Dice Tower Gaming Award Nominations

The Dice Tower Award Nominations came out this morning for games produced in 2011.  I wanted to take a look at them, give you my choice from the list, and the one I think will win.  Often these will be the same, but I think some differences will exist too.  If you feel so inclined, leave a comment below as to where you disagree.

Game of the Year:

A Few Acres of Snow: Martin Wallace – Treefrog Games
The Castles of Burgundy: by Stefan Feld – Ravensburger
Eclipse: by Touko Tahkokallio – Asmodee
The Ares Project: Brian and Geoff Engelstein – Z-Man Games
King of Tokyo: by Richard Garfield – IELLO
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game: by Nate French – Fantasy Flight Games
Mage Knight Board Game: by Vlaada Chvatil – WizKids
Quarriors!: by Mike Elliott and Eric M. Lang – Wizkids
Risk Legacy: by Rob Daviau and Chris Dupuis – Hasbro
Star Trek: Fleet Captains: by Mike Elliott, Bryan Kinsella, and Ethan Pasternack – WizKids


My Choice: Star Trek: Fleet Captains
What I Think Will Win: Eclipse

Best Family Game Nominees:Flash Point: Fire Rescue: by Kevin Lanzing – Indie Boards and Cards
Kingdom Builder: by Donald X. Vaccarino – Queen Games
King of Tokyo: by Richard Garfield – IELLO
Quarriors!: by Mike Elliott and Eric M. Lang – Wizkids
Say Anything Family Edition: by Dominic Crapuchettes – North Star Games


My Choice: Say Anything Family Edition
What I Think WIll Win: Flash Point: Fire Rescue


Best New Game Designer Nominees:
Blood Bowl: Team Manager – The Card Game: by Jason Little – Fantasy Flight Games
Flash Point: Fire Rescue: by Kevin Lanzing – Indie Boards and Cards
The Ares Project: Brian and Geoff Engelstein – Z-Man Games
Sentinels of the Multiverse: by Christopher Badell and Paul Bender – Greater Than Games
Nightfall: David Gregg – Alderac Entertainment Group

My Choice: Flash Point

What I Think WIll Win: Sentinels of the Multiverse

Best Game Reprint Nominees:
Can’t Stop: by Sid Sackson – Gryphon Games
Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War: by Robert Abbott – Stronghold Games
Evo: by Philippe Keyaerts – Asmodee
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (Second Edition): by Christian T. Petersen – Fantasy Flight Games
Puerto Rico: Anniversary Edition: by Andreas Seyfarth – Rio Grande Games

My Choice: Can't Stop

What I Think WIll Win: Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War

Best Production Values Nominees:
Dungeons & Dragons: The Legend of Drizzt Board Game: by Peter Lee, Mike Mearls, and Bill Slavicsek – Wizards of the Coast
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of Ashardalon Board Game: by Peter Lee, Mike Mearls, and Bill Slavicsek – Wizards of the Coast
Mansions of Madness: by Corey Konieczka – Fantasy Flight Games
Risk Legacy: Rob Daviau and Chris Dupuis, Hasbro
Super Dungeon Explorer: by Chris Birkenhagen, John Cadice, and Deke Stella – Soda Pop Miniatures

My Choice: Super Dungeon Explorer

What I Think WIll Win: Super Dungeon Explorer

Best Small Publisher Nominees:

Flash Point: Fire Rescue, by Kevin Lanzing – Indie Boards and Cards

Dungeon Run, Mr. Bistro, Plaid Hat Games

Rallyman: by Jean-Christophe Bouvier, Rallyman Inc.

Sentinels of the Multiverse: by Christopher Badell and Paul Bender – Greater Than Games

Bears!: by Anne-Marie De Witt, – Fireside Games

My Choice: Flash Point

What I Think WIll Win: Dungeon Run

Best Party Game Nominees:

Crappy Birthday: by Brian Weinstock and Amy Weinstock – North Star Games

Dixit: Odyssey: by Jean-Louis Roubira – Asmodee

Reverse Charades Junior Edition: Scott and Bryce Porter – Gryphon Games

Faux-Cabulary: by Matthew Nuccio – Out of the Box

Train of Thought: by Jay Cormier and Sen-Foong Lim – Tasty Minstrel Games

My Choice: Dixit: Odyseey

What I Think WIll Win: Reverse Charades Junior

Best Game Expansion Nominees:

Ticket to Ride Map Collection: Volume 1 – Team Asia & Legendary Asia: by Alan R. Moon and Francois Valentyne – Days of Wonder

Thunderstone: Dragonspire: by Mike Elliott and Brent Keith, Alderac Entertainment Group

Small World Underground: by Philippe Keyaerts – Days of Wonder

7 Wonders: Leaders: by Antoine Bauza – Asmodee

Summoner Wars: Master Set, by Colby Dauch – Plaid Hat Games

My Choice: Ticket to Ride Map Collection 1

What I Think WIll Win: Summoner Wars

Most Innovative Game Nominees:

The Ares Project: by Brian and Geoff Engelstein – Z-Man Games

Ascending Empires: by Ian Cooper – Z-Man Games

Paperclip Railways: Tony Boydell, Surprised Stare Games Ltd

Quarriors!: by Mike Elliott and Eric M. Lang – Wizkids

Risk Legacy: by Rob Daviau and Chris Dupuis – Hasbro

My Choice: Risk Legacy

What I Think WIll Win: Risk Legacy

Talk about a hard category here, I could see anything winning.

Best Game Artwork Nominees:

Dixit: Odyssey: by Marie Cardouat and Pierô- Asmodee

The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game: by various artists – Fantasy Flight Games

Mansions of Madness: by Christopher Burdett, Anders Finer, and Henning Ludvigsen – Fantasy Flight Games

Flash Point: Fire Rescue, by Luis Francisco and George Patsouras – Indie Boards and Cards

A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (Second Edition): by Tomasz Marek Jedruszek and henning Ludvigsen – Fantasy Flight Games

My Choice: Dixit: Odyssey

What I Think WIll Win: The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game

Best War Games Nominees:

Sekigahara: Unification of Japan: by Matt Calkins – GMT Games

Band of Brothers: by Jim Krohn – Worthington Games

A Few Acres of Snow: by Martin Wallace – Treefrog Games

Julius Caesar: by Grant Dalgliesh and Justin Thompson – Columbia Games

Sergeants Miniatures Game: Jeff Billings, Lost Battalion Games

My Choice: A Few Acres of Snow

What I Think WIll Win: A Few Acres of Snow

Best Game Theme Nominees:

Dungeon Petz: by Vlaada Chvatil – Z-Man Games

Flash Point: Fire Rescue, by Kevin Lanzing – Indie Boards and Cards

Last Will: by Vladimir Suchy – Rio Grande Games

Yggdrasil: by Cedric Lefebvre and Fabrice Rabellino – Z-Man Games

Takenoko: by Antoine Bauza – Asmodee

My Choice: Flash Point

What I Think WIll Win: Flash Point

Best Digital Boardgame Nominees:

Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer: by Robert Dougherty, John Fiorillo, Justin Gary, and Brian M. Kibler – iOS, Playdek

Ticket to Ride: by Alan R. Moon – iOS, Days of Wonder

Forbidden Island: by Matt Leacock, Gamewright – iOS, Button Mash Games

Ghost Stories: by Antoine Bauza – iOS, Repos Productions

Elder Sign: by Richard Launius and Kevin Wilson, Fantasy Flight Games

My Choice: Forbidden Island

What I Think WIll Win: Ticket to Ride

There are a lot of great nominees here, and picking winners is hard to do, but I think these are mostly great games, and each has a lot to offer.