Welcome to the 6th 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 eleven award categories this year, with five nominees in each (except Game of the Year which has seven). Our editorial staff has spent countless hours playing the 2018 game releases and, after much debate, have chosen what we feel are some truly outstanding games to be nominated.
It’s from among these nominations that 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 11 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 13th, 2019 and the winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees!
2018 Board Game Award Nominees
Best Cooperative Game
Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game Designers: Przemysław Rymer, Ignacy Trzewiczek, Jakub Łapot Portal Games Get Your Copy
Betrayal Legacy Designer: Rob Daviau Avalon Hill Get Your Copy
The Reckoners Designer: Brett Sobol, Seth Van Orden Nauvoo Games Get Your Copy
Too Many Bones: Undertow Designer: Adam Carlson, Josh J. Carlson Chip Theory Games Get Your Copy
Now Boarding Designer: Tim Fowers Fowers Games Get Your Copy
Best Tactical/Combat Game
Root Designer: Cole Wehrle Leder Games Get Your Copy
Seal Team Flix Designers: Pete Ruth, Mark Thomas WizKids Games Get Your Copy
Wildlands Designer: Martin Wallace Osprey Games Get Your Copy
Lords of Hellas Designer: Adam Kwapiński Awaken Realms Get Your Copy
Monolith Arena Designer: Michał Oracz Portal Games Get Your Copy
Best Digital Board Game
Terraforming Mars Developer: Asmodee Digital Get Your Copy
Ganz Schon Clever Developer: BrettspielWelt Get Your Copy
Among the Stars Developer: Cublo Sp. z o.o. Get Your Copy
Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game Designer: Hidden Achievement LLC Get Your Copy
KeyForge: Call of the Archons Designer: Richard Garfield Fantasy Flight Games Get Your Copy
Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game Designer: Przemysław Rymer, Ignacy Trzewiczek, Jakub Łapot Portal Games Get Your Copy
Nyctophobia Designer: Catherine Stippell Pandasaurus Games Get Your Copy
Treasure Island Designer: Marc Paquien Matagot Get Your Copy
Seal Team Flix Designers: Pete Ruth, Mark Thomas WizKids Games Get Your Copy
Best Game Expansion
7 Wonders: Armada Designer: Antoine Bauza Repos Production Get Your Copy
Root: The Riverfolk Designer: Cole Wehrle Leder Games Get Your Copy
Adrenaline Team Play DLC Designer: Filip Neduk Czech Games Edition Get Your Copy
Too Many Bones: Undertow Designer: Adam Carlson, Josh J. Carlson Chip Theory Games Get Your Copy
Scythe – Rise of Fenris Designer: Ryan Lopez DeVinaspre, Jamey Stegmaier Stonemaier Games Get Your Copy
Best Production Values
Brass: Birmingham Designer: Gavan Brown, Matt Tolman, Martin Wallace Roxley Games Get Your Copy
Vindication Designer: Marc Neidlinger Orange Nebula, LLC Get Your Copy
Lords of Hellas Designer: Adam Kwapiński Awaken Realms Get Your Copy
GKR Heavy Hitters Designer: Matt Hyra Weta Workshop Get Your Copy
The Reckoners Designer: Brett Sobol, Seth Van Orden Nauvoo Games Get Your Copy
Best Thematic Game
Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game Designers: Przemysław Rymer, Ignacy Trzewiczek, Jakub Łapot Portal Games Get Your Copy
AuZtralia Designer: Martin Wallace SchilMil Games Get Your Copy
Betrayal: Legacy Designer: Rob Daviau Avalon Hill Get Your Copy
Seal Team Flix Designers: Pete Ruth, Mark Thomas WizKids Games Get Your Copy
Western Legends Designer: Hervé Lemaître Kolossal Games Get Your Copy
Best Game from a Small Publisher
Root Designer: Cole Wehrle Leder Games Get Your Copy
Tokyo Metro Designer: Jordan Draper Jordan Draper Games Get Your Copy
Vindication Designer: Marc Neidlinger Orange Nebula, LLC Get Your Copy
Vengeance Designer: Gordon Calleja Mighty Boards Get Your Copy
Tale of Ord Designer: Rita Orlov Post Curious Get Your Copy
Best Strategy/Euro Game
Lowlands Designer: Claudia Partenheimer, Ralf Partenheimer Z-Man Games, Inc. Get Your Copy
Brass: Birmingham Designer: Gavan Brown, Matt Tolman, Martin Wallace Roxley Games Get Your Copy
Architects of the West Kingdom Designer: Shem Phillips, S J Macdonald Garphill Games Get Your Copy
Everdell Designer: James A. Wilson Starling Games Get Your Copy
Crusaders Thy Will Be Done Designer: Seth Jaffee Tasty Minstrel Games Get Your Copy
Best Family Game
Ticket to Ride: New York Designer: Alan R. Moon Days of Wonder Get Your Copy
Welcome To… Designer: Benoit Turpin Deep Water Games Get Your Copy
The Quacks of Quedlinburg Designer: Wolfgang Warsch North Star Games Get Your Copy
My Little Scythe Designer: Hoby Chou, Vienna Chou Stonemaier Games Get Your Copy
Gizmos Designer: Phil Walker-Harding CMON Limited Get Your Copy
Game of the Year
Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game Designers: Przemysław Rymer, Ignacy Trzewiczek, Jakub Łapot Portal Games Get Your Copy
Welcome To… Designer: Benoit Turpin Deep Water Games Get Your Copy
Architects of the West Kingdom Designer: Shem Phillips, S J Macdonald Garphill Games Get Your Copy
Root Designer: Cole Wehrle Leder Games Get Your Copy
Lowlands Designer: Claudia Partenheimer, Ralf Partenheimer Z-Man Games, Inc. Get Your Copy
Endeavor: Age of Sail Designer: Carl de Visser, Jarratt Gray Burnt Island Games Get Your Copy
Teotihuacan: City of the Gods Designer: Daniele Tascini NSKN Games 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.
Thank you so much for choosing Seal Team Flix as a nominee!!