Uh, once again I found out it's the night before the Spiel des Jahres nominations are going to be announced... So, I try to be fast and short.
Spiel des Jahres:
Codenames is a sure nominee (and here I strongly hope I'm not wrong). I'd even say it's quite probably the winner of the category, and the last time I said this about a communications game that was Dixit so I might be right... or not. However wonderful the game is, it does have a bit of the Hanabi problem: while it's a great light game for gamers, not all non-gamers do love it (while the sand timer is included in the box, there can still be too long stretches of the spy masters thinking and others not doing anything, and a lot depends on their creativity). Wait, Hanabi still did win the award... I think this is a sure nominee.
I take a risky bet with Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King. Nowadays gamers think Spiel des Jahres means VERY, VERY SIMPLE. But here I just can't see anything that would make Isle of Skye more complex than Kingdom Builder, a comparable design that had just about the same amount of variety in scoring or a bit more, and even its base mechanism was not easier to learn than that of Isle of Skye. Isle of Skye also has a familiar look that makes it resemble Carcassonne, a SdJ game that sold millions of copies, but of course you can't count on this as players who already know Carcassonne might already be 'Kenner'. Whatever, I think the designer duo behind last year's Kennerspiel des Jahres-winning Broom Service might prove to be favored by the jury and I guess Isle of Skye will be nominated, even if I can't be 100% sure about the category.
And here comes the third nominee... Well, each year there is at least one nomine I have no idea about; maybe it was published in Germany only in March 2016, or maybe it's an old game that got its first German publication in last year. Of those I have not played yet but know about I should mention two: Completto, which is a fast, simple and reportedly addictive numbers game which are good qualities for an SdJ nomination; and Animals on Board, which I have learned about only a few weeks ago but seems to be tricky, family-friendly and it is only the second game of the designer duo of Finca, another SdJ-nominated design.
And then there are a few that I think could (should?) be recommended but not nominated. Rüdiger Dorn's Karuba is a fine Take it Easy!-like game with some fun racing element and theme - it's one I'm going to buy eventually, but I think it deserves only a recommendation. Mysterium might be favored by many, but I think rules- and components-wise it's slightly fiddlier than what the award should be about, even though it can be a great game with a great company, so I vote for recommendation. And New York 1901 is a good-looking and fine tile laying game with simple gameplay but more than meets the eye and in the end it even has a bit of a Ticket to Ride-ish feel as well... It's just not enough for a nomination I guess.
Other titles that might be recommended but I would not bet on them are Flick 'em up! (long setup, long game for what it is) and Barony (which I really liked but might be considered too abstract or too old-fashioned... Probably both)
Kennerspiel des Jahres:
or the award that is, contrary some beliefs, not about gamers' games but games that are not for complete noobs.
In the past year gamers went gaga about Pandemic Legacy and Time Stories, two great 'experience' games with low replayability which seem to revolutionize board gaming but I just can't be sure if the jury would award games like these. Yes Legends of Andor did win a KdJ award with only 5 scenarios, but (even if not all would replay them) they were replayable whenever you liked. Replayability was always important for the jury, and maybe this might change, but I wouldn't think it happens this year. T.I.M.E. Stories definitely won't be nominated and if I must take a bet I would say Pandemic Legacy won't be nominated either (but might get a recommendation - well, the designer already had two games with these mechanism basics nominated for Spiel des Jahres, one being Pandemic itself, the other one being Forbidden Island).
I take a risk and vote for Days of Wonder's Quadropolis even though (or, because) last year the jury didn't even recommend the game most forecasters were expecting to win, Days of Wonder's 2014 gamer hit Five Tribes. Quadropolis is more abstract (er, maybe it's better to say it's got a less exciting theme) but is tricky and feels more 'clear' for German eyes
So then... What's left? A number of titles with so-so chances. I don't know much about Dynasties: Heirate & Herrsche yet, but it's a Matthias Cramer (Lancaster, KdJ nomination) design from publisher Hans im Glück, a publisher that could see practically each of its gamer's games recommended or nominated over the Kennerspiel years, so I vote for it and maybe it gets only a recommendation...
But I really have no idea which game should get the third recommendation (look for new and unknown titles here). I would maybe give it to Grand Austria Hotel (hey, if Rococo could get a nomination, it's another game of the same style, but a bit more clear and fun) but reviewers seem to be slightly divided over this one. Another game of its type is Shakespeare (with interesting similarities - maybe both were inspired by the success of Rococo?).
Mombasa could get a recommendation but I'd say it's too heavy for the award.
And then there are a few titles that might or might not even be recommended, based on the jury's current mood and members. For example Porta Nigra is another nice Kramer-Kiesling design from frequent winner/nominee Pegasus Spiele, but it's still the fifth Kramer-Kiesling design with somewhat similar bases (and the first two of these, Asara and Palaces of Carrara were actually nominated). Then there is Die Legenden von Andor: Chada & Thorn which is marketed as a 2-player adaptation but is a rather different (reportedly, good) game. And there is also 7 Wonders: Duel, another 2-player adaptation that works fine and is different from the original in many aspects - but based on the past few years, times are different from 2004 when Carcassonne: The Castle (a different and 2-player variant of a previous winner) could get a (deserved) recommendation.
Kinderspiel des Jahres:
... Well, I do play kids' games a lot but still can't try 95% of the good kids' games out there so I won't make predictions. I can only talk about the ones I played or at least the rulebooks of, and I would not be surprised to find Stone Age Junior, Captain Black, Happy Party or even Maze Racers on the list of nominated or recommended games.
