2020 was rough; there’s no polite way to phrase it. But board games were a bright spot in a terrible year, and in some case even helped preserve our sanity. They continue to connect friends, family, and even perfect strangers, even when we can’t be together in person. The nominees on this list took us to the Red Planet with On Mars, and dungeon crawling with Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion. We made quilts for kitties in Calico, and tended our lawns in Village Green. We harvested the spice melange in Dune: Imperium, and dug our toes into the sandy beach of Santa Monica. But most of all we played games, and celebrated the fact that 2020 didn’t beat us.
So without further ado please join me in congratulating the winners of the 2020 Diamond Climber board game awards.
- Best Artwork
- Best Light Game
- Best Family Game
- Best Coop Game
- Best Solo Game
- Best Two Player Game
- Best Heavy Strategy / Euro Game
- Game of the Year
Best Artwork
On Mars
Best Artwork Nominees
- Fort
- Oceans
- On Mars
- Rococo Deluxe
- The Dead Eye
- Village Green
Fan Favorite Winner: Excavation Earth
Best Light Game
Village Green
Best Light Game Nominees
- Gudetama: The Tricky Egg Card Game
- Ohanami
- Unmatched: Cobble & Fog
- Village Green
- Zombie Teenz Evolution
Fan Favorite Winner: Silver & Gold
Best Family Game
Calico
Best Family Game Nominees
- Calico
- The Fox in the Forest Duet
- Santa Monica
- Village Green
Fan Favorite Winner: My City
Best Coop Game
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Best Coop Nominees
- Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
- The Princess Bride Adventure Book Game
- X-ODUS: Rise of the Corruption
- Zombie Teenz Evolution
Fan Favorite Winner: Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps
Best Solo Game
Under Falling Skies
Best Solo Nominees
- Aurelian Restorer of the World
- By Stealth and Sea
- The Hunted: Twilight of the U-Boats, 1943-45
- Personal Space
- Under Falling Skies
- Warp’s Edge
Fan Favorite Winner: Under Falling Skies
Best Two Player Game
The Shores of Tripoli
Best Two Player Nominees
- Aqualin
- Far Away
- Imperial Struggle
- The Shores of Tripoli
- Twin Princes: Reborn Edition
- Unmatched: Cobble & Fog
Fan Favorite Winner: World of Tanks: Miniatures Game
Best Heavy Strategy / Euro Game
On Mars
Best Euro Nominees
- Dune: Imperium
- Merv: The Heart of the Silk Road
- On Mars
- Paris
- Tekhenu: Obelisk of the Sun
Wow, the trend continues… On Mars wins ‘Heavy Strategy/Euro,’ while Dune: Imperium bypasses it for ‘Game of the Year’ nomination. Third time this has happened in as many years and now I’m tempted to dig deeper into the data.
OK. You talked me into it. I ordered a copy of Calico. 🙂
I love the mentions for Zombie Teenz. A great experience with my son, and ultimately more interesting gameplay than the original. Such a fantastic series.