The world's most renowned and prestigious critics' prize for board games, Spiel des Jahres, today announced its nominations for "Spiel des Jahres", "Kennerspiel des Jahres" and "Kinderspiel des Jahres". Asmodee is proud that three games from its studios have been nominated in various prize categories. Mysterium Kids, from Space Cow and Libellud, is nominated for “Kinderspiel des Jahres”, Fun Facts from Repos Production is nominated for “Spiel des Jahres” and Challengers! by Z-MAN has the honour of being nominated for "Kennerspiel des Jahres 2023", a category dedicated to advanced games. In addition, Mantis from Exploding Kittens has been recommended as part of the long list of “Spiel des Jahres” and Unlock! and Unlock! Kids both have received the Special Prize from the Jury. 

Three games nominated, each in three different categories!  

Mysterium Kids: Captain Echo's Treasure is a cooperative game specially designed for kids. It helps develop children's concentration and imagination. In turn, kids play as the ghost or as treasure seekers and try to find which illustrated card corresponds to the location of the treasure, all while guided by the tambourine's sounds only! 

Designed by Antonin Boccara & Yves Hirschfeld and illustrated by Olivier Danchin, Mysterium Kids plays up to 6 players in about 20 minutes.  

For more information on Mysterium kids, check: https://www.libellud.com/en/our-games/mysterium-kids/  

Fun Facts, designed by Kasper Lapp, is the latest addition to the line of cooperative party games by Repos Production (after Just One and So Clover). This simple and engaging party game guarantees a group of friend will fall into fits of laughter and reveal shocking secrets! It’s also a perfect game to get to know people in a warm and welcoming setting. Up to 8 players can play Fun Facts to create memorable moments together.  

For more information on Fun Facts, check: https://www.rprod.com/fr/games/fun-facts   

Challengers! is a thrilling deck building game with an exceptional tournament feeling. Up to four duels are played simultaneously. Players will encounter a different opponent each round. The game offers a choice of over 70 different characters, each with unique abilities. From aliens and vacuum cleaners to deep-sea creatures, everything is there. Players assemble a versatile team, surprise their opponents with epic combos trying to get the most trophies and fans. The two players who gathered the most fans over the course of seven rounds will advance to the grand final. Of course, the winner of the grand final becomes the Challengers! champion! 

Challengers!, which won the As d’Or earlier this year in the advanced category, is a game for 1 to 8 players and plays in about 45 minutes. The game has been designed by Johannes Krenner & Markus Slawitscheck and illusrated by Jeff Harvey.  

For more information on Challengers! check https://www.zmangames.com/en/products/challengers/.   

One game part of the Spiel des Jahres recommended list. 

Mantis has been mentioned as part of the long list of “Spiel des Jahres”. In Mantis, players are collecting cards by stealing them or scoring them until the winner gathers 10 cards all together.  

Designed by Ken Gruhl & Jeremy Posner with the art from Matthew Inman from The Oatmeal, Mantis is a game for 2 to 6 players and plays in about 10 minutes.

For more information on Mantis check https://www.explodingkittens.com/products/mantis. 

A Special Jury Prize for the Unlock! series 

Unlock! and Unlock Kids, the immersive escape game, have also won the prestigious Special Jury Prize. Designed by Cyril Demaegd and published by Space Cowboys and Space Cow, Unlock! and Unlock! Kids feature a series of card-based escape games. Each game offers a unique storyline, intricate puzzles, and immersive environments, all while challenging players' problem-solving skills and teamwork. This accolade for the Unlock! series acknowledges the game's innovation and impact on the board gaming industry. Its blend of traditional card game mechanics with a modern escape room concept has paved the way for a new genre of board games. 

“We're thrilled to have so many games nominated at the Spiel des Jahres this year. This is a great reflection on the versatility and creativity of our studios and always a great satisfaction for everyone involved in the shaping of a game, from initial design to published game,” said Alexis Desplats, Regional Head of Publishing - Europe at Asmodee.  

The winner of the "Spiel des Jahres", "Kennerspiel des Jahres" and "Kinderspiel des Jahres" will be revealed during a ceremony hosted the 16^th of July 2023 in Berlin, Germany.