The 2015 Deutscher Spielepreis (DSP) awards for best game of the year were announced earlier today and the winner is The Voyages of Marco Polo, by Simone Luciani and Daniele Tascini, published by Hans im Glück.  Marco Polo might have been the leading contender for the award, given its reception and high ratings, as well as the DSP’s reputation for rewarding heavier games.  It’s Luciani and Tascini’s first major award, although their joint effort Tzolk’in did finish second in the DSP’s in 2013 to Terra Mystica.  For HiG, it’s their second consecutive DSP (Russian Railroads won last year) and their ninth overall; no other publisher has won it more than three times.
Second place went to Orléans, a very nice showing for Reiner Stockhausen’s most notable game.  This came on the heels of it being one of the nominees for the Kennerspiel.  Colt Express finished third, not surprising since the SdJ winner usually does well in DSP voting.  Murano, by Inka and Markus Brand, finished fourth, and fifth place went to Uwe Rosenberg’s Fields of Arle (Rosenberg had another of his designs, Patchwork, finish in the top 10).
Spinderella, by Roberto Fraga, won the prize for best Children’s Game (matching its earlier Kinderspiel win by the SdJ jury).  And the Golden Feather, a special prize given for the best rules set, went to CGE’s Alchemists.
Marco Polo becomes the third game to walk away with a major award this year, after Colt Express and Kennerspiel winner Broom Service. Â The winner of the International Gamers Awards (IGAs), the last of the three majors, will be announced in about a month.
Congratulations to the winners! Â Here are the top ten finishers, together with their designers and publishers.
- The Voyages of Marco Polo, Daniele Tascini and Simone Luciani (Hans im Glück)
- Orléans, Reiner Stockhausen (dlp games)
- Colt Express, Christophe Raimbault (Ludonaute)
- Murano, Inka and Markus Brand (Lookout)
- Fields of Arle, Uwe Rosenberg (Feuerland)
- Five Tribes, Bruno Cathala (Days of Wonder)
- Cacao, Phil Walker-Harding (Abacus)
- Machi Koro, Masao Suganuma (Kosmos)
- AquaSphere, Stefan Feld (H@ll Games)
- Patchwork, Uwe Rosenberg (Lookout)
I like the list, but I’m a bit surprised that Elysium isn’t on it. Was it eligible?
It was definitely eligible, Chris. I might have thought it was a bit too light for the DSPs, but Cacao and Machi Koro made it. Guess the voters didn’t like it enough.
Another incredibly interesting omission from the DSP list (at least to me): Broom Service. This is the first time that a KdJ winner didn’t make the top 10 of DSP voting.
(I’ve not a big fan of Broom Service, and I don’t think it deserved to outrank any of these on the DSP list. I do think Elysium was robbed!)
Keep in mind, Chris, that Broom Service was a surprise nominee for the Kennerspiel. It was also considered by many to be an unusually light game for the KdJ. Maybe those factors, together with its relatively late publication date, conspired against it.
My surprise where also that Elysium (mostly) , Deus, Alchemist (maybe a bit too “heavy”) and of course Broom Service (but I did not play it) were missing.
Uwe Rosenberg strikes hard with only 2 player games, not a small feat !
Marco Polo is very good though, so this make a good winner I think .
The absence of Deus is the biggest surprise for me. All in all, not a very good year for my tastes.