Tabletop Games Blog · June 9, 2026 · 10 min
Spiel des Jahres - the award that was never really about awards (Topic Discussion)
For many board gamers, Spiel des Jahres is simply the little red pawn on a game box. Spotting it on a shelf often suggests that a game is worth paying attention to. That's not only true in the German-speaking board game world, but also in many other countries, including the UK. Over the years, winners such as The Settlers of Catan , Carcassonne, and Ticket to Ride have helped establish the award as one of the most influential honours in tabletop gaming. Yet, there is a lot more to this story. According to its own history and mission statements, the annual prize was never intended to be the end goal. Instead, it was created as a tool to encourage people to play games, to promote games as a cultural asset, and to help the wider public discover the value of gathering around a table. In the first in a series of articles, I want to look at this further. Read the full article here: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/2026/06/09/spiel-des-jahres-the-award-that-was-never-really-about-awards-topic-discussion/ Useful Links Spiel des Jahres (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/ Spiel des Jahres purpose (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/sinn-und-zweck/ Spiel des Jahres history (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/geschichte/ Spiel des Jahres FAQ (German): https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/faq/ Jürgen Herz : https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/die-jury-alt-2/juergen-herz/ Spielwarenmesse : https://www.spielwarenmesse.de/en/ Harald Schrapers : https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/en/harald-schrapers/ Martina Fuchs : https://www.spiel-des-jahres.de/en/the-jury/martina-fuchs/ Koschwitz zum Wochenende interview with Harald Schrapers . 31 July 2023: https://koschwitz-zum-wochenende.podigee.io/562-neue-episode Five Games for Doomsday interview with Martina Fuchs . 9 June 2025: https://5g4d.com/podcasts/spiel-des-jahres-special-jury-member-martina-fuchs Music Intro Music: Bomber (Sting) by Riot ( https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/ ) Music: "Stylish Hip Hop", "Chill Hip Hop", "Ambient Lounge", "Weekdays" and "Way" by AShamaluevMusic. Website: https://www.ashamaluevmusic.com Support If you want to support this podcast financially, please check out the links below: Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/TabletopGamesBlog Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tabletopgamesblog Website: https://tabletopgamesblog.com/support/