Welcome to the 7th annual Board Game Quest Board Game Awards. Each Spring we like to take some time to honor the best and most creative board games that came out the previous year. For those wondering, we usually wait until Spring to announce our nominees to give us time to play games that came out late in the winter.

As usual, we have a total of 11 award categories this year, with 5 nominees in each (except Game of the Year which has 6). Our editorial staff has spent countless hours playing the 2019 game releases and, after much debate, have chosen what we feel are some truly outstanding games to be nominated.

It’s from among these nominations that our editorial staff will choose a winner. However, since we wouldn’t be doing this without you, our awesome readers, you get a vote as well!

Below is a poll for each of the 11 categories to allow you to cast a vote for which games you think should win. Our readers here will collectively get one vote, and along with each member of our editorial staff, the winner will be chosen. The voting will be open until April 10th, 2020 and the winners will be announced shortly thereafter.

Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees!

2019 Board Game Award Nominees

Best Cooperative Game



Marvel Champions

Designers: Michael Boggs, Nate French, Caleb Grace

Fantasy Flight Games

Get Your Copy Michael Boggs, Nate French, Caleb GraceFantasy Flight Games



Letter Jam

Designer: Ondra Skoupý

Czech Games Edition

Get Your Copy Ondra SkoupýCzech Games Edition



Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

Designer: Krzysztof Piskorski, Marcin Świerkot

Awaken Realms

Get Your Copy Krzysztof Piskorski, Marcin ŚwierkotAwaken Realms



Middara

Designer: Clayton Helme, Brooklynn Lundberg, Brenna Moncur, Ian Tate

Succubus Publishing

Get Your Copy Clayton Helme, Brooklynn Lundberg, Brenna Moncur, Ian TateSuccubus Publishing



