Welcome to our 13th annual Board Game Quest Board Game Awards. Each year, we take some time to honor the best and most creative new tabletop games from the previous year. For those wondering, why we wait until the following year to announce our winners, it’s to give us a chance to check out the games that come out later in the year (like Essen and PAX Unplugged releases).

This year, we have a total of 12 award categories that cover a broad spectrum of gaming. Our editorial team has spent a ton of time playing games and has chosen a group of titles from last year that we consider really outstanding. It’s from among these nominations that we will choose a winner. However, since we wouldn’t be doing this without you, our awesome readers, you also get a vote!

Below is a poll for each of the 12 categories for which you can vote. 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 15th, 2026, and the winners will be announced shortly after.

Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees!

Best Cooperative Game

Eternal Decks
Designer: Hiroaki Yamamoto
Hiroken

Vantage
Designer: Jamey Stegmaier
Stonemaier Games

Arydia the Paths We Dare Tread
Designers: Cody Miller, Ira Fay
Far Off Games

Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era
Designers: Josh J. Carlson, Michael Gernes, Logan Giannini, Ryan Howard, Salem Scott, Josh Wielgus
Chip Theory Games

Boss Fighters QR
Designers: Michael Palm, Lukas Zach
Pegasus Spiele

Most Innovative Board Game

Moon Colony Bloodbath
Designer: Donald X. Vaccarino
Rio Grande Games

Baseball Card GM
Designers: Matthew & Garrett Weaver
Weaver Media Group, LLC

Vantage
Designer: Jamey Stegmaier
Stonemaier Games

Boss Fighters QR
Designers: Michael Palm, Lukas Zach
Pegasus Spiele

Light Speed Arena
Designers: Leonardo Alese, James Ernest, Tom Jolly, Emanuele Santellani
Tablescope

Best Production Values

Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era
Designers: Josh J. Carlson, Michael Gernes, Logan Giannini, Ryan Howard, Salem Scott, Josh Wielgus
Chip Theory Games

Sweet Lands
Designer: Totsuca Chuo
Uchibacoya

Galactic Cruise
Designer: T.K. King, Dennis Northcott, Koltin Thompson
Kinson Key Games

TEND
Designer: Max Anderson, Zac Dixon, Austin Harrison, Toby Sarnelle
IV Studio

Hot Streak
Designers: Jon Perry
CMYK Games

Best Thematic Game

Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era
Designers: Josh J. Carlson, Michael Gernes, Logan Giannini, Ryan Howard, Salem Scott, Josh Wielgus
Chip Theory Games

Moon Colony Bloodbath
Designer: Donald X. Vaccarino
Rio Grande Games

Galactic Cruise
Designer: T.K. King, Dennis Northcott, Koltin Thompson
Kinson Key Games

Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Designers: Darren Reckner, Jason Hager
Restoration Games

Spooktacular
Designer: D. Brad Talton, Jr.
Level 99 Games

Best Card Game

Moon Colony Bloodbath
Designer: Donald X. Vaccarino
Rio Grande Games

Eternal Decks
Designer: Hiroaki Yamamoto
Hiroken

Tag Team
Designers: Gricha German, Corentin Lebrat
Scorpion Masqué

Citizens of the Spark
Designers: Philip duBarry
Thunderworks Games

Fliptoons
Designer: Jordy Adan, Renato Simões
Thunderworks Games

Best Strategy/Euro Game

Galactic Cruise
Designer: T.K. King, Dennis Northcott, Koltin Thompson
Kinson Key Games

Star Trek: Captain’s Chair
Designer: Nigel Buckle, Dávid Turczi
Wizkids Games

Kinfire Council
Designer: Kevin Wilson
Incredible Dream Studios

Deckers
Designers: Richard Wilkins
Pegasus Spiele

Forestry
Designers: Michal Peichl
Pink Troubadour

Best Game From a Small Publisher

Galactic Cruise
Designers: T.K. King, Dennis Northcott, Koltin Thompson
Kinson Key Games

Baseball Card GM
Designers: Matthew & Garrett Weaver
Weaver Media Group, LLC

Eternal Decks
Designer: Hiroaki Yamamoto
Hiroken

Regicide Legacy
Designers: Paul Abrahams, Luke Badger, Andy Richdale
Badgers From Mars

Deep Regrets
Designer: Judson Cowan
Tettix Games

Best Two Player Game

Star Wars: Battle of Hoth
Designers: Richard Borg, Adrien Martinot
Days of Wonder

Tag Team
Designers: Gricha German, Corentin Lebrat
Scorpion Masqué

Toy Battle
Designer: Paolo Mori, Alessandro Zucchini
Repos Production

Flamecraft Duals
Designer: Manny Vega
Cardboard Alchemy

Duel for Cardia
Designers: Faouzi Boughida, Mathieu Rivero
Hans im Glück

Best Solo Game

Star Trek: Captain’s Chair
Designer: Nigel Buckle, Dávid Turczi
Wizkids Games

Small Time Heroes
Designer: Drew Corkill
Best With 1 Games

Corps of Discovery
Designer: Jay Cormier, Sen-Foong Lim
Off The Page Games

Unstoppable
Designer: John D. Clair
Renegade Games

The Last Lighthouse
Designer: Scott Almes
Button Shy Games

Best Reprint/Reimplementation

Magical Athlete
Designers: Richard Garfield, Takashi Ishida
CMYK Games

Puerto Rico 1897: Special Edition
Designer: Andreas Seyfarth
Awaken Realms

Calimala
Designers: Fabio Lopiano
ADC Blackfire Entertainment

Marvel Dice Throne: Missions
Designer: Gavan Brown, Nate Chatellier
Roxley

Deckers
Designers: Richard Wilkins
Pegasus Spiele

Best Casual Game

Hot Streak
Designers: Jon Perry
CMYK Games

Railroad Tiles
Designer: Hjalmar Hach, Lorenzo Silva
Horrible Guild

RA and Write
Designers: Reiner Knizia
25th Century Games

A Wayfarer’s Tale: The Journey Begins
Designer: James Emmerson
Wayfarer Games

Magical Athlete
Designers: Richard Garfield, Takashi Ishida
CMYK Games

Game of the Year

Vantage
Designer: Jamey Stegmaier
Stonemaier Games

Eternal Decks
Designer: Hiroaki Yamamoto
Hiroken

Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era
Designers: Josh J. Carlson, Michael Gernes, Logan Giannini, Ryan Howard, Salem Scott, Josh Wielgus
Chip Theory Games

Star Trek: Captain’s Chair
Designer: Nigel Buckle, Dávid Turczi
Wizkids Games

Arydia the Paths We Dare Tread
Designers: Cody Miller, Ira Fay
Far Off Games

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 that 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.

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