25 Award-Winning Board Games You'll Want to Try

Award winning board games are the epitome of the best of the best, and many people look to these awards as a way to help them buy the best games.

The Awards and Their Award Winning Board Games

In the board game universe there are several awards that stand out and are highly recognized and regarded by those in the industry. Sure, you may pick up a board game and see that it has won an award for something but unless you are an "insider" it may not mean a thing to you. However, when buying a game for your family or a friend it may come in handy.

There are several board game awards that are the cream of the crop, and their top 5 award winning board games:

• Deutscher SpielPries: This German award is given to the best strategy game of the year and is open to all corners of the world. The games featured on their list tend to be for hardcore gamers as they are fairly complex to be meant for family gaming.

1. Settlers of Catan - Players work to gain resources in order to build roads, cities and towns.
2. Tigris and Euphrates - Players compete to collect victory points in agriculture, religion, trade and government.
3. Taj Mahal - An auction game that is set in the famous palace.
4. Tikal - Players race to uncover archeological ruins.
5. Modern Art - Another auction game dealing in fine art.

• Gamer's Choice Awards: These awards began in 2000 and awarded by the Strategy Game Society. The award is primarily given out to the best in strategy board gaming and has quickly become one of the most important awards available in the industry today.

1. San Marco - You compete by gaining influence in Venice.
2. Battle Cry - Civil War simulation game with easy game play but deep strategy.
3. Tikal - You must uncover the most artifacts within the ruins of Central America.
4. Lost Cities - You must earn money in order to explore ruins for lost treasures.
5. Paths of Glory - World War I simulation game that takes players from the beginning of the war through the involvement of America.

• Games Magazine Game of the Year: The magazine publishes the best 100 new games list, and out of those 100 games one is chosen as the game of the year. They also publish a hall of fame list.

1. Torres - Players have to build castles and try to occupy the highest point.
2. BuyWord - Think Scrabble as an auction where you have to buy and sell letters to make words.
3. New England - Players have plots of land that they must develop while bidding for turn order.
4. Vegas Showdown - You must compete against other players building a casino and bidding on equipment to generate the most revenue.
5. Pillars of the Earth - A historical game based on a novel about the construction of Kingbridge Cathedral.

• Mensa Mind Game Award: MENSA is the organization for really smart people, and they give out this award to their favorite games that test the mental mettle of players.

1. Time's Up - You receive three rounds of difficulty trying to identify a celebrity.
2. Dvonn - A game of placement and stacking for players to isolate certain pieces to win.
3. Apples to Apples - Players match unusual adjectives and nouns.
4. Metro - The players compete to build a metro rail line.
5. Quarto -You attempt to place pieces with similar attributes, but your opponent chooses which piece that you play next.

• Spiel des Jahres: Another German award that is given out to the family game of the year and is recognized by many in the industry as the most prestigious award that can be won.

1. Ticket to Ride - Players attempt to build a railway system in the US and Canada.
2. Settlers of Catan - You have to obtain and use resources to build roads, cities and towns.
3. Carcassonne - You take turns playing tiles so you can build roads, cities, cloisters and farms.
4. Zooloretto - You compete against the other players to build the best zoo.
5. Liar's Dice - A game from the world of pirates, the players roll 5 dice and keep them secret, and the other players take turns bidding against the total of the dice.