Cthulhu: Death May Die

Designer: Rob Daviau, Eric M. Lang

CMON

Get Your Copy Rob Daviau, Eric M. LangCMON

Best Tactical/Combat Game



Batman: Gotham City Chronicles

Designer: Frédéric Henry

Monolith

Get Your Copy Frédéric HenryMonolith



Undaunted: Normandy

Designers: Trevor Benjamin, David Thompson

Osprey Games

Get Your Copy Trevor Benjamin, David ThompsonOsprey Games



Claustrophobia 1643

Designer: Christophe Réaux, Laurent Pouchain

Monolith

Get Your Copy Christophe Réaux, Laurent PouchainMonolith



Set a Watch

Designer: Mike Gnade, Todd Walsh

Rock Manor Games

Get Your Copy Mike Gnade, Todd WalshRock Manor Games



Unmatched

Designer: Rob Daviau, JR Honeycutt, Justin D. Jacobson

Restoration Games

Get Your Copy Rob Daviau, JR Honeycutt, Justin D. JacobsonRestoration Games

Best Digital Board Game



Raiders of the North Sea

Developer: Direwolf Digital

Get Your Copy Direwolf Digital



Twice as Clever

Developer: BrettspielWelt

Get Your Copy BrettspielWelt



The Castles of Burgundy

Developer: Digidiced

Get Your Copy Digidiced



Evolution

Designer: Northstar Games

Get Your Copy Northstar Games



Mystic Vale

Developer: Nomad Games

Get Your Copy Nomad Games

Best Production Values



PARKS

Designer: Henry Audubon

Keymaster Games

Get Your Copy Henry AudubonKeymaster Games



Wingspan

Designer: Elizabeth Hargrave

Stonemaier Games

Get Your Copy Elizabeth HargraveStonemaier Games



Nemesis

Designer: Adam Kwapiński

Awaken Realms

Get Your Copy Adam KwapińskiAwaken Realms



Bosk

Designer: Daryl Andrews, Erica Bouyouris

Floodgate Games

Get Your Copy Daryl Andrews, Erica BouyourisFloodgate Games



Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

Designers: Krzysztof Piskorski, Marcin Świerkot

Awaken Realms

Get Your Copy Krzysztof Piskorski, Marcin ŚwierkotAwaken Realms

Best Thematic Game



Nemesis

Designer: Adam Kwapiński

Awaken Realms

Get Your Copy Adam KwapińskiAwaken Realms



Uboot

Designer: Bartosz Pluta, Artur Salwarowski

Phalanx Games

Get Your Copy Bartosz Pluta, Artur SalwarowskiPhalanx Games



Marvel Champions

Designer: Michael Boggs, Nate French, Caleb Grace

Fantasy Flight Games

Get Your Copy Michael Boggs, Nate French, Caleb GraceFantasy Flight Games



Star Wars Outer Rim

Designer: Corey Konieczka, Tony Fanchi

Fantasy Flight Games

Get Your Copy Corey Konieczka, Tony FanchiFantasy Flight Games



Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

Designer: Krzysztof Piskorski, Marcin Świerkot

Awaken Realms

Get Your Copy Krzysztof Piskorski, Marcin ŚwierkotAwaken Realms

Best Strategy/Euro Game



Dinogenics

Designer: Richard Keene

Ninth Haven Games

Get Your Copy Richard KeeneNinth Haven Games



Barrage

Designer: Tommaso Battista, Simone Luciani

Cranio Creations

Get Your Copy Tommaso Battista, Simone LucianiCranio Creations



Edge of Darkness

Designer: John D. Clair

AEG

Get Your Copy John D. ClairAEG



Pipeline

Designer: Ryan Courtney

Capstone Games

Get Your Copy Ryan CourtneyCapstone Games



Pax Pamir: Second Edition

Designer: Cole Wehrle

Wehrlegig Games

Get Your Copy Cole WehrleWehrlegig Games

Best Game from a Small Publisher



PARKS

Designers: Henry Audubon

Keymaster Games

Get Your Copy Henry AudubonKeymaster Games



Dinogenics

Designer: Richard Keene

Ninth Haven Games

Get Your Copy Richard KeeneNinth Haven Games



The Isle of Cats

Designer: Frank West

The City of Games

Get Your Copy Frank WestThe City of Games



QE

Designers: Gavin Birnbaum

BoardGameTables.com

Get Your Copy Gavin BirnbaumBoardGameTables.com



Res Arcana

Designer: Thomas Lehmann

Sandcastle Games

Get Your Copy Thomas LehmannSandcastle Games

Best Two Player Game



Shobu

Designer: Manolis Vranas, Jamie Sajdak

Smirk & Laughter Games

Get Your Copy Manolis Vranas, Jamie SajdakSmirk & Laughter Games



Watergate

Designer: Matthias Cramer

Capstone Games

Get Your Copy Matthias CramerCapstone Games



Undaunted Normandy

Designer: Trevor Benjamin, David Thompson

Osprey Games

Get Your Copy Trevor Benjamin, David ThompsonOsprey Games



Claustrophobia 1643

Designer: Christophe Réaux, Laurent Pouchain

Monolith

Get Your Copy Christophe Réaux, Laurent PouchainMonolith



Unmatched

Designer: Rob Daviau, JR Honeycutt, Justin D. Jacobson

Restoration Games

Get Your Copy Rob Daviau, JR Honeycutt, Justin D. JacobsonRestoration Games

Best Party Game



Letter Jam

Designer: Ondra Skoupý

Czech Games Edition

Get Your Copy Ondra SkoupýCzech Games Edition



TEAM3

Designer: Alex Cutler, Matt Fantastic

Brain Games

Get Your Copy Alex Cutler, Matt FantasticBrain Games



Wavelength

Designer: Alex Hague, Justin Vickers, Wolfgang Warsch

Palm Court

Get Your Copy Alex Hague, Justin Vickers, Wolfgang WarschPalm Court



QE

Designer: Gavin Birnbaum

BoardGameTables.com

Get Your Copy Gavin BirnbaumBoardGameTables.com



Paranormal Detectives

Designer: Szymon Maliński, Adrian Orzechowski, Marcin Łączyński

Lucky Duck Games

Get Your Copy Szymon Maliński, Adrian Orzechowski, Marcin ŁączyńskiLucky Duck Games

Best Family Game



Point Salad

Designer: Molly Johnson, Robert Melvin, Shawn Stankewich

AEG

Get Your Copy Molly Johnson, Robert Melvin, Shawn StankewichAEG



Cartographers: A Roll Player Tale

Designer: Jordy Adan

Thunderworks Games

Get Your Copy Jordy AdanThunderworks Games



Tiny Towns

Designer: Peter McPherson

AEG

Get Your Copy Peter McPhersonAEG



PARKS

Designer: Henry Audubon

Keymaster Games

Get Your Copy Henry AudubonKeymaster Games



Sushi Roll

Designer: Phil Walker-Harding

Gamewright Games

Get Your Copy Phil Walker-HardingGamewright Games

Game of the Year



Watergate

Designers: Matthias Cramer

Capstone Games

Get Your Copy Matthias CramerCapstone Games



Marvel Champions

Designer: Michael Boggs, Nate French, Caleb Grace

Fantasy Flight Games

Get Your Copy Michael Boggs, Nate French, Caleb GraceFantasy Flight Games



Wingspan

Designer: Elizabeth Hargrave

Stonemaier Games

Get Your Copy Elizabeth HargraveStonemaier Games



Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

Designer: Krzysztof Piskorski, Marcin Świerkot

Awaken Realms

Get Your Copy Krzysztof Piskorski, Marcin ŚwierkotAwaken Realms



Batman: Gotham City Chronicles

Designer: Frédéric Henry

Monolith

Get Your Copy Frédéric HenryMonolith



Barrage

Designer: Tommaso Battista, Simone Luciani

Cranio Creations

Get Your Copy Tommaso Battista, Simone LucianiCranio Creations

Note: Whichever game wins Game of the Year will automatically be removed from any of the above categories except Best Production Values. Our reasoning is if a game wins Game of the Year, chances are it should win any of the other categories by default. That just seemed a bit redundant. If a game wins Game of the Year, you know it is really good.