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2013 Spiel des Jahres Nominees

2013-05-31T22:36:25Z

<img align="right" hspace="5" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/boardgames/1/3/y/3/1/qwixx.jpg" alt="Qwixx" />The nominations for the 2013 <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/awards/a/sdj_winners.htm">Spiel des Jahres</a>, a German game award which I believe to be the most prestigious in the world, were recently announced. The three games nominated for the main award are: <ul> <li>Augustus, designed by Paolo Mori, published by Hurrican.</li> <li>Hanabi, designed by Antoine Bauza (as was <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/cardgames/p/7-Wonders.htm">7 Wonders</a>), published by AbacusSpiele and R&R Games.</li> <li>Qwixx, designed by Stefen Benndorf, published by Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag.</li> </ul> The nominations for the 2013 Kennerspiel des Jahres, an award designed to recognize more complex games, are: <ul> <li>Bruges, designed by , published by Hans im Glück and <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/companies/p/z_man_games.htm">Z-Man Games</a>.</li> <li>Legends of Andor, designed by Michael Menzel, published by Kosmos and <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/companies/p/fantasy_flight.htm">Fantasy Flight Games</a>.</li> <li>The Palaces of Carrara, designed by <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/designers/p/wolfgang_kramer.htm">Wolfgang Kramer</a> and Michael Kiesling, published by Hans im Glück and <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/companies/p/z_man_games.htm">Z-Man Games</a>.</li> </ul> The winners will be announced on July 8. Image courtesy of Nürnberger-Spielkarten-Verlag

2013 Spiel des Jahres Nominees originally appeared on About.com Board / Card Games on Friday, May 31st, 2013 at 22:36:25.

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Counter Magazine Returns

2013-05-31T22:21:45Z

I don't subscribe to very many paper magazines any more. <a href="http://boardgames.about.com/od/topbyawards/tp/games-mag-goty.htm">Games magazine</a> is one of the few. Soon, the new <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://opinionatedgamers.com/2013/05/15/regime-change-behind-the-scenes-at-counter-magazine/">Counter</a> magazine will join it. Check out what's in the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://countermagazineonline.wordpress.com/this-issue/">June issue</a> and you'll see why. You can also follow <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=https://www.facebook.com/counter.magazine.online">Counter on Facebook</a>. The price is somewhat hefty ($32, �28 or £19), but it's a thick magazine loaded with great content.

Counter Magazine Returns originally appeared on About.com Board / Card Games on Friday, May 31st, 2013 at 22:21:45.

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8th Graders Win $10K at National School Scrabble Championship

2013-05-31T22:09:17Z

<img align="right" hspace="5" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/boardgames/1/3/x/3/1/nssc13winners.jpg" alt="Raymond Gao & Kevin Bowerman" /><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www2.scrabble-assoc.com/sublinks.asp?id=1&sid=142">Two 8th graders</a> from Smith Middle School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, recently defeated 88 other teams from across the United States and Canada to win the 11th annual National School <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/scrabble/tp/scrabble_resources.htm">Scrabble</a> Championship. Raymond Gao (left) and Kevin Bowerman finished the event with six wins and just one loss, with an impressive +717 point spread. The goal of the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www2.scrabble-assoc.com/main.asp?id=1">School Scrabble Program</a> is to help students discover a creative way to improve skills in language arts, vocabulary, mathematics and more. Image courtesy of National School Scrabble Championship

8th Graders Win $10K at National School Scrabble Championship originally appeared on About.com Board / Card Games on Friday, May 31st, 2013 at 22:09:17.

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D&D Next to Premier at Gen Con

2013-05-31T21:58:37Z

<img align="right" hspace="5" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/boardgames/1/3/w/3/1/d-d-next-dragonspear.jpg" alt="Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle" />Speaking of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/gencon/p/gencon_basic_info.htm">Gen Con</a> (as I did very recently both <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/b/2013/05/31/games-meet-crime-fiction.htm">here</a> and <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/b/2013/05/31/gen-con-to-host-tabletop-design-deathmatch.htm">here</a>), the forthcoming new edition of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/gamehistories/p/dungeonsdragons.htm">Dungeons & Dragons</a> (<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/b/2012/05/31/dd-next-playtest-has-begun.htm">D&D Next</a>) will debut there. Pre-orders have opened for <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4news/20130524">Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle</a>, an exclusive D&D Next preview for Gen Con 2013 attendees. According to game publisher Wizards of the Coast (a division of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/companies/a/hasbro_history.htm">Hasbro</a>), Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle is a "mini-campaign comprised of four thrilling adventures designed to advance characters from 1st level to 10th level. The book also contains everything a Dungeon Master needs to run the adventures, including D&D Next game rules developed during the massive public playtest, monster statistics, spell descriptions, magic item descriptions, and background information on the coastal town of Daggerford, where the campaign is based." Image courtesy of Wizards of the Coast

D&D Next to Premier at Gen Con originally appeared on About.com Board / Card Games on Friday, May 31st, 2013 at 21:58:37.

