Artengarten wins the Deutscher Spiele Preis 2026 at SPIEL Essen

Artengarten by Mathias Wigge has won the Deutscher Spiele Preis 2026, one of the best known awards in the board game world. The results were announced on October 21 at a press conference during SPIEL Essen, where the fair continues until Sunday. We covered the opening of the fair in our earlier article.

Unlike the Spiel des Jahres, the Deutscher Spiele Preis is not chosen by a jury. Anyone can vote. Each voter names up to five favorite games released in German over the past year, and the votes are weighted by rank. The award is organised by the Friedhelm Merz Verlag.

The Top Three Include:

• 1. Artengarten by Mathias Wigge, published by Feuerland Spiele. A lighter game built on ideas from his zoo game Arche Nova, which won the same award in 2022.
• 2. Boss Fighters QR by Michael Palm and Lukas Zach, published by Pegasus Spiele.
• 3. Galactic Cruise by T. K. King, Dennis Northcott and Koltin Thompson, published in German by PD Verlag.

The Rest of the Top Ten Includes:

• 4. Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship by Matt Leacock
• 5. Take Time by Alexi Piovesan and Julien Prothière
• 6. Rebirth by Reiner Knizia
• 7. Cozy Stickerville by Corey Konieczka
• 8. Am Goldenen Fluss by Keith Piggott
• 9. Star Trek: Captain's Chair by Nigel Buckle and Dávid Turczi
• 10. Mischwald: Dartmoor by Kosch

The children's game award went to Toriki by Wojciech Grajkowski, published by Mirakulus.

What it means for buyers

• Awards create reprint demand. A top placing puts a game in front of many new players and retailers just before the holiday season. Publishers of winning games often need a reprint sooner than planned.
• Plan reprints before Chinese New Year. The holiday falls on February 6, 2027, and many factories close for two to four weeks around it. If a reprint is likely, confirm files and quantities now so production can start before the break.
• Check components before you reorder. A reprint is a good moment to fix small problems players reported, such as card stock, insert fit or box strength. Ask for an updated sample before the full run.
• Think beyond the game. Popular titles often lead to new merchandise such as playmats, card sleeves, plush or pins. These can be quoted alongside a reprint to save on shipping.
• Not a winner this year? Fairs and awards are a good time to study what players respond to. Many of this year's top games use clear, simple components, which also keep production costs down.

This article is general information and not purchasing or legal advice.

Top image: Wooden game pieces. Dietmar Rabich, CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Source: Reich der Spiele