Germany to boardgames, particularly “eurogames,” is like 1970s England was to punk, or post-WWI Paris was to Lost Generation literary works. It is the motherland, so it’s important to keep an eye on the German boardgame festival Spiel des Jahres. 

This year’s grand prize finalists include the very Lawrence of Arabia-looking Camel Up by Steffen Bogen; the word-associating party game Concept by Gaëtan Beaujannot and Alain Rivollet; and Marc André’s Splendor, a math-heavy card game themed around Medieval merchants. The festival also awards separate prizes in the field of children’s games, and board games for the connoisseur (i.e., not family-style), but the big one is the game of the year. 

The Spiel des Jahres dates back to 1979. Past winners including big-name games like Dominion, Dixit, Carcassone, and Settlers of Catan, so it’s a good barometer for future greatness in the world of boardgames. Be sure to check out all the nominees—in German, of course.

img via Purple Dawn