RANDOM MUSINGS on the fin-de-millénaire games scene . . .
18 August 2009 . . .
Time was not available last year to try it, but let's see if it's possible this year to predict the results of the popularly-voted Deutscher Spiele Preis (German Game Award). To begin, let's grab the 50 top-ranked games from the voting on boardgamegeek.com:
1. DominionFirst let's remove all of the expansion kits since the will not be considered. Let's also remove all of the pure war games which also not be considered. Then, remove all of the games which have not been published in Europe. And remove games which are reprints from years gone by and now making a return visit. Finally, remove the games that appeared early enough in 2008 so that they were considered for last year's award. They will not be considered again. This deletes the following:
2. Pandemic
3. Small World
4. Battlestar Galactica
5. Le Havre
6. Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear! - Russia 1941-1942
7. Stone Age
8. Dominion: Intrigue
9. Space Alert
10. Steam
11. Axis & Allies Anniversary Edition
12. Race for the Galaxy: The Gathering Storm
13. Descent: The Road to Legend
14. Age of Conan: The Strategy Board Game
15. Race for the Galaxy: Rebel vs Imperium
16. A Touch of Evil, The Supernatural Game
17. Tales of the Arabian Nights
18. Ghost Stories
19. Android
20. Chicago Express
21. World of Warcraft: the Adventure Game
22. Galactic Emperor
23. Keltis
24. Arkham Horror - Kingsport Horror Expansion
25. Blackbeard
26. Automobile
27. The Devil's Cauldron: The Battles for Arnhem and Nijmegen
28. Cosmic Encounter
29. Arkham Horror - Innsmouth Horror Expansion
30. Red November
31. Fields of Fire
32. Tomb
33. Formula D
34. Manoeuvre
35. Risk: Black Ops
36. Monsterpocalypse
37. EVE: Conquests
38. Warriors of God
39. Snow Tails
40. Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age
41. Wasabi!
42. Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger
43. Waterloo
44. Metropolys
45. Arkham Horror - The Black Goat of the Woods Expansion
46. A Castle for All Seasons
47. A Most Dangerous Time: Japan in Chaos, 1570-1584
48. Tide of Iron: Days of the Fox
49. Combat Commander: Pacific
50. Descent: The Tomb of Ice
1. DominionNotice that Small World, something of a war game is still included. This is because its predecessor, Vinci, ran third in the 2000 voting. Perhaps it should be eliminated for this reason as a reprint, but it seems enough has changed that maybe it will yet get some votes.
2. Pandemic
3. Small World
4. Battlestar Galactica
5. Le Havre
6.Conflict of Heroes: Awakening the Bear! - Russia 1941-1942
7.Stone Age
8. Dominion: Intrigue
9. Space Alert
10. Steam
11.Axis & Allies Anniversary Edition
12.Race for the Galaxy: The Gathering Storm
13. Descent: The Road to Legend
14.Age of Conan: The Strategy Board Game
15.Race for the Galaxy: Rebel vs Imperium
16.A Touch of Evil, The Supernatural Game
17.Tales of the Arabian Nights
18. Ghost Stories
19. Android
20. Chicago Express
21.World of Warcraft: the Adventure Game
22.Galactic Emperor
23.Keltis
24.Arkham Horror - Kingsport Horror Expansion
25.Blackbeard
26. Automobile
27.The Devil's Cauldron: The Battles for Arnhem and Nijmegen
28.Cosmic Encounter
29.Arkham Horror - Innsmouth Horror Expansion
30. Red November
31.Fields of Fire
32.Tomb
33.Formula D
34.Manoeuvre
35.Risk: Black Ops
36.Monsterpocalypse
37.EVE: Conquests
38.Warriors of God
39. Snow Tails
40. Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age
41. Wasabi!
42. Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger
43.Waterloo
44.Metropolys
45.Arkham Horror - The Black Goat of the Woods Expansion
46. A Castle for All Seasons
47.A Most Dangerous Time: Japan in Chaos, 1570-1584
48.Tide of Iron: Days of the Fox
49.Combat Commander: Pacific
50.Descent: The Tomb of Ice
Also still included is Dominion: Intrigue, which some consider a mere expansion of Dominion. The thing is that not everyone does. In addition, with both it and the original game in the vote at the same time, perhaps both will receive votes.
This leaves just twenty games, now listed with their German publishers:
1. Dominion (Hans-im-Glück)Now we can begin applying the rules ascertained from the analysis of the 2007 DSP.
2. Pandemic (Pegasus)
3. Small World (Days of Wonder)
4. Battlestar Galactica (Heidelberger Spielverlag)
5. Le Havre (Lookout Games)
8. Dominion: Intrigue (Hans-im-Glück)
9. Space Alert (Heidelberger Spielverlag)
10. Steam (Phalanx Deutschland)
13. Descent: The Road to Legend (Heidelberger Spielverlag)
18. Ghost Stories [none]
19. Android (Heidelberger Spielverlag)
20. Chicago Express (Queen)
26. Automobile (Phalanx Deutschland)
30. Red November (Heidelberger Spielverlag)
39. Snow Tails [none]
40. Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age (Pegasus)
41. Wasabi! [none]
42. Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger [none]
46. A Castle for All Seasons (eggertspiele)
Rule 1: Being in the German Distribution System Is Important.