And tomorrow once again I'll see how wrong I was :D
Spiel des Jahres:
Codenames is a sure nominee (and here I strongly hope I'm not wrong). I'd even say it's quite probably the winner of the category, and the last time I said this about a communications game that was Dixit so I might be right... or not. However wonderful the game is, it does have a bit of the Hanabi problem: while it's a great light game for gamers, not all non-gamers do love it (while the sand timer is included in the box, there can still be too long stretches of the spy masters thinking and others not doing anything, and a lot depends on their creativity). Wait, Hanabi still did win the award... I think this is a sure nominee.
I take a risky bet with Isle of Skye: From Chieftain to King. Nowadays gamers think Spiel des Jahres means VERY, VERY SIMPLE. But here I just can't see anything that would make Isle of Skye more complex than Kingdom Builder, a comparable design that had just about the same amount of variety in scoring or a bit more, and even its base mechanism was not easier to learn than that of Isle of Skye. Isle of Skye also has a familiar look that makes it resemble Carcassonne, a SdJ game that sold millions of copies, but of course you can't count on this as players who already know Carcassonne might already be 'Kenner'. Whatever, I think the designer duo behind last year's Kennerspiel des Jahres-winning Broom Service might prove to be favored by the jury and I guess Isle of Skye will be nominated, even if I can't be 100% sure about the category.
And here comes the third nominee... Well, each year there is at least one nomine I have no idea about; maybe it was published in Germany only in March 2016, or maybe it's an old game that got its first German publication in last year. Of those I have not played yet but know about I should mention two: Completto, which is a fast, simple and reportedly addictive numbers game which are good qualities for an SdJ nomination; and Animals on Board, which I have learned about only a few weeks ago but seems to be tricky, family-friendly and it is only the second game of the designer duo of Finca, another SdJ-nominated design.
And then there are a few that I think could (should?) be recommended but not nominated. Rüdiger Dorn's Karuba is a fine Take it Easy!-like game with some fun racing element and theme - it's one I'm going to buy eventually, but I think it deserves only a recommendation. Mysterium might be favored by many, but I think rules- and components-wise it's slightly fiddlier than what the award should be about, even though it can be a great game with a great company, so I vote for recommendation. And New York 1901 is a good-looking and fine tile laying game with simple gameplay but more than meets the eye and in the end it even has a bit of a Ticket to Ride-ish feel as well... It's just not enough for a nomination I guess.
Other titles that might be recommended but I would not bet on them are Flick 'em up! (long setup, long game for what it is) and Barony (which I really liked but might be considered too abstract or too old-fashioned... Probably both)
Kennerspiel des Jahres:
or the award that is, contrary some beliefs, not about gamers' games but games that are not for complete noobs.
In the past year gamers went gaga about Pandemic Legacy and Time Stories, two great 'experience' games with low replayability which seem to revolutionize board gaming but I just can't be sure if the jury would award games like these. Yes Legends of Andor did win a KdJ award with only 5 scenarios, but (even if not all would replay them) they were replayable whenever you liked. Replayability was always important for the jury, and maybe this might change, but I wouldn't think it happens this year. T.I.M.E. Stories definitely won't be nominated and if I must take a bet I would say Pandemic Legacy won't be nominated either (but might get a recommendation - well, the designer already had two games with these mechanism basics nominated for Spiel des Jahres, one being Pandemic itself, the other one being Forbidden Island).
I take a risk and vote for Days of Wonder's Quadropolis even though (or, because) last year the jury didn't even recommend the game most forecasters were expecting to win, Days of Wonder's 2014 gamer hit Five Tribes. Quadropolis is more abstract (er, maybe it's better to say it's got a less exciting theme) but is tricky and feels more 'clear' for German eyes
So then... What's left? A number of titles with so-so chances. I don't know much about Dynasties: Heirate & Herrsche yet, but it's a Matthias Cramer (Lancaster, KdJ nomination) design from publisher Hans im Glück, a publisher that could see practically each of its gamer's games recommended or nominated over the Kennerspiel years, so I vote for it and maybe it gets only a recommendation...
But I really have no idea which game should get the third recommendation (look for new and unknown titles here). I would maybe give it to Grand Austria Hotel (hey, if Rococo could get a nomination, it's another game of the same style, but a bit more clear and fun) but reviewers seem to be slightly divided over this one. Another game of its type is Shakespeare (with interesting similarities - maybe both were inspired by the success of Rococo?).
Mombasa could get a recommendation but I'd say it's too heavy for the award.
And then there are a few titles that might or might not even be recommended, based on the jury's current mood and members. For example Porta Nigra is another nice Kramer-Kiesling design from frequent winner/nominee Pegasus Spiele, but it's still the fifth Kramer-Kiesling design with somewhat similar bases (and the first two of these, Asara and Palaces of Carrara were actually nominated). Then there is Die Legenden von Andor: Chada & Thorn which is marketed as a 2-player adaptation but is a rather different (reportedly, good) game. And there is also 7 Wonders: Duel, another 2-player adaptation that works fine and is different from the original in many aspects - but based on the past few years, times are different from 2004 when Carcassonne: The Castle (a different and 2-player variant of a previous winner) could get a (deserved) recommendation.
Kinderspiel des Jahres:
... Well, I do play kids' games a lot but still can't try 95% of the good kids' games out there so I won't make predictions. I can only talk about the ones I played or at least the rulebooks of, and I would not be surprised to find Stone Age Junior, Captain Black, Happy Party or even Maze Racers on the list of nominated or recommended games.
And tomorrow once again I'll see how wrong I was :D