BoardGameRatings.com Announces First Annual Game Award Winners

BoardGameRatings.com, a site dedicated to reviewing board games, announced its picks for the best board games of 2004. The awards go to the strategy, family and two-player board games that received the highest rating during the year from the site’s editorial staff. This year’s winners include Saint Petersburg, a strategy game themed on the splendor of Peter the Great’s Russian capital; Ticket to Ride, a game for the whole family in which players connect U.S. cities via railway lines; and Memoir ’44, a two-player strategy game in which players re-enact some of the most crucial battles of World War II.

(PRWEB) November 22, 2004

Just in time for the holidays, BoardGameRatings.com, a site dedicated to reviewing board games, announced its picks for the best board games of 2004. The awards go to the strategy, family and two-player board games that received the highest rating during the year from the site’s editorial staff. This year’s winners include Saint Petersburg, a strategy game themed on the splendor of Peter the Great’s Russian capital; Ticket to Ride, a game for the whole family in which players connect U.S. cities via railway lines; and Memoir ’44, a two-player strategy game in which players re-enact some of the most crucial battles of World War II.

The 2004 winners distinguished themselves from the other nominees as superior games during the review process. Kendall Hulet, founder of BoardGameRatings.com explained, “Our ratings are based on the quality of the game's artwork and components, the clarity of its instructions, how well the game fits its intended audience, the strength of its theme, and most importantly, how fun the game is to play!”

Walking away with this year’s top honor in the strategy board game category, Saint Petersburg, designed by Michael Tummelhofer and published by Rio Grande Games, has a nice balance between luck and strategy, plays well with two, three, or four players, and involves each player in the fun on every turn. “To be selected for the Best Strategy Game of 2004 is great news,” said Jay Tummelson at Rio Grande Games. “We are very pleased that Saint Petersburg is so well received.”

Ticket to Ride, designed by Alan Moon and published by Days of Wonder, earned the distinction of being the Best Family Game of 2004 because it is easy to learn, fun to play, and works well with several players of varying ages—both adults and children can have fun with Ticket to Ride at the same time. “Although the toy industry has seen sales as a whole fall recently, board game sales are actually on the rise. I believe the increase comes because consumers are looking for wholesome activities that they can do with the entire family. Board games like Ticket to Ride definitely fit the bill,” Hulet said.

Memoir ’44, designed by Richard Borg and also published by Days of Wonder, was this year’s Best 2-Player Game because it has a strong strategic mechanic, is less abstract than most two-player games, and it offers several different game scenarios that keep it fresh and exciting. “We’re honored that BoardGameRatings.com has selected Memoir ’44 as the Best 2-Player Game of 2004,” said Days of Wonder Vice-President, Mark Kaufmann. “Combined with the award that Ticket to Ride has received for Best Family Game, we’re happy that the editorial staff has discovered our one-two punch.”

“Picking the winners was a difficult process, especially with so many great games to choose from. That's why we decided to pick the best of the finalists in each category and give them the distinction of being BoardGameRatings.com Recommended Games,” Hulet explained. The Recommended Family Games of 2004 include two games published by Uberplay Entertainment: Tongiaki, a game of daring sea exploration designed by Thomas Rauscher, and Oasis, designed by Aaron Weissblum and Alan Moon, a game in which players compete for limited resources in the midst of a vast desert. The Recommended Strategy Games of 2004 include two games based on the theme of trade and commerce, Goa, designed by Rudiger Dorn and published by Rio Grande Games, and San Juan, designed by Andreas Seyfarth and also published by Rio Grande Games. Yinsh, an abstract strategy game designed by Kris Burm and published by Rio Grande Games, emerged as the only Recommended 2-Player Game of 2004.

The full reviews for any of these games can be found at: http://www.boardgameratings.com

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