Game of the Year 2026: JinxO wins

On July 12, the Spiel des Jahres jury announced the winners in Berlin. It is the most important award in the board game world, and for a retailer also the most predictable: what is honored there will be on the counter of every German game store in October. The three winners Spiel des Jahres: JinxO, by Martin Ang. A word game where you try to write answers that your fellow players also come up with - so you don't score by being original, but by being on the same wavelength. Ang is from Indonesia, which is remarkable: until last year, no Asian designer had ever won the award. Kennerspiel des Jahres: Rebirth, by Reiner Knizia. A tile-laying game with a Scottish map. Knizia previously won the Spiel des Jahres with Keltis and the Kinderspiel with Who Was It?, making him the first designer ever to have all three awards to his name. He accepted the award in a kilt. Kinderspiel des Jahres: Mooki Island, by Florian Sirieix. Mooki Island is a fast-paced and immersive game where you try to collect as many Mookies from each family as possible to win Trophies! What struck me most For three years in a row, a cooperative game won: Dorfromantik, Sky Team and Bomb Busters. JinxO is not this, on the contrary, it is a word game for a large group, so completely on the other side of the board game spectrum. It is only the fourth word game to win the award, after Barbarossa, Codenames and Just One. What's on the shelf here JinxO €29,95 Sky Team €24,95 Paleolino €31,99 JinxO (€29.95). When I heard about the win, I immediately went looking - and luckily, there were still ten boxes in a German department store, which I was able to order through the publisher. The next print run is not expected until October, so I was lucky! Sky Team (€24.95) I also have, and that is the winner of 2024. Two players in a cockpit, placing dice on the instruments, and no consultation allowed. If you're curious about what such an award is worth, this is the cheapest way to find out. Paleolino (€31.99) is the part of this news that almost no one is talking about: it is on the recommendation list of the Kinderspiel des Jahres 2026. That is not a win, but a spot on the shortlist behind the three nominees. A cooperative memory game for ages 5 and up where you collaboratively build a village for a mammoth. Should you buy an award-winning game? No, not automatically. The award mainly says something about how well a game can be explained to people who don't play much - that is literally the jury's criterion. If you're looking for something for a table that already knows twenty games, the list of recommendations is often more interesting than the winner itself. Knizia himself said it on the evening: also buy the other nominees, play them, and give the designers as much credit as the winners. And at your place? Which award-winning game stuck around at your home, and which one was back in the closet after two plays? I'm genuinely curious about that - a part of my offerings comes from customer tips. Feel free to send a message. And if you don't know where to start, there's also a Choice Guide on the site. Have fun! Sven

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Game of the Year 2026: JinxO wins

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