This year's IGA winners are:
General Strategy, Multi-Player category: Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization
For 2 to 4 players, ages 12 and up. About 180 minutes per game.
Through the Ages, designed by Vladimir Chvatil and published by Czech Board Games, thrust players into a story of civilization played through four periods of time, from antiquity to the present. At game's end, the winner is the player who has produced the most culture. Getting there involves balancing the many aspects of a nation, including science, production, population and military.
Inspired by the popular Civilization computer game, Through the Ages has earned some glowing reviews. At BoardGameGeek.com, Larry Levy said, "Through the Ages is just bursting with good ideas and is one of the most innovative games I've played in a long time. ... Best of all is the shear epic scope of the game. It is really is an unbelievably ambitious undertaking, but based on our first game, Chvatil was somehow able to pull it off. TtA has obviously been thoroughly playtested and painstakingly balanced. The end result is a game where you truly feel as if you are building a civilization, not just slapping down cards."
General Strategy, Two-Player category: Mr. Jack
For 2 players, ages 9 and up. About 30 minutes per game.
Mr. Jack, designed by Bruno Cathala and Ludovic Maublanc, is one of my favorite new deduction games. Published by Hurrican Games and distributed in the U.S. by Asmodee Editions, the game is set in 1888 London as the police are trying to capture Jack the Ripper. One player is Jack, trying to escape from London; the other is a detective trying to deduce Jack's identity and capture him before time runs out.
W. Eric Martin, editor of BoardGameNews.com, said, "Mr. Jack is a stealthy game of cat-and-mouse in which characters bounce in and out of the light, looking wholesome one second and sinister the next." To which I would add: Never has sinister been more fun. This is the kind of game that you can play over and over, and you'll still be talking about some of the games you play days later.
The International Gamers Awards were founded in 1999 for the express purpose of recognizing outstanding games and designers, along with the companies which publish them. Committee members represent countries around the world.
