The Best "Japan Boardgame Prize🇯🇵" winners and nominees 2024
Looking for a good game that won or was nominated for the Japan Boardgame Prize? Then we have just the thing for you: A list with the best "Japan Boardgame Prize" winners and games that were on the nomination list.
What is the Japan Boardgame Prize?
The "Japan Boardgame Prize" is an award for dice, card & board games. The prize originates from 🇯🇵Japan, was established in 2002 and is chosen by a jury.
The Japan Board Game Prize is sponsored by U-more - an organization whose goal is to spread the culture of board games in Japan.
In 2008, U-More combined the previous four categories and did not nominate any games. Voters selected up to five favorites from a list of 154 titles sold in Japan from October 2007 to September 2008. For each voter, they added 5 points to the first favorite, 4 points to the second ... 1 point to the fifth. There are a total of 317 voters from 32 prefectures in cooperation with many boardgame circles and stores.
Japan Boardgame Prize Categories
The Japan Boardgame Prize award is given every year in the following categories:
- The Best Foreign Game for Beginners - "its rule is relatively simple, and the playing time is short, so anyone can have fun immediately, regardless of their experience."
- The best advanced game - "more advanced and can be played by those who are used to playing games".
- The best Japanese game - "published in Japanese packaging".
- The best children's game - "its illustration and components are designed for children, easy to play for children under nine, and quite entertaining for parents as well".
For more info, visit the official Japan Boardgame Prize homepage or the Wikipedia post of Japan Boardgame Prize.
Other game awards from around the world.
There are many more game awards from around the world, you can find a list at the bottom of this page.
List of best Japan Boardgame Prize winners & nominees 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 5 awards and won 2.
⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2022
More details for SCOUT- 2 - 5 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 9+ years old
- Immediately playable
🔥 Great price!Check for best price now at*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
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*MicroMacro: Crime City
MicroMacro: Crime City is a unique detective game that immerses players into a detailed and expansive cityscape to solve intriguing crimes. The game centers around a large, detailed map of a city where various crimes have occurred. Players become detectives tasked with unraveling these mysteries using the clues scattered across the city.
Nominated for 20 awards and won 11.
⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2021
More details for MicroMacro: Crime City- 1 - 4 Players
- 15 - 45 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Immediately playable
So Clover!
So Clover! is a cooperative word-association game that challenges players to think creatively and work together. The essence of the game is to generate and guess keywords based on shared features, aiming to achieve the highest possible team score.
Nominated for 6 awards and won 2.
More details for So Clover!- 3 - 6 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Cascadia
Cascadia is a tile-laying and token-drafting board game that features the rich habitats and diverse wildlife of the Pacific Northwest. It combines strategic tile placement with wildlife conservation themes.
Nominated for 24 awards and won 12.
⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2022
More details for Cascadia- 1 - 4 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Kingdomino
Embark on a noble quest to expand your kingdom in Kingdomino. As a lord, your mission is to explore vast lands filled with wheat fields, serene lakes, and towering mountains. Competing with fellow lords, you must identify the choicest plots to claim as your own.
Nominated for 17 awards and won 7.
⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2017
More details for Kingdomino- 2 - 4 Players
- 15 - 25 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Kingdomino
Codenames: Duet
Embark on a collaborative journey of espionage in Codenames Duet, where the familiar elements of Codenames persist – providing one-word clues to unveil your agents among those on the table. This time, however, you and your teammate work together to uncover all your agents, adding a thrilling cooperative dimension to the challenge. The mystery of not knowing your agents from the outset adds an intriguing layer to the mission, raising questions that even Congressional investigators might ponder later!
Nominated for 9 awards and won 4.
More details for Codenames: Duet- 2 Players
- 15 - 30 Minutes
- 11+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Codenames: Duet
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
Skull
Embark on a journey of bluffing and suspense with Skull & Roses. This game is the epitome of strategic cunning, where every move unfolds in the minds of the players. Each participant starts by placing a face-down card, gradually revealing them one by one. The thrill escalates as players confidently claim the ability to uncover cards adorned only with roses. But beware, as opponents can challenge and bid to reveal even more cards. The highest bidder must then courageously unveil the specified number, hoping for a bed of roses and not the dreaded skull. Successfully navigating this bluffing showdown requires a poker face and unwavering eye contact, with victory hinging on two successful challenges.
Nominated for 5 awards and won 2.
More details for Skull- 3 - 6 Players
- 15 - 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Skull
Heat: Pedal to the Metal
Heat: Pedal to the Metal is a dynamic and strategic racing board game that simulates the thrill and intricacies of car racing. It offers players a chance to experience the excitement of racing while managing crucial elements like speed, car upgrades, and varying track conditions.
Nominated for 15 awards and won 6.
More details for Heat: Pedal to the Metal- 1 - 6 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Dixit
Dixit is a beautifully imaginative and simple card game that emphasizes creativity and interpretation. Each turn, a player becomes the storyteller, selecting a card from their hand and giving a sentence or phrase inspired by the card’s image. The other players then choose cards from their hands that they feel best match the storyteller's sentence.
