Far more coveted than the SdJ, receiving more "thumbs up" than can possibly be awarded by animals without opposable thumbs, receiving more viewing hits than a Mormon porno site, and with the continuing promise that this list won't turn into a geeklist, and no doubt even longer and more filled with drivvle than in previous years, (and trying to keep the numbers in each category under 10) without further ado and presented in alphabetical order within each category...
Best Historical/Wargame
- 2 de Mayo A nice area control game centered on an obscure battle.
- Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear! - Russia 1941-1942 The game that ended my search for a "Squad Leader Lite"
- ESPAÑA 1936 An excellent CDG where the cards assist rather than drive the action.
- Field Commander: Rommel One of the best and easiest solo games this year.
- Manoeuvre Abstracted battles, card management and simple rules.
- Storm Over Stalingrad A re-release that's engaging with simple rules.
- Warriors of God An area control game with good force management.
WINNER: Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear! - Russia 1941-1942 Though I have a tough choice not selecting either Espana 1936 or Manoeuvre, I think this one refines tactical hex & chit combat to a fast, simple, and entertaining level of gaming.
The Best of Beer & Pretzels (or pure Ameritrash)
- A Touch of Evil Supernatural Game A simple monster mayhem game good for a fast romp.
- Galactic Emperor A lite version of TI3 that plays faster as well.
- Munchkin Quest A dungeon crawl with the Munchkins.
- One More Barrel Ameritrash from Italy. Kudos to you.
- World of Warcraft: the Adventure Game A fantasy run through the Warcraft world.
WINNER: Galactic Emperor This was a tough category to place games into for 2008. There were plenty of great expansions for games released in previous years like Starcraft, Tide of Iron, M44, BattleLore, Descent, Dungeon Twisters, and on and on. But alas, Age of Conan will have to wait another year to potentially win this category. Still, Galactic Emperor provides a great game in the vein of TI3 with plenty of choices to make, good plastic bits, dice rolling space combat, and all in a few hours. It's great for when you want that space theme 4X game without all the depth and details of something like TI3. That's my choice and I'm sticking to it.
Best New Card and/or Dice Game
- Battlefields of Olympus Fight like a Greek God.
- Dominion Kinda like a CCG but not.
- Lightning: Poland This early war version plays different than the others.
- Krakow 1325 AD Card/hand management played out on a board.
- The Princess Bride: Storming the Castle Everybody loves the Fire Swamp ROUS's.
- Shanghaien Everybody loves pirates.
WINNER: Dominion Hands down winner. Easy, fast, fun.
Best Card Game or Dice Game Expansion
- Munchkin Cthulhu 3 - The Unspeakable Vault Yet even more cards for this one.
- Munchkin 6: Demented Dungeons Yet even more and more cards for this one.
- Munchkin 7: More Good Cards And if more wasn't enough...
- More Kung Fu Fighting A good expansion with more cards and special characters
- Ticket to Ride: The Dice Expansion A variant for playing the game.
- Tribun: Die Brutier Erweiterung We'll probably only see this in German.
WINNER: More Kung Fu Fighting Enough with the Munchkin cards already. This one was promised and finally delivered. Oh, and the game is now more fun since I pimped mine with a little Kung Fu Panda figure.
Best Historical/Wargame Expansion
- Combat Commander: Battle Pack #2 – Stalingrad I'm a fan of the Stalingrad scenarios.
- Commands & Colors: Ancients Expansion Pack #3: The Roman Civil Wars Of set 2 and 3, I like this one better.
- Conflict of Heroes Expansion: Map #6 - The Swamp A swamp map supported by new scenarios on the website.
- Lock 'n Load: Dark July Adds Kursk tank battles to this hex & chit game.
- Tide of Iron: Days of the Fox Tide of Iron: Designer Series Vol. 1 Tide of Iron: Normandy- More, more, more.
