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Thousands of games have been released over the years. Archeologists even have discovered many examples of games from ancient times. Since there are more than most of us can acquire and play, awards are one way to find games that others have pronounced good and may be worth our time too. Therefore, this page is devoted to keeping you informed of gaming awards. These are some of the more popular awards from around the world.

A la Carte - Award for Best Card Game is sponsored by the German game magazine, FAIRPLAY. It dates from 1991 and is voted by 30-50 card game experts picked by FAIRPLAY magazine.

Origins Awards (Calliess) - One of the oldest and most prestigious gaming awards is giving by the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) each year at Origins, one of the biggest gaming conventions. It is more than a quarter century old, and in 1999 was renamed CALLIOPE with a nice statuette (you know like the Oscars). A committee of GAMA, The Academy of Gaming Arts & Design, selects nominees, but players get to vote for the winners. Awards are offered in many categories, but here are the main winners presented in 2005:

Here are previous winners back to 1974

Charles S. Roberts Awards - One of the industries most prestigious awards and also the most open. Its not sponsored by a particular organization and all interested gamers get to vote for nominees. The top five are included in a second round of voting to choose a winner. It is named for the founder of AVALON HILL who more than anyone else, invented wargames and many features that are common today.

In addition to the awards shown below, wide-ranging categories also include awards in such areas as amateur and pro magazines, reviews and articles, and outstanding contributors to the field. Awards began in 1974 and have usually been given at Origins, but recently at the World Boardgaming Championships (formerly AvalonCon).

I can't find listings for post 2002 winners.  If anyone knows, please let me know.

2002 Winners are:

2001 Winners are:

Previous CSR Winners

Deutscher SpielePreis is Germany's second major game award (along with Spiel des Jahres).   Spiel des Jahres tends to focus on family games, while Deutscher SpielePreis focuses on war and strategy games.  It is sponsored by the magazine Die Pöppel-Revue and is awarded each October at the huge Essen game fair.  Votes come from game industry experts and reviewers, game clubs, game shops, and the magazine's subscribers.

View the 2005 top ten and Previous Years

Deutscher SpielePreis Winners

Gamers Choice Award - GCA are given by the Strategy Gaming Society, a nearly 30 year old gaming industry organization. The awards are voted on by an international panel of experts from the gaming community, especially game reviewers for paper and online "magazines".

Legends - Harlequin Games

Desert Rats, British in the Desert - Battlefront

Axis and Allies D-Day - Avalon Hill

Previous Winners

2002 Gamers Choice Awards

2001 Gamers Choice Awards

Games Magazine 100

The Games 100 - Since 1991, Games Magazine has listed their top 100 games of the year and named the best in several categories. They now have a top 100 list for both electronic and boardgames.

Here is their 2005 Best of listing:

Here is their 2004 Best of listing:

Here is their 2003 Best of listing:

2002 Games 100 Listing

Internet Top 100

Internet Top 100 Game List - Many sites let you rate games, but this site's centerpiece is the list of the top 100 games at any given time based upon how many votes gamers have emailed to the webmaster. You can read the instructions for voting and contribute too. The list changes, but the top ten below gives you the feel for what type of games people were voting for as of September 12, 2005.  Only the order has changed much in the previous few years, but note the new game from 2005.

Check out the current top 100

Mensa Best Mind Games

For the past several years, Mensa has recognized a rather quirky selection of some of the best games on the American market. Each year, the Mensa Mind Games event is held somewhere in the United States. Mensa members are invited to play and judge the games which have been submitted to compete for the award (war games and electronic games are not eligible). The five most popular games based on originality, game play, aesthetics, play value, and clarity of instructions are named Mensa Select.

2006 Mensa Mind Game Winners

Wits & Wagers
Deflexion
Hive
Pentago

2005 Mensa Winners

DaVinci's Challenge

Ingenius - Reiner Knizia (The English version of Einfach Genial)

Loot - Reiner Knizia

Niagara - Thomas Liesching

Zendo - Kory Heath

Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) - This is one of the industry's most prestigious awards. Since 1978 this German award is awarded yearly by German game critics, reviewers, and journalists. Since 1999, it has had three rounds of voting starting with a list of recommended games, narrowed to three finalists, and finally the game of the year.

German designers are developing many of the best games and you can find German versions before English versions are released.

See Funagains list in English that includes the other nominees and recommendations.

Recent Spiel des Jahres Games of the Year

Game Awards - This website by Greg Turner gets the award for Best Website covering gaming awards. Visit it to see even more US and international awards.