The Best "The Golden Elephant Award🇺🇸" winners and nominees 2023
Looking for a good game that won or was nominated for "The Golden Elephant Award"? Then we have just the thing for you: A list with the best "The Golden Elephant Award" winners and games that were on the nomination list.
What is "The Golden Elephant Award" game award?
"The Golden Elephant Award" is an award for dice, card & board games. The award originates from 🇺🇸USA, was created in 2013 and is chosen by a jury.
The Golden Elephant is the annual award for the most outstanding board game of the year from the perspective of Heavy Cardboard players. The criteria by which each game is judged are as follows.
- Depth of analysis and planning (What considerations must be taken into account in order to make the right decisions?)
- Depth of play (A game does not have to be complex, but it should require solid analysis during play to play well).
- Length of game (A game does not need to be long, but it does need to include a variety of meaningful decision points).
- Low luck factor (Victory and defeat should ultimately be decided by whoever made the better decisions during the game).
- Transparency of decisions & interaction (To what extent do the critical decisions within the game affect other players?)
- Innovation and uniqueness of mechanisms and theme (What sets the game apart from its contemporaries?)
- Fun factor (Do we ultimately enjoy the experience the game provides both for ourselves and for other players?)
Reprints are not allowed. The first year the game is physically available is the year it is considered for the award.
Around the beginning of April each year, the finalists are announced. Then, at HeavyCon, this year's Golden Elephant Award winner will be announced.
The Golden Elephant Award Categories
The Golden Elephant Award is presented each year in the following categories:
- Best Heavy Boardgame
- People's Choice
More info can be found on the official Golden Elephant Award homepage.
Other game awards from all over the world
There are many more game award from around the world, you can find a list at the bottom of this page.
List of best Golden Elephant Award winners & nominees 2023:
Brass: Birmingham
Nominated for 13 awards and won 7.
More details for Brass: Birmingham- 2 - 4 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
Video reviews for Brass: Birmingham
Root
Nominated for 24 awards and won 14.
More details for Root- 2 - 4 Players
- 60 - 90 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Hard to learn
Rococo
- 2 - 5 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
SpaceCorp: 2025-2300AD
- 1 - 4 Players
- 60 - 240 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Triumph & Tragedy: European Balance of Power 1936-1945
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Triumph & Tragedy: European Balance of Power 1936-1945- 2 - 3 Players
- 240 - 360 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Gaia Project
Nominated for 10 awards and won 2.
More details for Gaia Project- 1 - 4 Players
- 60 - 150 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
👍 Good price!56€ at.de
Barrage
Nominated for 14 awards and won 7.
More details for Barrage- 1 - 4 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
👍 Good price!64€ at.de
Teotihuacan: City of Gods
Nominated for 15 awards and won 2.
More details for Teotihuacan: City of Gods- 1 - 4 Players
- 90 - 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
Video reviews for Teotihuacan: City of Gods
Time of Crisis: The Roman Empire in Turmoil, 235-284 AD
Nominated for 2 awards.
More details for Time of Crisis: The Roman Empire in Turmoil, 235-284 AD- 2 - 4 Players
- 120 - 180 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Food Chain Magnate
Nominated for 8 awards and won 3.
More details for Food Chain Magnate- 2 - 5 Players
- 120 - 240 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
Video reviews for Food Chain Magnate
La Granja
Nominated for 5 awards and won 1.
More details for La Granja- 1 - 4 Players
- 90 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Mombasa
Nominated for 12 awards and won 4.
More details for Mombasa- 2 - 4 Players
- 75 - 150 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Millennium Blades
Nominated for 7 awards and won 1.
More details for Millennium Blades- 2 - 5 Players
- 80 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Bora Bora
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
More details for Bora Bora- 2 - 4 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Cuba Libre
Nominated for 2 awards.
More details for Cuba Libre- 1 - 4 Players
- 180 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
Lisboa
Nominated for 13 awards and won 7.
More details for Lisboa- 1 - 4 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Very hard to learn
Fire in the Lake
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
More details for Fire in the Lake- 1 - 4 Players
- 180 Minutes
- Hard to learn
Pipeline
Nominated for 5 awards.
More details for Pipeline- 2 - 4 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Video reviews for Pipeline
The U.S. Civil War
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for The U.S. Civil War- 2 Players
- 150 - 360 Minutes
- Hard to learn
Kanban: Driver's Edition
Nominated for 5 awards.
More details for Kanban: Driver's Edition- 2 - 4 Players
- 90 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Yunnan
- 2 - 5 Players
- 90 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Panamax
Nominated for 6 awards.
More details for Panamax- 2 - 4 Players
- 90 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Video reviews for Panamax
Keyper
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
More details for Keyper- 2 - 4 Players
- 90 - 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
The Colonists
Nominated for 6 awards and won 1.
More details for The Colonists- 1 - 4 Players
- 30 - 360 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Video reviews for The Colonists
Three Kingdoms Redux
- 3 Players
- 135 - 165 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
Video reviews for Three Kingdoms Redux
Pax Renaissance
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Pax Renaissance- 2 - 4 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Video reviews for Pax Renaissance
Pax Pamir
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Pax Pamir- 2 - 5 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Wildcatters
- 2 - 4 Players
- 120 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Tramways
Nominated for 4 awards and won 1.
More details for Tramways- 1 - 5 Players
- 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
Madeira
Nominated for 3 awards and won 2.
More details for Madeira- 2 - 4 Players
- 60 - 150 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Hard to learn
Didn't find the game you were looking for?
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