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Gen Con to Host Tabletop Design Deathmatch

2013-05-31T21:40:39Z

The 2013 edition of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/gencon/p/gencon_basic_info.htm">Gen Con</a>, taking place August 15-18 in Indianapolis, will feature the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.cardsagainsthumanity.com/deathmatch/">Tabletop Design Deathmatch</a>. To enter, game designers fill out a form describing their game (answering questions like, "What are the core mechanics of the game?"). All entries will be reviewed, and 16 finalists chosen. The 16 finalists will each be given a chance to demo their game to a panel of experts for 15 minutes at Gen Con. The winner will receive $7,500 towards the first printing of the game with <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.admagic.com/">Ad Magic</a>.

Gen Con to Host Tabletop Design Deathmatch originally appeared on About.com Board / Card Games on Friday, May 31st, 2013 at 21:40:39.

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Games Meet Crime Fiction

2013-05-31T21:33:22Z

<img align="right" hspace="5" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/boardgames/1/3/v/3/1/DG-How-to-Play.jpg" alt="Dangerous Games: How to Play">Board games and crime fiction are two of my favorite things. And now game designer / author Matt Forbeck has combined them into one, the novel <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://www.forbeck.com/product/dangerous-games-how-to-play/">Dangerous Games: How to Play</a>. Set at the ultra-popular <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/news/a/events_calendar.htm">game event</a> known as <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/gencon/p/gencon_basic_info.htm">Gen Con</a>, Dangerous Games features a world-famous game designer getting murdered, and a young designer who finds the body becomes consumed with solving the crime. Forbeck says the book is the first in the Dangerous Games trilogy. The first five chapters can be read online for free; the complete book is available in various e-formats for $4.99. Print-on-demand paperbacks and hard covers should be available soon. Image courtesy of Matt Forbeck

Games Meet Crime Fiction originally appeared on About.com Board / Card Games on Friday, May 31st, 2013 at 21:33:22.

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Great Games for Racing Fans

2013-05-26T09:33:16Z

<img align="right" hspace="5" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/boardgames/1/3/e/q/formula_d_170.jpg" alt="Formula D">Today is one of the biggest days of the year for fans of automobile racing. First up is the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://indianapolis.about.com/od/indianapolis3/a/Indianapolis-500-Race-Day-Information-2013.htm">Indianapolis 500</a>, a classic Formula 1 race that has been run since 1911. Later, the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://nascar.about.com/od/otherseries/a/indy500vcoke600.htm">Coca-Cola 600</a> NASCAR race takes place in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both can be fun to watch for sure, but my favorite races take place on a tabletop. Here's a look at my <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/toppicks/tp/race-games.htm">Top 5 Automobile Racing Games</a>, led by the masterpiece <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/autoracing/p/formula_d.htm">Formula D</a>. What are your favorite auto racing games? <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/u/ua/autoracing/favorite_race_games.htm">Let us know</a>!

Great Games for Racing Fans originally appeared on About.com Board / Card Games on Sunday, May 26th, 2013 at 09:33:16.

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Pig - A Great Game to Pass the Time

2013-04-30T23:58:18Z

Some friends and I were recently in a restaurant waiting at the bar for our table to be ready. We pulled out a single six-sided die and had a great time while the staff prepared the table -- we played the game Pig (<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/dicegames/a/pig_rules.htm">complete rules</a>). It's best with just a few players, but it can work with as many as are available. Pig is a press-your-luck game where the goal is to be the first player to reach 100 points... but every single roll is a risk. Give it a try!

Pig - A Great Game to Pass the Time originally appeared on About.com Board / Card Games on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 23:58:18.

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2013 Mensa Select Winners

2013-04-30T23:55:00Z

The 2013 <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/awards/a/mensa_select.htm">Mensa Select Award</a> winners have been announced: <ul> <li>Forbidden Desert (designed by <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/designers/p/mattleacock.htm">Matt Leacock</a>)</li> <li>Ghooost! (designed by <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/topbydesigner/tp/richardgarfield.htm">Richard Garfield</a>)</li> <li>KerFlip!</li> <li>Kulami</li> <li>Suburbia (designed by Ted Alspach)</li> </ul>

2013 Mensa Select Winners originally appeared on About.com Board / Card Games on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 23:55:00.

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New Battlestar Galactica Expansion Coming

2013-04-30T23:52:10Z

The semi-cooperative board game <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/cooperativegames/p/battlestar_galactica.htm">Battlestar Galactica</a>, one of my favorites, will soon have a new expansion: Daybreak. Game publisher <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://boardgames.about.com/od/companies/p/fantasy_flight.htm">Fantasy Flight Games</a> has announced that the Daybreak expansion will include "12 new character sheets, 30 new Crisis cards, 25 new Skill cards, and much more" -- with "much more" including sweet-looking new plastic Centurion figures to replace the cardboard tokens that came with the original game. Daybreak is scheduled to be available in the fall of 2013.

New Battlestar Galactica Expansion Coming originally appeared on About.com Board / Card Games on Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 at 23:52:10.

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