WINNER: Tide of Iron: Days of the Fox Tide of Iron: Designer Series Vol. 1 Tide of Iron: Normandy- A Tide of Iron trifecta. Great to see they added the North African theater along with the late war Western theater. The scenario book is a beautiful thing to behold.
Best Board Game Expansion Again this year, given the huge number of expansions, this is a tough list to narrow down
- Arkham Horror - Kingsport Horror Expansion More area, monsters, and Lovecraft immersion.
- Descent: The Tomb of Ice Better than Road to Legends with something for that expansion as well.
- Galaxy Trucker: The Big Expansion Yes we're still waiting for this to hit the US.
- HeroScape Expansion Set: Ticalla Jungle Nicely rounds out the different terrain available.
- Khet 3D: Tower of Kadesh Certainly the most unique expansion this year.
- Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger A perfect follow-up with more boards and bits.
- The Pillars of the Earth Expansion Set Made this game even better.
- Rails of Europe Provided a nice 4-player board for this game.
- Shadows over Camelot: Merlin's Company Didn't provide a whole lot but still nice.
- StarCraft: Brood War Perfectly rounds out units and buildings for this game.
- The World Cup Game - Expansion 4 The best years yet with 1974, 1978, 1982, & 1994
WINNER: StarCraft: Brood War Released right at the end of this year, it's a perfect expansion to a great big box game from FFG. This one adds a few buildings and units that were amiss in the original release.
Best Eurostyle Game Yet another long list that's tough to narrow down. I'll stick mostly to those Euro family friendly games that made it out in the US market and pretty much off my Primary RADAR Targets. Euro Gamer's Games are listed in a separate category.
- Batavia
- The Dutch Golden Age
- Ice Flow
- Jamaica
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
- Keltis
- Metropolys
- Municipium
- Nefertiti
- The Princes of Machu Picchu
- Toledo
- Wasabi!
WINNER: Wasabi! Here's a game that I didn't give any consideration to based on the theme (and I love sushi). It took playing the game to realize this was a fun family style game with a good mix of luck and strategy with quality components and a short playing time. Let's hear it for a good Euro from the US.
Best Gamer's Game
- After the Flood
- Confucius
- Le Havre
- Tinners' Trail
- Tribune: Primus Inter Pares
WINNER: Le Havre Well if I was remiss in giving this award to Agricola last year, I'll make amends by giving it to the second best game in this category. Though it can be long in the tooth with even 4 or 5 players, there's a lot to consider and a game that plays differently every time depending on how the cards come out. Really, I consider all games in this category a winner.
Best Noir Game
- Android Tastes like Blade Runner!
- Mecanisburgo Hokey graphics but very involved.
- Planet Steam Missed the boat by having a limited release.
- Wolsung: The Boardgame Steampunk Euro style.
WINNER: Android This game is deep with layers. It's like 4 Euro games going one at once steeped within a theme of crime, corporate greed, and personal dilemas. It's a game where you get to frame the murdered and maybe even contribute to a few hits on extraneous scum along the way. Rather than beer and pretzels, you feel like you should be suckng on a bottle of Scotch while playing this one. The amazing thing is that there's so many things going on but they all seem to work. This is one game that certainly won't appeal to everyone but if you like the world of Blade Runner, androids, conspiracy, and conflict wrapped in a gritty theme, this might be right up your dark alley.
Best Game around Asia Last year was Best around the Asia and Persia, and this year seems no different
- Bushido: Der Weg des Kriegers
- China: The Middle Kingdom
- Confucius
- Dragons of Kir
- Ghost Stories
- Middle Kingdom
- Ming Dynasty
- Okko, Era of the Asagiri
- Senji
- Shanghaien
WINNER: Who cares. OK, Confucius, only because it's probably a runner up for Gamer's game.
