Dorfromantik, the board game adapted from the eponymous video game, has won the Spiel des Jahres Award, distinguishing itself against a number of worthwhile contenders. The Game of the Year accreditation is one of the most prestigious silverware that a board game can hope for.
The contest, which included other categories, too, saw Challengers win the Kennerspiel des Jahres Awards, which is granted to board games of a more complicated design and usually earmarked for “connoisseurs” of the hobby.
Then, there was Mysterium Kids, the title which won the Kinderspiel des Jahres Award or the Kids Game of the Year Award. All of these three games brought something unique and special of their own, but Dorfromantik is the first time a board game adaptation of a video game has snagged the highest accolade the industry has to offer – or one thereof in the very least.
Many Worthwhile Winners in the Latest Award Ceremony
Reimagining the video game was done by Pegasus Spiele and designers Michael Palm and Lukas Zach who took the base game and decided to expand on it, adding a campaign component to enliven the experience and create a distinct signature experience that can be had only on tabletop.
In the meantime, Challengers, a game about battling decks of cards and monsters, was designed by Johannes Krenner and Markus Slawitscheck and it has been one of the most entertaining titles to behold. Mysterium Kids was designed by Antonin Boccara and Yves Hirschfeld, published by Libellud, and a scaled-down version of the original game which has proven a true and timeless classic in the hobby.
The last year’s awards and winners included Living Forest, Magic Mountain, and Cascadia, with the games to have been awarded over the years very much still part of the hobby to this very day and proving timeless classics that defy the passing of time.