Quick link for the title: Meeples’ Choice. Go check it out…

The two most prestigious awards for Euro-games are the Spiel des Jahres (SdJ) and Deutscher Spiele Preis (DSP). (Roughly, “Game of the Year” and “German Game Prize”.) I put very little stock in either award. The SdJ is awarded by a jury, and like the Oscars, seems to go to an inappropriate choice more often than not. Supposedly it’s aimed at a more family/”light” market, but then what are (relatively) thought-heavy brainburners like Tikal, Torres, and El Grande doing on the winners list? Zooloretto, the 2007 winner, is totally forgettable, as is Elfenland. Villa Paletti is a dexterity game that won out over Puerto Rico.

By contrast, the DSP is awarded by more-or-less open voting. It has many fewer embarrassments (Puerto Rico won 2002) and most of the winners are at least defensible. Having played both Notre Dame and Pillars of the Earth, I can say that I greatly prefer Notre Dame, but at least Pillars isn’t painfully mundane.

But I want more. In particular, I think that fact that Tikal beat Ra in 1999 is a grave injustice. I had almost despaired until I happened upon the Meeples’ Choice Awards. Of particular note:

• Ra and Lost Cities selected in 1999, Tikal not even mentioned
• Puerto Rico and LotR: Confrontation selected in 2002
• Torres is absent, as is Alhambra
• Bohnanza selected for 1997

I like how three co-winners are chosen every year. (It’s worth noting that the years are broken a little differently than the SdJ and DSP. Apparently it’s by publication year for Meeples’ and award year for the others; for example, Caylus was the 2006 winner for DSP but 2005 for Meeples’ Choice. In fairness, I should note that they have the benefit of hindsight; the awards for years previous to 2001 were given retroactively. But with BGG top 50 favorites like Shogun, Taj Mahal, Tikal, San Juan, and Torres not present, I can’t fault them with crowd-following. (The snub of Taj Mahal is the only choice I really disagree with; I prefer it to Citadels. The other two for that year, Princes of Florence and Carcassone, are both very strong; 2000 was a tough year.)

Based on winners I have not played, my Radar has been updated with Age of Steam, Attika, Louis XIV, and Wyatt Earp.