Between piles of pawns, playing fields and dice, publishers, designers and game enthusiasts from all over the Netherlands came together at Spellenwereld in Assen to celebrate the best board games of the moment. Because the Dutch Games Prize was awarded for the 25th time. And the fact that there is also sufficient talent in Drenthe became all the more clear during this anniversary edition.
Games World in Assen is a place with many faces. In addition to a games café, it is also a shop and a museum. “They have an incredibly beautiful museum here,” laughs chairman Niek Ederveen of the Dutch Games Prize. “What could be better than presenting our prize here?”
The popularity of board games has grown explosively in recent years, says Ederveen. “Corona has given this a huge boost: people started playing at home en masse. You can still see that effect, especially in family games and two-person games. The really heavy expert games have become less popular, but the hobby in general is more popular than ever.”
But what lies the secret of a good game or even a classic? If Ederveen knew the exact magic formula, he said we would die in the games. But he makes an attempt: according to him, it’s about a mix of interaction, fun and beautifully executed material. And the tension must match the duration of the game. “If all that is correct, then you have gold in your hands,” said the chairman.
The Drenthe game publishing landscape was well represented. For example, White Goblin Games from Tweede Exloërmond is competing in the Family Game category with their card game Faraway. Selina van der Meer from the games company is proud of the nomination. Van der Meer is also a huge fan of games. “The great thing is that it brings people together physically. The power of a board game lies in the fun around the table.”
Arjan van Houwelingen from Eext, from the Game Makers Guild, was also present. Together with a colleague, he devised the games Grunn and Frysk, in which players build their own northern landscape. According to him, a Drenthe variant is in the making. “Haha, yes, the province where I come from. We are currently looking at it seriously. It will probably not be a landscape play, but perhaps dolmens will play a role.”
Can we expect anything for this Sinterklaas or Christmas? “We just released Frysk and developing a game can take up to three years. So I wouldn’t count on it for this year yet,” he winks.
Ultimately there could only be one winner per category. In the family category, Bomb Busters from 999 Games took home the title. White Goblin Games narrowly missed out on winning the prize. And the age-old rule that also applies to many games applies: there can only be one winner.