2011 Spiel des Jahres - The Nominees

Earlier this week, in Germany, a jury of board game critics selected and announced the nominations for the 2011 Spiel des Jahres award. The prestigious Spiel des Jahres (translated: “Game of the Year”) has been awarded every year since 1978 to showcase outstanding games that have made their debut in the German market over the preceding year.  Although it is an award that focuses on the German market, the Spiel des Jahres has gained more global exposure and relevance in the past fifteen years as “Euro Style” games began to permeate the hobby, a trend that was quickened by the domestic release of The Settlers of Catan – the 1995 Spiel Des Jahres winner.

Historically, the Spiel des Jahres award has focused on accessible family games which offer a low barrier to entry, yet contain compelling and innovative gameplay.   This centralist view rewards those games which appeal to the masses, but tends to exclude gamers outside of this range, on both sides of the spectrum. In 1989, the Spiel des Jahres made a step to bridge this gulf, by creating a new award to be offered alongside the original.  This award, named the “Kinderspiel des Jahres” (translated: “Children’s Game of the Year”), was created to praise the outstanding children’s game of the year.

For over 21 years, the Spiel des Jahres and Kinderspiel des Jahres have been awarded side by side. But, with the board gaming hobby growing in size, and the market becoming more international, there have been complaints that the Spiel des Jahres is becoming less relevant as time goes on. Many gamers that were introduced to the hobby through Spiel des Jahres winners have found that they have outgrown the simpler mechanics typical of the award. In 2008, perhaps foreshadowing changes to come, a Special Jury Prize for “complex game” was awarded to the meaty worker placement game Agricola. This year, we see the Spiel des Jahres making another fundamental evolution, with the introduction of the “Kennerspiel des Jahres” (Translated: “Aficionados’ game of the year”), a full-fledged award category for complex games.

Games are considered for the trio of awards by a jury panel, based on the following criteria: The originality and playability of the core game ideas; the structure and clarity of the rules; the graphical presentation of the game; and the design and workmanship of the components.  Aside from the main awards, the Jury also issues several “recommendations” for each category. These recommendations are games that the jury feels are outstanding, and deserve recognition, but may not fit the parameters of the greater award.

Because the Spiel des Jahres is based in Germany, many games on the list do not have English translations, and can only be acquired by import. On the flip side, at least one game in this list has been available in North America for several years, and is only now seeing release in Germany. Regardless of when and where it was first published, if a game ends up nominated for, or winning the Spiel des Jahres, it’s almost a certainty that the title will see a global release in the near future.

2011 Spiel des Jahres Nominees (Game of the Year):

Click to read more ...

Quite Quotable

"Fear is the brother of hate."

Larry Niven, Ringworld

Hallo's Atari 2600 Review #2: Berzerk

Luckily, the robots had yet to master the skill of shooting diagonally.

Berzerk

Publisher:  Atari, 1982

 The year was 1981 and the Atari 2600 was about to release the most important video game port in home video gaming history:  Pac-Man.  The beloved arcade classic remains to this day one of the most popular video games of all time and it was a no-brainer that the 2600 was going to port the game for their console so that millions of boy and girls around the world could enjoy the simple thrills of eating pellets and running from ghosts.  Boy, was it a disaster.  Pac-Man is the worst adaptation of a classic arcade game I have ever seen and although Atari sold them by the truckloads because of the name alone, it remains a pitiful entry into the 2600 game library.  But hey, this isn’t a Pac-Man review, so why start a review on Berzerk in this way?

 Because the very next year in 1982, Atari showed they were more than capable of porting a game in a more-than-worthy manner.  Berzerk is a masterpiece.

 The game is all about a “humanoid” fugitive who is inside a robot compound and is shooting his way from maze to maze.  His enemies are armed, one-eyed robots who range from incredibly stupid to super fast and lethal.  The single eye rotates back and forth on the head of the robot and for whatever reason, the sound of the laser gun being fired is downright creepy.  Add to the mix a bouncing smiley face guy named “Evil Otto” who makes his way onto the screen if the humanoid takes too long disposing of the robots, and you actually have a video game that will make your heart start racing very quickly.  I find Berzerk to be a nerve-wracking game. 

 Comparing the 2600 version to the arcade classic yields very positive results.  Since the original was not known for its groundbreaking graphics, the 2600 was able to capture the essence of the game with little difficulty; the only difference being simpler mazes.  The robots in the 2600 game are not able to fire diagonally, giving you a huge advantage in combat.  I found this out the hard way when I was playing the original arcade version for comparative purposes.  I got lit up by a diagonal robot shot because I wasn’t expecting that capability.  Unfortunately, the completely freaked out robotic  voice warning “intruder alert” is not present on the 2600 version (although in 2002, a voice enhanced version was released that is apparently awesome).   Also, Evil Otto is able to be temporarily killed in the 2600 game, something that is impossible with the original. Other than that, the playability, skill in timing, controls, and overall fun remain intact.

 One of the crucial aspects of Berzerk is the use of the walls.  Not only can you make robots walk into the walls, killing them, but they also provide the essential strategic element of knowing when to hide, pop out and shoot, and how to move around the maze.  I totally love how the hero dies in this game – your butt gets fried to a crisp, complete with electrocution sound effects.  Berzerk is really a must have if you are a shooter fan at all.  It paved the way for the shooter craze and remains just as fun to play today as it was in 1982.         

 Hallo's Rating: A

The Walking Dead Board Game!

It was announced today that ZMAN games will be releasing a boardgame based on the popular Robert Kirkman graphic novel, The Walking Dead.  Expect it to be out in late summer.

More info

Stronghold - A Review

Some of the most epic and memorable scenes in novels and movies have involved the siege of a fortress. The story of defending one’s home against overwhelming odds is one that resonates deeply in the human spirit. These stories span time and setting, and have been told throughout history. The timeless fantasy world of Middle Earth saw a climactic siege in The Lord of The Rings, when the capital of Gondor was rushed by a sea of enemies. Ancient Greek mythology is full of these stories, shown to enthrall audiences even in modern times, by the success of the blockbuster movie 300, and its bloody, violent retelling of the siege of Sparta. Akira Kurasawa brought siege to feudal Japan in his final epic theatrical masterpiece Ran. Siege makes for exciting and tense storytelling, and it’s no surprise that it invokes those same feelings when presented in a game.

In 2009, game designer Ignacy Trzewiczek brought siege to the table with the board game Stronghold, a non-symmetrical game of siege and defense, where one player uses his limited resources to defend his stronghold against the seemingly unending horde of Orcs, Trolls, and Goblins controlled by his opponent. The invading player uses his massive army to build siege equipment, cast destructive spells, man the ramparts, and ultimately scale the towering walls to breach the stronghold. The defending player must valiantly defend his keep by utilizing his limited time and manpower to train men, repair damage, build traps, and position his dwindling forces to effectively turn the tide of the incoming army. Whoever ends the siege with the most glory is the ultimate victor.

Click to read more ...