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2020
Best Board Game Production

Dwellings of Eldervale
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

Tang Garden
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Francesco Testini
Publishers: ThunderGryph Games

Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Tim Eisner
Publishers: Druid City Games

On Mars
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Vital Lacerda
Publishers: Eagle-Gryphon Games

Honey Buzz
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Paul Salomon
Publishers: Elf Creek Games
2020
Game of the year

The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
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

Dwellings of Eldervale
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Luke Laurie
Publishers: Breaking Games

The Isle of Cats
Year Published: 2019
Designers: Frank West
Publishers: The City of Games

The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
Year Published: 2019
Designers: Thomas Sing
Publishers: KOSMOS

Viscounts of the West Kingdom
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Shem Phillips
Publishers: Garphill Games

Forgotten Waters
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Mr. Bistro
Publishers: Plaid Hat Games

Lost Ruins of Arnak
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Elwen
Publishers: Czech Games Edition

Pandemic Legacy: Season 0
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Rob Daviau
Publishers: Z-Man Games

Calico
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Kevin Russ
Publishers: Flatout Games

Dune: Imperium
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Paul Dennen
Publishers: Dire Wolf
2020
Best Artwork 2020

Lost Ruins of Arnak
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

Tidal Blades: Heroes of the Reef
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Tim Eisner
Publishers: Druid City Games

Etherfields
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Michał Oracz
Publishers: Awaken Realms

Oceans
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Nick Bentley
Publishers: North Star Games

Forgotten Waters
Year Published: 2020
Designers: Mr. Bistro
Publishers: Plaid Hat Games
Tom Vasel
Eric Summerer
Mandi Hutchinson

In this episode, Tom, Suzanne, and Eric discuss Three Sisters, Cascadia, Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition, Lovelace and Babbage, For Science! and Danger Park. Geoff enters the world of NFTs, we answer questions from the mailbag, and we look back 15 years with a Top Ten Games from 2006.

Support for The Dice Tower comes from The Op, at TheOp.games.

This episode, GenCon is on, White Wizard gets wise, Lucky Duck has ducklings, and we all escape from Middle Earth.

 

TOP STORIES:

  • GenCon 2021 is a go.
  • France's As d'Or Awards announced.
  • R&D Games teases new titles in the Key series.
  • "Founders of Teotihuacan" announced.
  • White Wizard Games renames to Wise Wizard.
  • Asmodee to distribute ThunderGryph, Fantasia, and Tabletop Tycoon Games.
  • Lucky Duck partners with GameTrayz and launches Lucky Duck Kids.
  • Z-Man cancels Euro Classics line.
  • "Villagers: Shifting Seasons" announced.
  • Card game "TEN" coming from "Point Salad" designers.
  • Celebrate 5 years of escapes with "EXIT: Shadow over Middle Earth" and "EXIT: Return to the Abandoned Cabin."
  • GAMA officer, publisher, and retailer Brian Dalrymple passes.

 

KICKSTARTER:

 

NEW & UPCOMING RELEASES:

  • Red Rising from Stonemaier Games
  • War Chest: Siege from AEG
  • Steampunk Rally Fusion from Roxley Games
  • Forgotten Waters: Kraken's Eye from Plaid Hat Games

 

CONNECT:

This episode, GenCon is on, White Wizard gets wise, Lucky Duck has ducklings, and we all escape from Middle Earth.

 

TOP STORIES:

  • GenCon 2021 is a go.
  • France's As d'Or Awards announced.
  • R&D Games teases new titles in the Key series.
  • "Founders of Teotihuacan" announced.
  • White Wizard Games renames to Wise Wizard.
  • Asmodee to distribute ThunderGryph, Fantasia, and Tabletop Tycoon Games.
  • Lucky Duck partners with GameTrayz and launches Lucky Duck Kids.
  • Z-Man cancels Euro Classics line.
  • "Villagers: Shifting Seasons" announced.
  • Card game "TEN" coming from "Point Salad" designers.
  • Celebrate 5 years of escapes with "EXIT: Shadow over Middle Earth" and "EXIT: Return to the Abandoned Cabin."
  • GAMA officer, publisher, and retailer Brian Dalrymple passes.

 

KICKSTARTER:

 

NEW & UPCOMING RELEASES:

  • Red Rising from Stonemaier Games
  • War Chest: Siege from AEG
  • Steampunk Rally Fusion from Roxley Games
  • Forgotten Waters: Kraken's Eye from Plaid Hat Games

 

CONNECT:

This episode, GenCon is on, White Wizard gets wise, Lucky Duck has ducklings, and we all escape from Middle Earth.

 

TOP STORIES:

  • GenCon 2021 is a go.
  • France's As d'Or Awards announced.
  • R&D Games teases new titles in the Key series.
  • "Founders of Teotihuacan" announced.
  • White Wizard Games renames to Wise Wizard.
  • Asmodee to distribute ThunderGryph, Fantasia, and Tabletop Tycoon Games.
  • Lucky Duck partners with GameTrayz and launches Lucky Duck Kids.
  • Z-Man cancels Euro Classics line.
  • "Villagers: Shifting Seasons" announced.
  • Card game "TEN" coming from "Point Salad" designers.
  • Celebrate 5 years of escapes with "EXIT: Shadow over Middle Earth" and "EXIT: Return to the Abandoned Cabin."
  • GAMA officer, publisher, and retailer Brian Dalrymple passes.

 

KICKSTARTER:

 

NEW & UPCOMING RELEASES:

  • Red Rising from Stonemaier Games
  • War Chest: Siege from AEG
  • Steampunk Rally Fusion from Roxley Games
  • Forgotten Waters: Kraken's Eye from Plaid Hat Games

 

CONNECT:

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