Best Coop Game Last year was Best on Rails
- Battlestar Galactica
- Ghost Stories
- Pandemic
- Red November
- Space Alert
WINNER: Battlestar Galactica Truly follows the new mini series as well as a boardgame can do. Jumps, populations control, food issues, vipers, raiders, base stars, nukes, deception, sympathizers, paranoia, it's all there. This seemed like the year of the coop game especially when you throw in the expansions like Shadows over Camelot: Merlin's Company and Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger and a good year for them it was. If I had to give a runner up in this category it would be a tie between Pandemic and Ghost Stories, both of which are very good in the "total cooperation" category.
Best Around the Church Yard Last year was best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Game/Horror
- Monastery
- The Name of the Rose
- Playing Gods: The Board Game of Divine Domination
- Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas
- Witchcraft
WINNER: Monastery It's like Carcassonne with a purpose.
Best Racing Game of which there were a lot this year
- Fast Flowing Forest Fellers Log jammin.
- Formula D A re-release with a new board and way to play.
- Leader 1 A modular bike racing game where you can say Peloton.
- Moto Grand Prix Another one that missed the boat (or lost out to it).
- Powerboats Speedboat racing that's a dice management game.
- Snow Tails IDITEROD in disguise.
WINNER: Powerboats And it's not the unique dice that win me over but the way in which you manage them to control your speed. Plays six players very well with the winner determined over three races of varying point awards. Innovative for a racing game.
Game with coolest plastic bits There were none this year.
Best Overlooked "Solid 7" game
WINNER: Wind River A no-luck game that fits the theme of buffalo crossing the plains with tribes keeping up with them.
Best Game for Exactly 3 players
WINNER: After the Flood This one is worth the 3 hour investment required to play it, but only if you like gamer's games. There's a lot going on and many ways to get points. Throw in direct conflict and you have another Martin Wallace winner.
Best Game for Exactly 4 players
WINNER: Krakow 1325 AD An innovative card game that uses a board to track control of areas for VP's. Still, it's all about trick taking. A perfect balance requiring cooperation with your partner, yet deceipt in order to pull out a win for yourself.
Best Recycled/Re-issued Game
- Axis & Allies Anniversary Edition Wow! Nice.
- Chicago Express Formerly Wabash Cannonball
- Chinatown Chaotic business tile laying negotiation game
- Cosmic Encounter It's back with more races and FFG flair
- Deluxe SPQR The all-in-one definitive SPQR
- Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage A very good true-to-the-original re-release
- Titan Also very good but dated and very niche
WINNER: Deluxe SPQR Yes, Chicago Express looks great in a fancy box and Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage is a great game that's still in demand to play, and Axis & Allies Anniversary Edition is just super big, but GMT stays true to form showing that if a game garners enough demand, it will be reprinted. More important is they combined many of the expansios for this classic into the Deluxe version for everyone who missed out on the original game. This one is probaby going to appeal to wargamers rather than casual or Euro gamers.
Best Collectible/Expandable Miniatures Game
- Monsterpocalypse Poor release timing and too many stats
- Mutant Chronicles Collectible Miniatures Game Productions fiasco and figures are too big
- World of Warcraft Miniatures Game Manufacturing defects that negate the base functions
WINNER? Nope, all LOSERS. I've already seen WW:M and MC on sale for 50% off. At my FLGS's MP isn't garnering much following and the initial interest is already waning. If I had to pick a winner it would be World of Warcraft Miniatures Game for the innovative time mechanism and balance of unit abilities. The maps were also nice but too generic. As for Mutant Chronicles Collectible Miniatures Game, FFG recovered and released this as a non-collectible game but with no follow-up map support. I doubt this one will last. Monsterpocalypse was released within two weeks of WW:M and suffered from loss of market share. Still they have added some new map packs and claim support with another expansion. I promised myself I wouldn't get into another new CMG this year and stuck to it.
