Welcome to the 5th annual Board Game Quest Board Game Awards. Each Spring we like to take some time to honor the best and most creative board games that came out the previous year.
We have a total of 11 award categories this year, with five nominees in each (except Game of the Year which has 7). Our editorial staff has spent many hours playing the 2017 game releases and, after much debate, have chosen some truly outstanding games to be nominated.
From among these nominations, our editorial staff will choose a winner. However, since we wouldn’t be doing this without you, our awesome readers, you get a vote as well!
Below is a poll for each of the 11 categories to allow you to cast a vote for which games you think should win. Our readers here will collectively get one vote, and along with each member of our editorial staff, the winner will be chosen. The voting will be open until April 14th, 2018 and the winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees!
2017 Board Game Award Nominees
Best Cooperative Game
Spirit Island
Designer: R. Eric Reuss
Greater Than Games
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Pandemic Legacy: Season 2
Designer: Rob Daviau, Matt Leacock
Z-Man Games
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Gloomhaven
Designer: Isaac Childres
Cephalofair Games
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Deadline
Designer: Dan Schnake, Adam West
WizKids Games
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7th Continent
Designer: Ludovic Roudy, Bruno Sautter
Serious Poulp
Get Your Copy[polldaddy poll=”9969055″]
Best iOS Board Game
Race for the Galaxy
Developer: Temple Gates Games
Rio Grande Games
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Through The Ages
Developer: Czech Games Edition
Czech Games Edition
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Best Game Expansion
Imperial Settlers: Aztecs
Designer: Ignacy Trzewiczek
Portal Games
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Scythe: The Wind Gambit
Designer: Kai Starck, Jamey Stegmaier
Stonemaier Games
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Clank!: Sunken Treasures
Designer: Paul Dennen
Renegade Games
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Imperial Assault: Jabba’s Realm
Designer: Todd Michlitsch, Paul Winchester
Fantasy Flight Games
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Flamme Rouge: Peloton
Designer: Asger Harding Granerud
Stronghold Games
Get Your Copy[polldaddy poll=9969069]
Best Production Values
Wasteland Express Delivery Service
Designer: Jonathan Gilmour, Ben Pinchback, Matt Riddle
Pandasaurus Games
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Photosynthesis
Designer: Hjalmar Hach
Blue Orange Games
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Dinosaur Island
Designer: Jonathan Gilmour, Brian Lewis
Pandasaurus Games
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Anachrony
Designer: Richard Amann, Viktor Peter, Dávid Turczi
Mindclash Games
Get Your Copy[polldaddy poll=9969070]
Best Thematic Game
Wasteland Express Delivery Service
Designer: Jonathan Gilmour, Ben Pinchback, Matt Riddle
Pandasaurus Games
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Gloomhaven
Designer: Isaac Childres
Cephalofair Games
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This War of Mine
Designer: Michał Oracz, Jakub Wiśniewski
Awaken Realms, Ares Games
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Dinosaur Island
Designer: Jonathan Gilmour, Brian Lewis
Pandasaurus Games
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7th Continent
Designer: Ludovic Roudy, Bruno Sautter
Serious Poulp
Get Your Copy
[polldaddy poll=9969071]
Best Strategy/Euro Game
Clans of Caledonia
Designer: Juma Al-JouJou
Karma Games
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London: Second Edition
Designer: Martin Wallace
Osprey Games
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Calimala
Designer: Fabio Lopiano
ADC Blackfire Entertainment GmbH
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Sid Meier’s Civilization: A New Dawn
Designer: James Kniffen
Fantasy Flight Games
Get Your Copy[polldaddy poll=9969072]
Best Card Game
The Fox in the Forest
Designer: Joshua Buergel
Renegade Games Studios
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Deadline
Designer: Dan Schnake, Adam West
WizKids Games
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7th Continent
Designer: Ludovic Roudy, Bruno Sautter
Serious Poulp
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Alien Artifacts
Designer: Marcin Senior Ropka, Viola Kijowska
Portal Games
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London: Second Edition
Designer: Martin Wallace
Osprey Games
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[polldaddy poll=9969074]
Best Game from a Small Publisher
Clans of Caledonia
Designer: Juma Al-JouJou
Karma Games
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7th Continent
Designer: Ludovic Roudy, Bruno Sautter
Serious Poulp
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Fog of Love
Designer: Jacob Jaskov
Hush Hush Projects
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Too Many Bones
Designer: Adam Carlson, Josh J. Carlson
Chip Theory Games
Get Your Copy[polldaddy poll=9969075]
Best Two Player Game
The Fox in the Forest
Designer: Joshua Buergel
Renegade Games Studios
Get Your Copy
Fog of Love
Designer: Jacob Jaskov
Hush Hush Projects
Get Your Copy
Codenames: Duet
Designer: Vlaada Chvátil, Scot Eaton
Czech Games Edition
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Tak
Designer: James Ernest, Patrick Rothfuss
Cheapass Games
Get Your Copy[polldaddy poll=9969076]
Best Family Game
The Quest for El Dorado
Designer: Reiner Knizia
Ravensburger
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Rhino Hero: Super Battle
Designer: Scott Frisco, Steven Strumpf
HABA Games
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Kingdomino
Designer: Bruno Cathala
Blue Orange Games
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Slide Blast
Designer: Sam-goo, Evan Song
FoxMind Games
Get Your Copy[polldaddy poll=9969077]
Game of the Year
Clans of Caledonia
Designer: Juma Al-JouJou
Karma Games
Get Your Copy
Pandemic Legacy: Season 2
Designer: Rob Daviau, Matt Leacock
Z-Man Games
Get Your Copy
Wasteland Express Delivery Service
Designer: Jonathan Gilmour, Ben Pinchback, Matt Riddle
Pandasaurus Games
Get Your Copy
Spirit Island
Designer: R. Eric Reuss
Greater Than Games
Get Your Copy
7th Continent
Designer: Ludovic Roudy, Bruno Sautter
Serious Poulp
Get Your Copy
Sid Meier’s Civilization: A New Dawn
Designer: James Kniffen
Fantasy Flight Games
Get Your Copy
[polldaddy poll=”9970004″]
Note: Whichever game wins Game of the Year will automatically be removed from any of the above categories except Best Production Values. Our reasoning is if a game wins Game of the Year, chances are it should win any of the other categories by default. That just seemed a bit redundant. If a game wins Game of the Year, you know it is really good.
How did Gloomhaven not feature among those nominated for Game of the Year?
Our editorial team voted our nominations in, and Gloomhaven wasn’t one of the top 7 vote getters for that category.
Couldnt agree more. Clearly the game of the year
While I agree that Gloomhavan should have been featured among those nominated for game of the year (based on what I’ve played), I like that the Boardgamequest team represents a different perspective and does not just reiterate what is being promoted elsewhere.
I agree 100%. Gloomhaven is not for everyone by any means. But to not include it in a list of SEVEN nominees for game of the year is a major oversight.
I wonder if a substantial portion of gamers are underrepresented by the editors of this site?
Thank you for the comment. I assure you most all of the BGQ staff has played Gloomhaven, and some even own it. However there were just other games we felt were more deserving of the award.
Wow! I did not realize 2017 was such a lackluster year. That’s a bunch lists of mediocrity. 🙁
Time of Crisis was my personal game of the year for 2017
A shame not to see Fog of Love in the best production values and game of the year categories.