January 26, 2022 – The 2022 French Board Game of the Year Nominees were announced this morning. The As d’Or (Golden Ace) is a games award given out by a jury at the Festival International des Jeux in Cannes, France.
The awards were established in 1988. From 1989 to 2003, a jury of journalists allotted “Golden Aces” by category to games presented by their editors. A special prize, the Super As d’Or, was allotted to the best game from any category. In 2003, the process was modified to give more autonomy to the jury. A single As d’Or was awarded, and 10 nominees were announced
In 2005, the award merged with the Jeu de l’Année. It was decided that the combined award should be named after the year of awarding rather than year of publication, so the first combined award was the 2005 As d’Or Jeu de l’Année with awards in three categories: general public/family games, experts, and children.
This year the “Starting Out” (or initié) category was added.
2022 As d’Or Nominees
– 7 Wonders: Architects
In 7 Wonders Architects, build one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world and gain as many victory points as possible to win the game! Watch your wonder take shape throughout the game and use its effects with each new stage you construct. On your turn, choose one of three cards and immediately apply its effect. Your resources, gold, scientific discoveries, and army will guide your civilization to victory. For 2 – 7 players, games run about 25 minutes.
SEE ALSO: Buy 7 Wonders Architects on Amazon
– Cartaventura: Lhasa
Cartaventura is a narrative card game in which players build an adventure using cards that can offer them different choices during play. Map cards are placed in the middle of the table. Around these map cards, players place action cards, with them consulting one another to decide the best choice to make from those available: draw a card, turn over a card, discard, etc. Urgent cards, which should be read entirely before doing anything else, can change the game in an instant. Object cards are placed in front of players and can be useful throughout the game. For 1 – 6 players, games go for about 45 minutes.
SEE ALSO: Buy Cartaventura: Lhasa on Amazon
– Happy City
Become the mayor of your own mini-metropolis in Happy City! Buy buildings to attract residents, increase their happiness, and earn an income because you’ll need money to grow, but in the end only the satisfaction of your citizens counts towards your final score. Strike the perfect balance to build the happiest city in town. For 2 – 5 players, games run 20 – 30 minutes each.
SEE ALSO: Buy Happy City on Amazon
2022 As d’Or Kids Nominees
– Bubble Stories
Step into the world of Bubble Stories with two adventures where you are the hero! Discover new worlds by exploring, card after card, all the places you can visit! Enjoy each place along the way and discover what is hidden at the end of each adventure. For 1 – 2 players, games go for about 10 minutes each.
SEE ALSO: Buy Bubble Stories on Amazon
– My First Castle Panic
A group of monsters is racing out of the woods and coming right at your Castle! Players need to catch all the monsters before they smash the Castle flat. Send out your brave defenders to match the color and shape of the space where a monster is to catch it. But watch out! The monsters move closer to the Castle every turn, and more monsters keep coming. For 1 – 4 players, games last 20 – 30 minutes each.
SEE ALSO: Buy My First Castle Panic on Amazon
– Pin Pon!
Warning! The siren’s just gone off in the station, which means a fire has broken out! Can you help the firefighters get there in time to put out the flames and save the house? A cooperation game to learn to play, win and lose together. For 2 – 4 players, games run about 15 minutes.
SEE ALSO: Buy Pin Pon! on Amazon
2022 As d’Or Starting Out Nominees
– Living Forest
In Living Forest, you play as a nature spirit who will try to save the forest and its sacred tree from the flames of Onibi. But you are not alone in your mission as the animal guardians have come together to lend a hand around the Circle of Spirits where you progress. Each turn, they bring you valuable elements, so try to combine your team of animal guardians as best as possible to carry out your actions, but be careful because some are lonely and do not like to be mixed with others. For 2 – 4 players, games last approximately 40 minutes.
SEE ALSO: Buy Living Forest on Amazon
– Nouvelles ContRées
Nouvelles ContRées is a cooperative game that invites you on this dreamlike journey. You become novel explorers, navigating your best through the jungle of words, until you find, at the heart of the novel, the incredible hidden meaning of the book. To win, players will need to successfully explore this city and gain access to the Hidden Meaning of the book. For 2 – 6 players, games last about 60 minutes.
SEE ALSO: Buy Nouvelles ContRées on Amazon
– Oltréé
Oltréé is a cooperative and narrative game. In this game, you play as Patrollers, whose mission is to protect the inhabitants of the ancient empire, explore the wilderness, establish links between communities, hunt down and fight monsters, and find the ancient treasures of the Emperor so that hope may one day be reborn. For 2 – 4 players, games run about 60 minutes.
SEE ALSO: Buy Oltréé on Amazon
2022 As d’Or Expert Nominees
– Dune: Imperium
Dune: Imperium blends deck-building and worker placement in a deeply thematic new strategy game where the fate of the Empire hangs on your decisions. Will you seek political allies or rely upon military might? Economic strength or subtle intrigues? A council seat…or a sharpened blade? The cards are dealt. The choice is yours. The Imperium awaits. For 1 – 2 players, games last 60 – 120 minutes.
SEE ALSO: Buy Dune Imperium on Amazon
– IKI
Nihonbashi will be the focus of this game. IKI: A Game of EDO Artisans will bring you on a journey through the famed street of old Tokyo. Hear the voices of Nihonbashi Bridge’s great fish market. Meet the professionals, classing from 700-800 different jobs. Enter the interactivity of the shoppers and vendors. Become one with the townspeople. The goal of this game is to become the annual Edoite, best personifying what is known as “IKI. For 2 – 4 players, games last 60 – 90 minutes.
SEE ALSO: Buy IKI on Amazon
– Lost Ruins of Arnak
Lost Ruins of Arnak combines deck-building and worker placement in a game of exploration, resource management, and discovery. In addition to traditional deck-builder effects, cards can also be used to place workers, and new worker actions become available as players explore the island. For 1 – 4 players, games go for about 60 – 120 minutes.
SEE ALSO: Buy Lost Ruins of Arnak on Amazon
Source: https://www.facebook.com/FestivalDesJeux.Cannes/
