The Cannes International Games Festival, which takes place from February 24 to 26, rewarded the best board games of the year during the As d’Or ceremony.
Tents on the beach, huge tables in the Palais des Congrès… La Croisette is transformed for the 36th edition of the Cannes International Games Festival. Visitors are invited to play (night and day) and especially to test the new releases. There is something for everyone, from traditional games such as scrabble or chess, to role-playing games, and of course to board games.
This event is also an opportunity to award the label Ace d’Or-Game of the Year, which has been awarded since 1988 to the best board games released in the last 15 months. Very specific criteria are retained such as: the quality of the material, the readability of the rules, the aesthetics of the game, creativity, etc. With three games nominated in four categories different (ace d’or, child, insider and expert), the jury decided to decide between them during the As d’Or ceremony.
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Golden Ace of the Year: “Akropolis”
L’As d’or houses games that can be played “equally” by children (from 8 years old) and adults. And in this prestigious category, it’s the game ATkropoliswhich stood out compared to the other two named games: Black District and That’s not a hat.
In Akropolis, you find yourself in the heart of the ancient Mediterranean and you are a talented architect who must grow his city to stand out. But be careful, dwellings, temples, markets, gardens, barracks, all your constructions must respect a very precise harmony. The jury was particularly won over by its simple rules and the construction of the city in 3D.
A game by Jules Messaud, illustrated by Pauline Détraz.
1 to 4 players from 8 years old. Duration: 25 mins. Gigamic Editor. Distributor: Gigamic. Price: 28 euro
Kid’s Game of the Year: “Flashback: Zombie Kidz”
In this category of children’s games, it is Flashback: Zombie Kidz who won the favor of the jury to the detriment of The pirate board and of The Hill of Wisps.
With a little air of the game Unlock, Flashback: Zombie Kidz is an investigation game where players must progress gradually through illustrations. Their mission: to thwart the diabolical plans of the zombies and save the world! The jury praised the deductive aspect of the game, but also the illustrations and the original material.
A game of Baptiste Derrez, Marc-Antoine Doyon, illustrated by Jennifer Mati, Laure de Châteaubourg and Michel Verdu.
1 to 4 players from 7 years old. Publisher Le Scorpion Masqué. Distributor: Black Rock Games Duration: 30 mins. Price: 25 euros
Game of the Year Insider: “Challengers!”
Challengers! is the big winner in this new category which is aimed at an audience accustomed to playing. The other two named games were: Alice is missing And Turing-machine.
In Challenger!, you have to duel each of your opponents in a grand battle game tournament. Your decks of cards contain characters with special values and abilities, and you can make them stronger and stronger from duel to duel. The game captivated for shas simplicity, but also its depth with the strategies that players can put in place over the games.
A game by Johannes Krenner, Markus Slawitscheck, illustrated by Jeff Harvey.
2 to 8 players from 8 years old. Duration: 45 mins. Publisher Z Man Games. Distributor: Asmodee. Price: €40.80
Expert Game of the Year: “Ark Nova”
Finally, the most seasoned players can turn to Ark Nova. A game which requires a substantial investment in terms of playing time and understanding the rules. Ark Nova stood out from the other two games in competition: Carnegie And Federation.
In Arknova, players must develop a modern science-oriented zoo. To run the most effective settlement, they must build enclosures to house animals and support conservation projects to ensure the preservation of different species. Players must build combos with the different cards: animals, specialists, unique enclosures and conservation projects, each with specific abilities. A game in tune with the times with a wide variety of cards (nearly 255).
A game by Mathias Wigge, illustrated by Loïc Billau and Dennis Lohausen.
1 to 4 players from 14 years old. Duration: 90 to 150 min. Super Meeple Editor. Distributor: Neoludis. Price: 70 euros
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The Golden Grails: Best RPGs of the Year
The Cannes International Games Festival was also an opportunity to reward the best role-playing games of the year with the Golden Grail ceremony which took place this Friday, February 24. The event that has existed since 2019 rewards the best role-playing game of the year in 3 different categories: best French-speaking role-playing game, best international role-playing game and best reissued role-playing game.
The jury, made up of actors from the role-playing world (youtubers, members of the French Federation of Role-playing) has chosen to reward in the reissue category, the role-playing Culture (Arkhane Asylum edition), against the other two finalists Bitumen And Castle Falkenstein. In the international role-playing games category, it is Nibiru (edition Les XII singes) which stood out compared to Dunes And mutant Year Zero. And finally, night (Sethmes edition) was favored by the jury in the category of French-language games. The other two finalists were critical foundation And Logos.