Welcome to the 4th annual Board Game Grow Board Game Awards. Each Spring we like to take some time to honor the best and most innovative board games that came out the previous year.
We have a total of 10 award categories this year, with five nominees in each (except Game of the Year which has 7). Our editorial staff has spent a lot of time playing and debating the 2016 game releases and 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 10 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 7th, 2017 and the winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees!
2016 Board Game Award Nominees
Best Cooperative Game
Mechs Vs Minions Designer: Chris Cantrell, Rick Ernst, Stone Librande, Prashant Saraswat, Nathan Tiras Riot Games Get Your Copy
Mansions of Madness: 2nd Edition Designer: Nikki Valens Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Arkham Horror: The Card Game Designer: Nate French, Matthew Newman Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu Designer: Matt Leacock, Chuck D. Yager Z-Man Games Get Your Copy
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle Designer: Forrest-Pruzan Creative, Kami Mandell, Andrew Wolf USAopoly Get Your Copy
Best Tactical/Combat Game
Cry Havoc Designer: Grant Rodiek, Michał Oracz, Michał Walczak Portal Games Get Your Copy
Star Wars: Rebellion Designer: Corey Konieczka Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Adrenaline Designer: Filip Neduk Czech Games Edition Get Your Copy
Orcs Must Die: The Board GameDesigner: Sandy Petersen Petersen Games Get Your Copy
Conan Designer: Frédéric Henry Monolith Get Your Copy
Best iOS Board Game
Pathfinder Adventures Developer: Obsidian Entertainment Paizo Publishing Get Your Copy
Patchwork Developer: DIGIDICED Mayfair Games Get Your Copy
Tsuro Developer: Thunderbox Entertainment Calliope Games Get Your Copy
Heroes of Normandie Developer: Slitherine Devil Pig Games Get Your Copy
Twilight Struggle Developer: Playdek GMT Games Get Your Copy
Most Innovative Game
Mystic Vale Designer: John D. Clair Alderac Entertainment Group Get Your Copy
Potion Explosion Designer: Stefano Castelli, Andrea Crespi, Lorenzo Silva CMON Games Get Your Copy
Millennium Blades Designer: D. Brad Talton, Jr. Level 99 Games Get Your Copy
Cry Havoc Designer: Grant Rodiek, Michał Oracz, Michał Walczak Portal Games Get Your Copy
Vast: The Crystal Caverns Designer: Patrick Leder, David Somerville Leder Games Get Your Copy
Best Production Values
Mechs Vs Minions Designer: Chris Cantrell, Rick Ernst, Stone Librande, Prashant Saraswat, Nathan Tiras Riot Games Get Your Copy
Scythe Designer: Jamey Stegmaier Stonemaier Games Get Your Copy
Allegiance: A Realm DividedDesigner: Paul MacKinnon Underground Games Get Your Copy
Dragoon Designer: Jake Given, Zach Given, Jonathan Ritter-Roderick Lay Waste Games Get Your Copy
Vinhos Deluxe Edition Designer: Vital Lacerda Eagle-Gryphon Games Get Your Copy
Best Card Game
Mystic Vale Designer: John D. Clair Alderac Entertainment Group Get Your Copy
Tides of Madness Designer: Kristian Čurla Portal Games Get Your Copy
Millennium Blades Designer: D. Brad Talton, Jr. Level 99 Games Get Your Copy
Villages of Valeria Designer: Rick Holzgrafe, Isaias Vallejo Daily Magic Games Get Your Copy
Allegiance: A Realm DividedDesigner: Paul MacKinnon Underground Games Get Your Copy
Best Strategy/Euro Game
Scythe Designer: Jamey Stegmaier Stonemaier Games Get Your Copy
Terraforming Mars Designer: Jacob Fryxelius Stronghold Games Get Your Copy
The Networks Designer: Gil Hova Formal Ferret Games Get Your Copy
Great Western Trail Designer: Alexander Pfister Stronghold Games Get Your Copy
Tyrants of the Underdark Designer: Peter Lee, Rodney Thompson, Andrew Veen Gale Force 9 Get Your Copy
Best Two Player Game
Star Wars: Rebellion Designer: Corey Konieczka Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Tides of Madness Designer: Kristian Čurla Portal Games Get Your Copy
Onitama Designer: Shimpei Sato Arcane Wonders Get Your Copy
Allegiance: A Realm Divided Designer: Paul MacKinnon Underground Games Get Your Copy
Agility Designer: Brent Povis Two Lantern Games Get Your Copy
Best Family Game
Ice Cool Designer: Brian Gomez Brain Games Get Your Copy
Harry Potter: Hogwarts BattleDesigner: Forrest-Pruzan Creative, Kami Mandell, Andrew Wolf USAopoly Get Your Copy
Junk Art Designer: Jay Cormier, Sen-Foong Lim Pretzel Games Get Your Copy
Dream Home Designer: Klemens Kalicki Asmodee Games Get Your Copy
Sushi Go: Party Designer: Phil Walker-Harding Gamewright Games Get Your Copy
Game of the Year
Mechs Vs Minions Designer: Chris Cantrell, Rick Ernst, Stone Librande, Prashant Saraswat, Nathan Tiras Riot Games Get Your Copy
Scythe Designer: Jamey Stegmaier Stonemaier Games Get Your Copy
Terraforming Mars Designer: Jacob Fryxelius Stronghold Games Get Your Copy
Mansions of Madness: 2nd Edition Designer: Nikki Valens Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Great Western Trail Designer: Alexander Pfister Stronghold Games Get Your Copy
Millennium Blades Designer: D. Brad Talton, Jr. Level 99 Games Get Your Copy
Clank! A Deck-Building Adventure Designer: Paul Dennen Renegade Game Studios 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 and Most Innovative Game. 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.
