Welcome to our 12th annual Board Game Quest Board Game Awards. Each year we take some time to honor the best and most creative new tabletop games from the previous years. For those wondering, why we wait until the following year to announce our winners, it’s to give us a chance to check out the games that come out later in the year (like Essen and PAX Unplugged releases).
This year we have a total of 11 award categories that cover a broad spectrum of gaming. Our editorial team has spent a ton of time playing games and has chosen a group of titles from last year that we consider really outstanding. It’s from among these nominations that we will choose a winner. However, since we wouldn’t be doing this without you, our awesome readers, you also get a vote!
Below is a poll for each of the 11 categories for which you can vote. 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 11th, 2025, and the winners will be announced shortly after.
Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees!
Best Cooperative Game
Slay the Spire: The Board Game
Designers: Gary Dworetsky, Anthony Giovannetti, Casey Yano
Contention Games
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Best Tactical/Combat Game
Heroscape: Master Set – Age of Annihilation
Designers: Matt Hyra, Dan Blanchett, Sarah Rowan
Renegade Games
Get Your Copy
Star Trek: Into The Unknown – Federation vs. Dominion Core Set
Designer: Max Brooke, Michael Gernes
Wizkids Games
Get Your Copy
Best Game Expansion
Unmatched: Slings and Arrows
Designers: Cohen, Daviau, Guberman, Hager, Jacobson, Neff
Restoration Games
Get Your Copy
Keep the Heroes Out!: Boss Battles
Designer: Luís Brueh
Brueh Games
Arkham Horror: The Card Game – The Feast of Hemlock Vale
Designer: Michael Boggs, Josiah Harrist, Nicholas Kory
Fantasy Flight Games
Get Your Copy
Crossbows & Catapults: Weapons Cache
Designers: Rob Daviau, Noah Cohen, Brian Neff, Justin Jacobson
Restoration Games
Get Your Copy
Most Innovative Game
Best Casual Game
In the Footsteps of Darwin
Designers: Grégory Grard, Matthieu Verdier
Sorry We Are French
Get Your Copy
Best Strategy/Euro Game
The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth
Designer: Antoine Bauza, Bruno Cathala
Repos Production
Get Your Copy
Best Card Game
Best Game from a Small Publisher
Best Family/Kids Game
Best Reprint/Reimplementation
Heroscape: Master Set – Age of Annihilation
Designers: Matt Hyra, Dan Blanchett, Sarah Rowan
Renegade Games
Get Your Copy
Crossbows & Catapults: Fortress War
Designer: Rob Daviau, Noah Cohen, Brian Neff, Justin Jacobson
Restoration Games
Get Your Copy
Firefly: The Game – 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition
Designer: Aaron Dill, Joe Kepler, George Krubski, Sean Sweigart
Gale Force Nine
Game of the Year
Leviathan Wilds
Designers: Rob Daviau, Noah Cohen, Brian Neff, and Justin Jacobson
Restoration Games
Get Your Copy
Slay the Spire: The Board Game
Designers: Gary Dworetsky, Anthony Giovannetti, Casey Yano
Contention Games
Get Your Copy
The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-earth
Designer: Antoine Bauza, Bruno Cathala
Repos Production
Get Your Copy
SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Designers: Tomáš Holek
Czech Games Edition
Get Your Copy
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.
Source: Board Game Quest