Nominated for 20 awards and won 10.
⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2010
More details for Dixit- 3 - 8 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ 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
Splendor Duel
Splendor Duel is an intriguing two-player game that builds upon the foundation of its predecessor, Splendor, enhancing it with new layers of strategy and competitiveness. Designed specifically for two players, this standalone game maintains the core elements of Splendor while introducing novel twists and mechanics, making it more dynamic and interactive.
Nominated for 11 awards and won 3.
More details for Splendor Duel- 2 Players
- 30 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 9 awards and won 3.
More details for Sea Salt & Paper- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
🔥 Great price!Check for best price now at*Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a lively, dice-based game that combines luck, strategy, and the joy of thwarting your opponents. Developed by Stefan Brück at alea, it's designed to be an easy and interactive game, full of schadenfreude moments.
Nominated for 7 awards and won 2.
⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2012
More details for Las Vegas- 2 - 5 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Las Vegas
Project L
Project L is a dynamic and visually appealing board game that combines tile-matching with engine-building elements. It's designed to challenge players with its strategic depth, encapsulated within an elegant and simple design. The game features unique triple-layer 3D puzzles and attractive acrylic pieces, making it not only a test of intellect but also a delight to play.
Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.
More details for Project L- 1 - 4 Players
- 20 - 40 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
Pictures
- 3 - 5 Players
- 20 - 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Video reviews for Pictures
Wingspan
Wingspan is a captivating, competitive board game from Stonemaier Games, masterfully designed by Elizabeth Hargrave. It's a medium-weight, card-driven, engine-building game that stands out with its unique theme and stunning artwork, featuring over 170 bird illustrations by artists Beth Sobel, Natalia Rojas, and Ana Maria Martinez.
Nominated for 26 awards and won 16.
⭐️ Kennerspiel des Jahres 2019
More details for Wingspan- 1 - 5 Players
- 40 - 70 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for Wingspan
Cartographers
Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale transports players to a realm where they take on the roles of mapmakers, tasked by Queen Gimnax to chart the northern territories for the Kingdom of Nalos. This game combines elements of strategy and creativity, challenging players to create the most efficient and aesthetically pleasing maps.
Nominated for 10 awards.
⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2020
More details for Cartographers- 1 - 100 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
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
Ticket to Ride: Europe
Ticket to Ride: Europe invites you to embark on an exhilarating train adventure through the heart of Europe. From the historic streets of Edinburgh to the vibrant city of Constantinople, and from the sunny shores of Lisbon to the grandeur of Moscow, you'll traverse the great cities of turn-of-the-century Europe. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or a family looking for a fun challenge, this game, like the original Ticket to Ride, offers an elegantly simple gameplay experience that can be mastered in just five minutes.
Nominated for 4 awards and won 2.
More details for Ticket to Ride: Europe- 2 - 5 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Ticket to Ride: Europe
Splendor
Splendor beckons you into the vibrant world of Renaissance merchants, where the pursuit of gem mines, modes of transportation, and opulent shops is the path to acquiring prestigious points. In this strategic game of chip-collecting and card development, your goal is to amass wealth and influence that will make you the most renowned merchant of the era. Perhaps, if fortune smiles upon you, nobility may even grace your endeavors, further enhancing your prestige.
Nominated for 21 awards and won 12.
⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2014
More details for Splendor- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for Splendor
Dune: Imperium
Dune: Imperium is a strategic deck-building game inspired by the iconic Dune universe, incorporating elements from both the recent film adaptation and the classic novels. Players lead one of the Great Houses in the interstellar political landscape of the Landsraad.
Nominated for 19 awards and won 7.
⭐️ Nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres 2022
More details for Dune: Imperium- 1 - 4 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
🔥 Great price!Check for best price now at*King of Tokyo
King of Tokyo is a game where players take on the roles of mutant monsters, robots, and aliens, all competing to become the sole King of Tokyo.
Nominated for 19 awards and won 7.
More details for King of Tokyo- 2 - 6 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
🔥 Great price!Check for best price now at*Karuba
Karuba is a tile-laying race game that combines strategy with a touch of luck, as players navigate their explorers through a dense jungle to reach temples and collect treasures. Each player's decision-making skills are put to the test as they create paths and vie to be the first to explore the riches of Karuba.
Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.
⭐️ Nominated for Spiel des Jahres 2016
More details for Karuba- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 40 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*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*Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride offers a delightful and accessible gaming experience that can be grasped in under 15 minutes, making it perfect for both newcomers and seasoned gamers. Designed by the renowned Alan R. Moon, this board game revolves around a railway adventure across North America.
Nominated for 17 awards and won 11.
⭐️ Spiel des Jahres 2004
More details for Ticket to Ride- 2 - 5 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Video reviews for Ticket to Ride
The Resistance
The Resistance is a dynamic party game focused on social deduction, set against the backdrop of a dystopian empire. It's designed for five to ten players and offers a thrilling experience of intrigue and deception.
Nominated for 3 awards.
More details for The Resistance- 5 - 10 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Easy to learn
👍 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
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