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The panel unearth the best and worst games we talked about on our show in 2019 and announce the winners of the second annual Firsties Awards.
Best Ice-Breaker Game: This award goes to a casual game that is quick and easy to play.
Nominations: 5 Min Dungeon, Legendary Forests, Ramen Fury, Show & Tile, Somnium: Rise of Laputa
WINNER: Somnium: Rise of Laputa
Best Party Game: This award goes to the game that’s best at engaging large groups of people..
Nominations: Donner Dinner Party, Unlock! The House on the Hill, Wits & Wagers, Yeti in the House, Werewolf Legacy
WINNER: Wits & Wagers
Best Art: This award goes to the game that has the most engaging or compelling use of art in a game.
Nominations: Echaton, Root, The 7th Continent, Escape Plan, Wingspan
WINNER: Wingspan
Best Game Component: This award goes to the game with the specific component that immediately brings you into the game.
Nominations: Dice Forge, Tapestry, Tzolk’in, U-BOOT: The Board Game, Root
WINNER: Dice Forge
Best Card Game: This Award goes the game that just about the cards, no board needed
Nominations: KeyForge, Mystic Vale, Sorcerer, The 7th Continent, Wild Blue Yonder
WINNER: Wild Blue Yonder
Best Shelfie: This award goes to the game that you are proud to show off, due to its overall production value and sleekness of the game’s box and components.
Nominations: Tapestry, The 7th Continent, Too Many Bones, U-BOOT: The Board Game, War Room
WINNER: Too Many Bones
Best Educational Game : This award goes to the board game which promotes education and learning through game playing!
Nominations: Cytosis: A Cell Biology Game, Innovation, War Room, Wingspan, Zendo
WINNER: Cytosis: A Cell Biology Game
Best Strategy Game: This Award goes to the game that keeps you up late at night, wondering what strategy you’ll try next time…!
Nominations: Age of Steam, Charterstone, Quacks of Quedlinburg, Tapestry, Tzolk’in, Wingspan
WINNER: Quacks of Quedlinburg
Best Themed Game: This award goes to the game whose theme was best executed throughout its narrative, flavor, rules components and mechanics.
Nominations: Charterstone, The 7th Continent, Too Many Bones, Trogdor!!, U-BOOT: The Board Game, Wingspan
WINNER: Trogdor!!
Best Archeological Find: This award goes to the best game released more than 25 years ago. The version we played must be over 25 years old to be considered for this category.
Nominations: Clever Endeavor, Dealer’s Choice, Iron Dragon, Loot, Fluster
WINNER: Iron Dragon
Best Abstract Game: This award goes to the best game in which the theme is not important to the experience of playing.
Nominations: Shobu, Zendo, Show & Tile, Twixt, Rack-O
WINNER: Shobu
Best Game App: This award goes to the game with that came with a digital app that was required to play or simply enhance play of the game.
Nominations: U-Boot: The Board Game, 5 Min Dungeon, Unlock, Detective, UWL
WINNER: U-Boot: The Board Game
Firstie Worstie: This award goes to the game where the best move is to bury it deep in the ground!
Nominations: Geronimo, In a Pickle, Jar Jar Binks 3-D Adventure Game, Joe Name It, Russian Roulette
WINNER: In a Pickle
Game of The Year: This award goes to the best game published within the last 24 months, excluding reprints or new editions of older games.
Nominations: Quacks of Quedlinburg, Tapestry, U-BOOT: The Board Game, War Room, Wingspan
WINNER: Quacks of Quedlinburg