Don’t Spiel It!

Oh boy, do we have an article and a half for you today! A golden chalice near spieling over with news. Here, take a seat and enjoy. Savour it like a fine wine. For it’s Oscars season in the board gaming world. It is time to sample the…

Spiel des Jahres Nominees

Colt Express cover art

Colt Express

Yee-Haw! Welcome to bandit country! The Union Pacific Express is on its way full to bursting with gems, loot and suitcases ripe for the picking. Only issue is, you aren’t the only bandit on board, and the US Marshal takes exception to all this theavin’. Players attempt to grab as much loot as possible while beating up their opponents. However, cards are played simultaneously so that player you thought you were going to punch has already high-tailed it out the door, taking the last of the loot with him and leaving you swinging wildly in the air. Even better, the game takes place not on some boring flat board, but on a 3D cardboard train! So. Damn. Cool.

Machi Koro cover art

Machi Koro

Congratulations! You have just been elected Mayor of Machi Koro. A fine town of wheat and bakeries. What do you mean you have bigger dreams? Dreams of amusement parks, shopping malls and train stations? Well you’d better get building then! Roll your die to generate income from your buildings, which are activated by a specific value. Spend that to build new buildings, which offer ever more interesting strategic options. Do you build multiple similar outlets for big payouts when that number is rolled or spread the risk with lots of different buildings? Pursue cafes and restaurants to get money off your opponents? Invest in mines or cattle ranches to contribute to factories in the later stages of the game? A light, quick playing strategy game with the added fun of seeing the city you’ve constructed grow over the course of the game.

The Game cover

The Game

And finally we have The Game, to distinguish it from all those other games and making it completely unsearchable. You’ll be relieved to hear that I managed to find the game (The Game?) eventually! Players are cooperatively discarding a set of 100 cards to 4 piles. Two can be added to in ascending order, two in descending order. Players have a hand of cards they must keep secret, but can make suggestions on where their companions discard cards to. Even neglecting the name, I’m not as impressed with this choice as much as the other two, but it is an impressive use of simple components.

Recommended Games

Near misses on nominations for Abraca…what?, Cacao, Loony Quest, One Night Ultimate Werewolf, Patchwork and UGO!

 

But what if you fancy something a bit more… full bodied? Then you need the…

 

Kennerspiel des Jahres Nominees

 Broom Service cover art

Broom Service

I do like a game with a good pun in the title! Hell, I’ll settle for a bad pun too. Broom Service has you playing as a clan of witches delivering potions to the mysterious occupants of towers. These occupants are people who chose their roof design by the type of potion they like to order. The rich people live in square towers, as they can pay for multiple deliveries. There are also clouds that can be dispersed with wands, amulets and portals for all your expansion needs. The game is based off of Witches Brew, a Spiel des Jahres Nominee back in 2008 that featured a clever action card selection mechanic. Players chose actions simultaneously, but reveal in order and could chose a strong or weak version of an action, but players later in the turn order could steal the action if you chose the strong version. Seems like reusing your own mechanism might be a cunning way of getting a nomination for your new game.

Orleans cover art

Orléans

Orléans, nestled at the head of the Loire valley in France, it became a major trading city during the early middle ages. I can tell you’re already excited! In Orléans, the game, you play as important members of the city attempting to gain the most influence by trading with other cities, constructing things, and researching science. As a classic Eurogame in its trade mark beige colour scheme, Orléans will be a thoroughly playtested game of interlocking systems and mechanics, running like a well-crafted watch. I can’t see anything on the surface to lift it above other great Eurogames of the past, but I’m sure it’s a solid choice.

 Elysium cover art

Elysium

Its not every game that you get to play as a demigod, pursuing the status of “legendary”, but in Elysium you get to do exactly that. A game of collecting sets of beautiful cards, representing mighty heroes, mythological items, tremendous powers or even the Gods themselves. The cards have abilities to power you up, but must be sacrificed to gain victory points. Lots of challenging decisions and huge replayability thanks to the different decks of cards that are included in the game: only a subset is used each time you play. One of the most eagerly anticipated games of the year, it is not surprising to see it nominated.

Recommended Games 

Not quite squeezing into this category, we have The Voyages of Marco Polo, Deus and the Fields of Arle.

 

That’s the adults catered for, but what about some non-alcoholic options for the children…

 

Kinderspiel des Jahres Nominees

 Schatz Rabatz cover

Schatz-Rabatz

Pirates! Treasue! A ship to earn! It certainly speaks to my inner child. The adorably named Captain Snaggletooth wants to retire and he’ll hand over his ship to whichever crewman can deliver the most treasure from Treasure Island. Players must fill their chests with as much awkwardly shaped treasure as possible, but the lid must fit!

Push a monster cover

Push a Monster

A dexterity game where players must try and push monsters on to a platform, without knocking any other monster off! Other players receive a token for every monster you knock off, and the player with the most tokens win.

Spinderella cover

Spinderella

Players race to get three ants across the forest as quickly as possible. Except spiders in the canopy can be used to move your opponents ants back to the start line. Comes with an incredible two tiered board with a suspended plastic spider! Check it out:

Spinderella set up

Recommended Games

And finally, the recommended games (with translations from Google) are Chef Alfredo, Fliegenschmaus (Flying Schmaus), Fröschlein aufgepasst! (Beware Fröschlein!), Honigbienchen (Honey Bees), Joe’s Zoo, Schau mal!Was ist anders (Look! What is different) and Der verdrehte Sprachzoo (The twisted Sprachzoo).

 

So there you go! The winners will be announced on June 8th 2015 (Kinderspiel des Jahres) and July 6th 2015 (Spiel and Kennerspiel des Jahres). Hope it didn’t all go to your head. Remember to drink plenty of water before bed and be careful on your way home!

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