Spiel des Jahres

[1] It is thought that the existence and popularity of the award was one of the major drivers of the quality of games coming out of Germany, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.

[3] The award is given by a jury of German-speaking board game critics from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland,[1] who review games released in Germany in the preceding twelve months.

On occasion, the jury has awarded a special prize for more complex games, such as Agricola in 2008 or World Without End in 2010.

In 2011, however, this practice was formalized when the jury created a new category for more complex games called Kennerspiel des Jahres.

The criteria on which a game is evaluated are:[4] The jury does not release its scoring system or provide insight into how the categories are weighted.

[29] The award for Children's Game of the Year was announced on June 15, 2020.

[33] The award for Children's Game of the Year was announced on June 14, 2021.