Games not having a German publisher do not enter the German
distribution system. Not being available in German shops limits
the number who will buy the game which further limits the number
who will play it. As the majority of the voters are German, this
causes these games to falter in the rankings. How much they will
falter is uncertain, but let's assume they will fall all the way to
the bottom, as is reflected below.
1. DominionRule 2: Don't be a remake.
2. Pandemic
3. Small World
4. Battlestar Galactica
5. Le Havre
8. Dominion: Intrigue
9. Space Alert
10. Steam
13. Descent: The Road to Legend
19. Android
20. Chicago Express
26. Automobile
30. Red November
40. Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age
46. A Castle for All Seasons
18. Ghost Stories
39. Snow Tails
41. Wasabi!
42. Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger
1. DominionRule 3: Don't be too much about conflict.
2. Pandemic
3. Small World
4. Battlestar Galactica
5. Le Havre
9. Space Alert
13. Descent: The Road to Legend
19. Android
20. Chicago Express
26. Automobile
30. Red November
40. Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age
46. A Castle for All Seasons
8. Dominion: Intrigue
10. Steam
18. Ghost Stories
39. Snow Tails
41. Wasabi!
42. Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger
1. DominionRule 4: Don't look too inconsequential.
2. Pandemic
4. Battlestar Galactica
5. Le Havre
9. Space Alert
3. Small World
19. Android
20. Chicago Express
26. Automobile
13. Descent: The Road to Legend
30. Red November
40. Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age
46. A Castle for All Seasons
8. Dominion: Intrigue
10. Steam
18. Ghost Stories
39. Snow Tails
41. Wasabi!
42. Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger
1. DominionRule 5: But don't be too heavy either.
2. Pandemic
4. Battlestar Galactica
5. Le Havre
9. Space Alert
3. Small World
19. Android
20. Chicago Express
26. Automobile
13. Descent: The Road to Legend
46. A Castle for All Seasons
30. Red November
40. Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age
8. Dominion: Intrigue
10. Steam
18. Ghost Stories
39. Snow Tails
41. Wasabi!
42. Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger
1. DominionRule 6: Don't be forgettable.
2. Pandemic
5. Le Havre
9. Space Alert
3. Small World
20. Chicago Express
4. Battlestar Galactica
26. Automobile
13. Descent: The Road to Legend
19. Android
46. A Castle for All Seasons
30. Red November
40. Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age
8. Dominion: Intrigue
10. Steam
18. Ghost Stories
39. Snow Tails
41. Wasabi!
42. Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger
Rule 7: Winning the Spiel des Jahres is tricky.
If the winner of the jury-awarded prize is at all considered not truly
a game for gamers, there can be deliberate voting against it. The DSP
voters often like to assert their intelligence over that of the jury. On the
other hand, if the jury brought awareness to an obscure game, that can
help it to get on more tables and find more fans, as was probably the
case for Zooloretto in 2007. In this year, Dominion
is very much considered a gamer's game so it will probably not be hurt
at all, unless, as suggested above, there is a snarky desire to vote
for Dominion: Intrigue. The list is not changed by this rule
either.
Rule 8: Don't just be good, but look good.
In Germany there is a strong feeling that an award winner should not
only play well, but look good. In 2007
Pillars of the Earth
and
Notre Dame
were considered to
have excelled in that regard. Games which qualify in this regard can
jump up a step.
1. DominionRule 9: Innovate.
5. Le Havre
2. Pandemic
9. Space Alert
3. Small World
20. Chicago Express
4. Battlestar Galactica
26. Automobile
19. Android
13. Descent: The Road to Legend
46. A Castle for All Seasons
30. Red November
8. Dominion: Intrigue
40. Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age
10. Steam
18. Ghost Stories
39. Snow Tails
41. Wasabi!
42. Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger
1. DominionRule 9: Match your theme.
5. Le Havre
2. Pandemic
9. Space Alert
4. Battlestar Galactica
3. Small World
20. Chicago Express
26. Automobile
46. A Castle for All Seasons
19. Android
13. Descent: The Road to Legend
8. Dominion: Intrigue
30. Red November
40. Roll Through the Ages: The Bronze Age
18. Ghost Stories
10. Steam
39. Snow Tails
41. Wasabi!
42. Last Night On Earth: Growing Hunger
Rule 10: Keep luck to a minimum.
In 2007 having luck play too large a role in play probably hurt
Thebes.
This may well affect Android in this year's balloting.
And finally we have it: the predicted 2009 top ten DSP finishers.
1. Dominion (was 1)Maybe it's totally wrong, but after the awards have been announced I'll report on how it all came out.
2. Le Havre (was 5)
3. Pandemic (was 2)
4. Space Alert (was 9)
5. Battlestar Galactica (was 4)
6. Small World (was 3)
7. Chicago Express (was 20)
8. Automobile (was 26)
9. A Castle for All Seasons (was 46)
10. Descent: The Road to Legend (was 13)