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The Dice Tower Awards 2020

Presenting the nominees of the fourteenth annual Dice Tower Awards for games released in 2020 in categories including artwork, small publisher, new designer, and the game of the year!

Game of the Year

In the co-operative trick-taking game The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine, the players set out as astronauts on an uncertain space adventure. What are the rumors regarding the unknown planet about? The eventful journey through space extends over 50 exciting missions. But this game can only be defeated by meeting common individual tasks of each player. In order to meet the varied challenges communication is essential in the team. But this is more difficult than expected in space.

With each mission the game becomes more difficult. After each mission the game can be paused and continued later. During each mission it is not the number of tricks but the right tricks at the right time that count.

The team completes a mission only if every single player is successful in fulfilling their tasks.

The game comes with 50 missions, with three additional missions published in spielbox 2/2020.

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Year Published: 2019
Designers: Thomas Sing
Publishers: KOSMOS
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Luke Laurie
Publishers: Breaking Games
Year Published: 2019
Designers: Frank West
Publishers: The City of Games
Year Published: 2019
Designers: Thomas Sing
Publishers: KOSMOS
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Shem Phillips
Publishers: Garphill Games
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Mr. Bistro
Publishers: Plaid Hat Games
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Elwen
Publishers: Czech Games Edition
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Rob Daviau
Publishers: Z-Man Games
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Kevin Russ
Publishers: Flatout Games
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Paul Dennen
Publishers: Dire Wolf

Best Artwork

On an uninhabited island in uncharted seas, explorers have found traces of a great civilization. Now you will lead an expedition to explore the island, find lost artifacts, and face fearsome guardians, all in a quest to learn the island's secrets.

Lost Ruins of Arnak combines deck-building and worker placement in a game of exploration, resource management, and discovery. In addition to traditional deck-builder effects, cards can also be used to place workers, and new worker actions become available as players explore the island. Some of these actions require resources instead of workers, so building a solid resource base will be essential. You are limited to only one action per turn, so make your choice carefully... what action will benefit you most now? And what can you afford to do later... assuming someone else doesn't take the action first!?

Decks are small, and randomness in the game is heavily mitigated by the wealth of tactical decisions offered on the game board. With a variety of worker actions, artifacts, and equipment cards, the set-up for each game will be unique, encouraging players to explore new strategies to meet the challenge.

Discover the Lost Ruins of Arnak!

—description from the publisher

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Year Published: 2020
Designers: Elwen
Publishers: Czech Games Edition
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Tim Eisner
Publishers: Druid City Games
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Michał Oracz
Publishers: Awaken Realms
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Nick Bentley
Publishers: North Star Games
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Mr. Bistro
Publishers: Plaid Hat Games

Best Board Game Production

Dwellings of Eldervale is an epic worker placement game set in a once lost magical world. Giant elemental monsters roam while dragons, wizards and warriors battle for dominance over 8 elemental realms. Players control unique factions seeking to adventure, battle, grow in power and ultimately dwell Eldervale, shaping it to their vision.

Dwellings of Eldervale blends worker placement, area control, engine building and unique worker units. Players take turns placing a worker in Eldervale or regrouping and activating their tableau of adventure cards. Action spaces include realms key to power: a summoning portal, an ancient mill, the lost fortress, deep dungeons, and a crumbling mage tower and the elemental lands of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Light, Dark, Order and Chaos! Magic cards grant spells, quests and prophecies to players.

In the end, the players with the most elemental dominance among the multiple paths to victory will reign over Eldervale.

—description from the publisher

Link to Unofficial FAQ

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Year Published: 2020
Designers: Luke Laurie
Publishers: Breaking Games