Best Games of 2020! – The Dice Tower Awards
The best board games, card games, dice games, family games, and party games of 2020 have been awarded!
The Dice Tower recently announced the winners of The Dice Tower Awards — the annual crowing of the best board games published last year.
With thousands of new games published every year, there’s never a shortage of great new board games to play.
Top board game reviewers, podcasters, and industry contributors from around the world participated in the nomination and voting process.
Now, let’s see The Dice Tower Award Winners for 2020:
Best Board Games of 2020
- Game Of The Year: The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
- Best Welcoming Game: The Isle of Cats
- Best Strategy Game: Lost Ruins of Arnak
- Best Two Player Game: Undaunted: North Africa
- Best Cooperative Game: The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
- Best Party Game: Hues & Cues
- Best Game Theming: Forgotten Waters
- Best Board Game Production: Dwellings of Eldervale
- Best Game Artwork: Lost Ruins of Arnak
- Best New Designer: Lost Ruins of Arnak
- Best Small Publisher: Dune: Imperium
- Best Expansion: Chronicles of Crime: 1400
- Best Game Reprint: Rococo: Deluxe Edition
- Most Innovative Game: The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
- Best Solo Game: Under Falling Skies
- Excellence in Rules Teaching: Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Congratulations to all the best board games winners!
Wow, we can’t believe that The Crew won the Best Game of the Year award!
Not because it isn’t a great game. (In fact, it’s been one of our most-played games this year!) But rather because in looking at past Game of the Year winners, they’re typically more involved or “heavier” games. Yet The Crew is a lighter, cooperative card game.
So we’re actually really excited to see a game like that win for Game of the Year.
We also bought Chronicles of Crime 1400 earlier this year and have had a great time playing it. It’s built on a great system of using your phone to scan QR codes on the cards (character, location, and item cards) to solve a mystery. The multiple mysteries in this edition are set in France in the 1400’s.
In looking over the list above, you may be wondering where the “Family Game” category was. Well, this year that label was switched out for the “Welcoming Game” award. It’s essentially the same thing, but named this way to signify that this is the type of game that appeals to a wide audience to “welcome” them into games.
And this year that award went to Isle of Cats. It’s a tile laying game that a lot of people really enjoy. But it’s also one that we haven’t played yet. And honestly it’s just because the theme really doesn’t appeal to us. Cats are a big allergy alert in our house, so no cats for us. (Sure, a board game with cat tiles probably won’t cause us to break out in hives, but who wants to take that chance?)
And though I’ve had Lost Ruins of Arnak on my “want to play” list for a while, we just haven’t had a chance to play it yet. Seeing that it’s won so many awards, I just bumped it to my “must play real soon” list. (Hopefully, I’ll get to play it at SaltCon End of Summer next week!)
Once again, congrats to all the winners!
What do you think are the best board games of 2020?
If you’re looking for great board games to play with your family and friends, this is a great list to go from. You can also check out The Dice Tower Award winners from years past:
2019 – Best Game of the Year Winner: Wingspan
2018 – Best Game of the Year Winner: Root
2017 – Best Game of the Year Winner: Gloomhaven
2016 – Best Game of the Year Winner: Scythe
2015 – Best Game of the Year Winner: Pandemic Legacy: Season 1
2014 – Best Game of the Year Winner: Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game
2013 – Best Game of the Year Winner: Caverna: The Cave Farmers
2012 – Best Game of the Year Winner: Star Wars: X-wing Miniatures Game
2011 – Best Game of the Year Winner: Eclipse
2010 – Best Game of the Year Winner: 7 Wonders
2009 – Best Game of the Year Winner: Smallworld
2008 – Best Game of the Year Winner: Dominion
2007 – Best Game of the Year Winner: Race for the Galaxy