Most Heft to the Box
- Axis & Allies Anniversary Edition Well if not heft, certainly this gets the bix box award
- Android Lots of cardboard in this one
- Titan Pound for pound, this one probably gets the award
WINNER: Titan (OK I didn't really weigh it but it just seems heavy for its size)
Best Sports Game
- Leader 1 Bicycle racing
- Pizza Box Baseball Following on the tails of the Football version
- Kahmaté Rugby anyone?
- Ultimate Frisbee anyone?
WINNER: Leader 1 OK, this is also in the racing category, but as a sport simulation this one does a very good job by incorporating true elements of the game like the Peloton and energy management as well as focusing on unique strength or weakness of the cyclist. The ability to play out circuit races is also a nice touch.
Most expensive game
WINNER Axis & Allies Anniversary Edition Though I'm sure there are more out there costing more, this one retails at $100.
Best Off the Department Store Shelf Game
- Halo Interactive Strategy Game Capitalizing on the video game
- Risk (Revised Edition) or Risk: Black Ops in a cheaper box
- Sorry! Sliders The poor man's Crokinole
WINNER: Sorry! Sliders Yes, the game that's taking the country by storm and redefining family night. If you paid over $15 you paid too much!
Game most likely to offend the narrow minded
WINNER: Playing Gods: The Board Game of Divine Domination Admire faith, abhor religion
Most delayed Game (to get released)
WINNER: - Tide of Iron: Days of the Fox Yup, made it out this year
Best "tree in a box" (Most Wood in a game)
WINNER: Die Aufsteiger
Most "Just too Cute"
WINNER: Ninja versus Ninja The little guys on this are too cool!
Most Beautiful Board There were lots of nice boards but nothing really stood out this year as a magnificent work of art.
- Battlestar Galactica For form and functionality.
- Chicago Express Soothing East Coast map rendition
- The Princes of Machu Picchu Nice colors
WINNER: Chicago Express
Worst Because they had to Award
- Carcassonne - Catapult WTF?
- Halo Interactive Strategy Game This game will be disireable in about 30 years and cost hundreds of dollars on eBay.
- Risk (Revised Edition) Actually a good and playable version
WINNER: Carcassonne - Catapult This just was not needed and an insult
Best use of a Gimmick in a game
WINNER: Khet 3D: Tower of Kadesh Yes, the laser is nothing new, but taking it to a whole new level was brilliant.
Best Game Company 06
- FFG
- GMT
- Z-Man Games
WINNER: GMT. During their annual winter sale event, they gave away for FREE 2 games to anyone who could show they lost their job. That's generosity towards gamers in this economic downturn. As a runner-up, Z-Man Games continues to put out good games and provide great customer service. Zev seems dedicated to his work. FFG won my past two years running and still continues to put out quality products.
Best Designer (All Winners)
- Reiner Knizia
- Uwe Rosenberg
- Martin Wallace
Best Game "Not to Be" This Year - all losers
- Age of Conan: The Strategy Board Game Well it's supposedly out somewhere
- [GAMEID=11914] Yup, it's still listed here on the geek
- War of the Ring The deluxe version, now coming out mid 09
Worst Game Company Fiasco
- Probably FFG with the prodution problems associated with Mutant Chronicles miniature game.
My Best Retro Find for 2008
- Escape from New York Hey, it's Snaaake Pliskin
- Interpol Steal Jewels at the Tower of London
- Mediterranean Before hardly anyone knew what a wargame was
- Tactics II A wargame that started it all
WINNER: Mediterranean This reminds me of a wargame wrapped in Euro mechanics well before its time. The version I got was missing a few infantry bits so if you have some spares, let me know. As an early Parker Brothers forray into conquest games this one plays quick and resolves battles with a standard 52 card deck.
Best Children's Game and Dexterity Game
WINNER: Sorry! Sliders Yup, another one for this unlikely contender. The game scales well to any age group and is certainly better for kids than any roll and move game found on the shelves of Wal-mart.
