The game consists of two rounds: in the first, players dive deeper using "Swim" and "Air" cards, while in the second, they must reach the surface before running out of air. Players can hinder each other with "Panic," "Shark," and other nasty cards, and the pirate who dives deepest and returns to the surface wins, but those who fail remain underwater until the next game.

Players take on the role of caretakers of Zen gardens in a competitive setting. Each morning, initiates bring stones they've collected, but competition arises over the best selection. Gardeners must avoid certain stone combinations to prevent receiving penalties from Feng Shui masters, while also ensuring they add new stones daily to avoid further point deductions. The final assessment is sudden, rewarding the best with rank elevation and penalizing the worst.

Wise beings, the immortal guardians of wisdom and knowledge, have sent demigods with earth-shaping powers into the realms of humanity. Each player takes on the role of one of these demigods, guiding their followers through study, worship, and experiences atop the mountains to unearth great secrets.

Command the Hoplite soldiers of a Greek city as you push back enemy lines and rally your allies for victory. The game features two core mechanics: confrontation and formations, where troops can be swept off the board if attacked from the sides or behind. Players must strategically allocate their figures and actions between fronts while maneuvering and coordinating with allies.