2017 BoardGameGeek Winners & Runners Up

Board Game of the Year
Winner – Gloomhaven
Runner Up – Azul
Runner Up – The 7th Continent

2-Player Game
Winner – Codenames Duet
Runner Up – Caverna: Cave vs Cave
Runner Up – The Fox in the Forest

Artwork & Presentation
Winner – Photosynthesis
Runner Up – Azul
Runner Up – Sagrada

Card Game
Winner – Century: Spice Road
Runner Up – Clank! In! Space!
Runner Up – Ethnos

Cooperative Game
Winner – Gloomhaven
Runner Up – The 7th Continent
Runner Up – Pandemic Legacy: Season 2

Expansion
Winner – Scythe: The Wind Gambit
Runner Up – Terraforming Mars: Hellas & Elysium
Runner Up – Terraforming Mars: Venus Next

Family Game
Winner – Azul
Runner Up – Sagrada
Runner Up – Century: Spice Road

Innovative
Winner – Gloomhaven
Runner Up – The 7th Continent
Runner Up – Magic Maze

Party Game
Winner – Werewords
Runner Up – Spyfall 2
Runner Up – Tortuga 1667

Print & Play
Winner – My Little Scythe
Runner Up – A4 Quest
Runner Up – Doctor Who: Solitaire Story Game (Second edition)

Solo Game
Winner – Gloomhaven
Runner Up – The 7th Continent
Runner Up – Nemo’s War (second edition)

Strategy Game
Winner – Gloomhaven
Runner Up – Clans of Caledonia
Runner Up – Azul

Thematic Game
Winner – Gloomhaven
Runner Up – The 7th Continent
Runner Up – This War of Mine: The Board Game

Wargame
Winner – 878: Vikings – Invasions of England
Runner Up – Time of Crisis
Runner Up – Pendragon: The Fall of Roman Britain

Best Podcast
Winner – Rahdo Talks Through
Runner Up – Ludology
Runner Up – Heavy Cardboard

Best Board Game App
Winner – Through the Ages
Runner Up – Onirim
Runner Up – Race for the Galaxy

Our thoughts

Well on a first glance we would say Gloomhaven won by a landslide. Isaac and his Cephalofair Games won big in all their competing categories. A phenomenal performance and looking at the current rank on BGG and the popularity, not a real surprise there. We don’t think it won all categories rightfully, but the mass has spoken.

Richard Ham (Rahdo) winning best podcast (where’s best video Aldie & co?) was a long due recognition for him and Jen. Besides The Dice Tower and maybe Shut Up and Sit Down, he is one of the biggest influencers out there. From our point of view, a well earned price. We love Edward & Amanda from Heavy Cardboard and we are rooting for a win in 2019 for them. Their growth, passion and quality is almost unparalleled.

Azul, another very popular Essen 2017 title, won the best family game. An amazing achievement by Plan B Games. Haven’t played that one yet, but from other reviews out there, it seems like a perfect think filler game. We did play, and love, Sagrada, also such a beautiful and perfect game for schoolnights and introducing people to the wonderful world of board games.

One of our own favorites of 2017, Lisboa, didn’t receive any recognition sadly, which admitted, is a little surprising. Such a wonderful thematic design and grounded in fantastic mechanisms which sets you in the shoes of the people rebuilding Lisbon.

But, congratulations to all the winners and runner-ups. It also shows that the board game industry is exponential growing and flourishing with so many fantastic not even being nominated.

~ Marlon