Who succeeds the famous games ABALONE, DIXIT, TIME’S UP!, TICKET TO RIDE, and UNLOCK! in the As d’Or awards? Who has conquered the Jury?
The jury of the 32nd International Games Festival, composed of journalists and game professionals, unveils the As d’Or-Game of the Year 2018 winners.
Among the approximately 1,000 new games published over the past 18 months, it rewards the 3 best out of the 10 games previously nominated for the most prestigious and anticipated gaming award in France, across 3 categories: general, children’s, and expert.
Thursday evening marked the pre-opening of the Cannes Games Festival with professionals and the press invited to the event.
A full auditorium with 2600 seats was entirely occupied. The two hosts then opened the ceremony in a relaxed manner.
Before bringing the nominees on stage, an organizer took the microphone. A strong and emotional statement: this evening is “a key moment” of the event, as “it crowns the work, efforts, ideas, and risks taken, while offering great concepts for the upcoming months or years.”
For the presenter, it highlights the festival’s evolution.
She expressed her pride in hosting the ceremony in this legendary venue. A “special flavor.”
She emphasized the significance of the As d’Or distinction for future winners. She referenced outstanding successes: Abalone (30th anniversary), Dixit (10 years), Quarto, Takenoko, Time’s up… real must-haves for game enthusiasts of all ages and styles.”
An honor was bestowed upon Ms. Claire Anne Rex, the President of the Palais des Festivals and municipal councilor, to open the ceremony. She expressed her delight to be there that evening to preside over the As d’Or ceremony, a “must-see in Cannes.”
“According to Ms. Claire Anne Rex, the success lies in the festival’s ability to innovate, adapt, and bridge the worlds of professionals and the general public. The festival helps align creativity with economic challenges, blending leisure and work, culture and entrepreneurship…”
Since 1988, the festival’s jury composed of journalists and professionals has awarded the As d’Or-Game of the Year label to the best games published over the last 18 months.
In the children’s category, the game “Outfoxed!” won the AS d’OR. A game published by Game Factory and distributed by ATALIA.
Outfoxed! is a cooperative game of investigation and deduction, ideal for family play. A fox has stolen an egg from the henhouse, and you must unmask it before it escapes. To do this, you can either move on the board to discover a clue and scan it, or unveil a suspect to clear or accuse them. If your accusation is correct, you win the game.
In the As d’OR expert category, the game Terraforming Mars was crowned As d’OR.
The game is published and distributed by INTRAFIN. Plays last 90 minutes. Reaching Mars was a challenge; making it habitable is the key to the New World. In this game, players work together to make the red planet habitable by creating an atmosphere, increasing temperature, and facilitating liquid water creation. Each player must develop technologies, set up industries, and build cities to create the environment necessary for human life. Once the criteria are met, the player with the most victory points wins the game.
Finally, the most anticipated moment for the public was the nomination for Game of the Year, awarded to AZUL. A game by Michael Kiesling, illustrated by Chris Quilliams, and published by Plan B Games.
A game suitable for ages 8 and up, for 2 to 4 players, with an average duration of 30 to 45 minutes, priced at 40 euros.
Become a tile-laying artisan and embellish the walls of the Palace of Évora with magnificent azulejos. Travel back to the 16th century, trowel in hand, to start the game.