Best On-line Retailer
- Boards & Bits
- Boulder Games
- Coolstuff Inc.
- Thought Hammer
- Time Well Spent
WINNER: Another category where really all are winners.
Most Whacked Out Game Name this year
SATOR
AREPO
TENET
OPERA
ROTAS
My Best Surprise Game this year missed in past years
WINNER: Garden Competition and the wife likes it!
Noteworthy 08 Games deserving mention
- Go check out the RADAR at http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/267112
Biggest Box Fart
WINNER: Axis & Allies Anniversary Edition No doubt from the winner of the biggest box award
Ugliest Box Graphic: (wow, where to begin)
- Cosmic Encounter Too commercial
- Mecanisburgo Way too bland
- Heads of State Is that PhotoShop'd?
- The Club Anime meets Disco
WINNER: Mecanisburgo Given the enjoyment I get from this game it deserved better.
Cheeziest Reprint
WINNER: Talisman 4th Edition Talisman the 4.5th now by FFG
Worst Game name of the Year
WINNER: Fat Fast Flowing Forest Fellers Forever Floating Farts Freely For Fun
Coolest game I can't get my hands on (yet)
- Duck Dealer
- Paleo
- Planet Steam
WINNER: Planet Steam Hopefully this will see wider distribution in 09
Crappiest Components for the price
WINNER: Mecanisburgo Adequate board (bland), good card quality, cheesy meeples with stickers that don't stick well, all for the FRED (take it in the ass) price of $79. Although I have to note the runner up is Municipium at $54.95 which is truly a joke given what's in the box.
Highest prices charged Distrubutor of the year
WINNER again this year is Fred Distribution
Best "Can't find a Category" Award
WINNER: Tanga
Worst rules set
WINNER AGAIN: Mecanisburgo The rules are all there, and here, and there, and in backassward Euro speak. Someday all Euro game companies will just hire or get someone off the geek to translate the rules into spoken English instead printing reversed sentence structure the way most European languages are spoken.
Worst Alienation of a game fanbase
WINNER Again this year: WotC Now for changing the map scale on AA:Minis and releasing sets with over half the sculpts from previous sets.
Worst Screw Job to Distributors and Retailers
WINNER: RioGrandeGames for raising the MSRP on Chicago Express from $39.99 to $59.99 two days prior to shipping.
Biggest MSRP Price Hikes from a Publisher
TIED WINNERS: FFG, Z-Games, Valley Games, and RGG. Heck, everyone seems to be raising their prices!
Walt's Best Overall Game of the Year Award
WINNER: Ghost Stories Even though there was a more than usual number of racing games released this year, I'm dubbing 2008 the Year of the Coop Game. I think we'll be seeing more coops that introduce new mechanics and innovative ways to make them both coop and competative much like Battlestar Galactica did this year and Shadows Over Camelot the year prior. Ghost Stories is engaging for 1-4 players and isn't an easy game to beat. That's what I like about it. Well, that and the simplicity of card play and dice rolling and theme and fun and who knows what else. It makes for a great family game as well as a game group game or even one to introduce new gamers to the hobby at cons without watching their brains explode. I'm not saying this is the best game of the year, just one that hits a lot of the right spots for me at this point in my gaming life.
Well that about wraps up the year nicely. Here's to hoping all your favorite games showed up under the tree (or in the mail) or your local FLGS this past year. Cheers and Happy New Year.
For a view of my previous year's lists see:
My 2004 Awards http://boardgamegeek.com/article/419188#419188
My 2005 Awards http://boardgamegeek.com/article/744094#744094
My 2006 Awards http://boardgamegeek.com/article/1241225#1241225
My 2007 Awards http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/264066
My current 08/09 RADAR at http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/267112
(A few edits to always add to the awards and fix a few things here and there.)
Last edited on 2009-01-03 02:58:12 CST (Total Number of Edits: 5)
Posted Thu Jan 1, 2009 3:43 am
