Spiel des Jahres and Kennerspiel des Jahres 2017- Winners Revealed!

Players take on the role of Lords seeking new lands to expand their kingdom. As with “Dominoes”, these new lands must match the landscape tiles that have already been played. You need to create large areas of the same landscape type. But these will only score points if there is at least one crown on a tile. Points for each landscape type are calculated at the end of the game by multiplying these two together: so the number of squares times the number of crowns. Before this however, you’ll need to pay attention to your choice of tile, which decides the order of play for the following round. Taking a good tile now means you’ll play later next time. Each round presents the players with new important decisions as to which tile they should take.

Statement of the jury:
“Kingdomino” lifts the time-honoured principle of dominoes to a new level – without losing any of the sleek elegance of its predecessor. On the contrary: the dual mechanics of planning the far-reaching lands surrounding the castle and the clever method of selecting tiles fit together extraordinarily well, they are expertly reduced to their essential components. The strong two-player variant with an XXL kingdom rounds off this quick and easy-to-learn gaming experience.

The “Exit – The Game” series picks up the premise of the Escape Room, where a group of people try to escape a locked room. Players are working together to solve one puzzle after another, until eventually it’s time to try and overcome the final brain-teaser. The quicker your team is, the more points you’ll score. These challenges – which you can only play once – lead your group into an abandoned cabin, a secret lab or the pharaoh’s tomb. Once there, you’ll need to use your logic and observation skills to interpret cards and a little booklet in order to crack ten very creative puzzles. Thanks to a sophisticated system of cards and a decoder disc, players can check their solutions immediately. Can you make it out, without using any of the game’s helpful hints?

Statement of the jury:
Captivating! Challenging! Astounding! The perfect game concept and the remarkable quality of the co-operative adventures of the “Exit – The Game” series are so impressive that all three titles in the first run have been spotlighted. The multiply-innovative puzzles make searching for their solutions – which are never trivial and often ingenious – a sheer pleasure. These games are a must for all Escape Room fans and those who would like to be.