Re: 2018 Meeples Choice Awards - It Begins!

"This Guilty Land" (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/250488/guilty-land)
was excellent from 2018.

On Fri, Jun 7, 2019 at 10:10 AM Dave Peters [email protected]
[spielfrieks] <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>
> You've already got most of my favourites from 2018, but (despite the fact
> they've no hope of making the second round) I'd love to nominate _East
> Indiaman_ (_東印度公司 _) and _Psychic Pizza Deliverers Go to the Ghost Town_
> (_エスパーピザ屋ゴーストタウンへ行く_).  They're decidedly different experiences (one a
> crunchy constraining economic game, the other a fluffy but still
> competitive deduction game) but both very cool.
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 7, 2019 at 9:58 AM [email protected] [spielfrieks] <
> [email protected]> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> June, croon,
>>
>> Alan Moon.
>>
>> Did you swoon for Eon’s Dune?
>>
>> June brings us the summer’s rays,
>>
>> But also thoughts of SdJ’s.
>>
>> While some make plans for wedding spins,
>>
>> I plan for fun at Origins.
>>
>> Though graduations fill our brains,
>>
>> June just makes me think of GAMES.
>>
>> A month in which we all rejoice.
>>
>> The month, in fact, for Meeples Choice!
>>
>>
>>
>> Hey, everybody.  In case the preceding bit of silliness wasn’t enough of
>> a clue, let me clear up all doubt:  this is Larry Levy speaking and I bring
>> the very glad tidings that it is once again time for the Spielfrieks user
>> group to carry out our most enjoyable duty and vote for the Meeples Choice
>> Awards.  For those of you new to this process, which stretch back almost a
>> quarter of a century, every year we select our three favorite games from
>> all the titles that appeared during the previous calendar year.  Our picks
>> range from the expected to the quirky, but they’re always quality designs
>> worthy of the honor.  Just check out the winners from the last few years:
>>
>>
>>
>> 2017:  Azul; Heaven & Ale; Gaia Project
>>
>> 2016:  Terraforming Mars; Great Western Trail; Yokohama
>>
>> 2015:  Codenames; Food Chain Magnate; The Voyages of Marco Polo
>>
>> 2014:  Roll for the Galaxy; Castles of Mad King Ludwig; Splendor
>>
>> 2013:  Russian Railroads; Bora Bora; Concordia
>>
>>
>>
>> If you want to check out all of the winners, here's a link to the Meeples
>> Choice page on the BGG Wiki:
>> http://www.boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/Meeples_Choice#.
>>
>>
>>
>> So here’s the scoop.  Everyone on the Spielfrieks user group is eligible
>> to vote in this election.  If you know of someone who isn’t a member who’d
>> like to participate, that can be easily accommodated.  Just have them send
>> an email to spielfrieks-owner AT yahoogroups DOT com and through some
>> mystical, magical process, they will be made a voting member lickity split.
>>
>>
>>
>> In order to come up with our three winning games, we employ a three-stage
>> process.  First, we’ll decide which games will be part of our initial
>> election.  The goal is to make sure every member can vote for all their
>> favorites, so this list usually winds up with 200 games or so, as people
>> suggest games to be included.  Then, we’ll conduct that first election,
>> with every voter choosing their 10 favorite games.  This will give us our
>> list of nominated games, which will consist of the 25 games (plus ties)
>> that received the most votes.  Finally, we’ll vote one more time, with
>> everyone picking their three favorites from the nominated games.  The three
>> games that get the most votes from that second election will be declared
>> the winners of the Meeples Choice Awards!
>>
>>
>>
>> So first things first.  We need a list of games to choose our nominees
>> from.  Which games are eligible?  Pretty much anything that was first
>> released during 2018.  RPGs and video games fall outside of our scope, but
>> board games, card games, dexterity games, co-ops, wargames, party
>> games...pretty much any game that debuted last year and which is listed on
>> Boardgame Geek can be voted for.  Pure expansions aren’t eligible, but
>> standalone expansions are.  The games have to be published ones, so Print
>> ‘n’ Play or web-published games are excluded.
>>
>>
>>
>> Because gaming has truly become an international hobby, we’ve recently
>> expanded our eligibility rules.  If a game first appeared earlier than 2018
>> in a form that limited its exposure (for example, a print and play game, a
>> limited print run, or a non-English language release), but a more
>> accessible version was published last year, it can be voted for.  The only
>> restriction is that no games nominated for the second round of voting in an
>> earlier year can be voted on this year.  Past experience has shown that
>> y’all are a lot better at catching these follow-up designs than I am, so if
>> you can think of any titles that fit into what I’ve described above, please
>> mention them, so that we can get them on the ballot.
>>
>>
>>
>> I’m pleased to say that we will once again be using our exclusively
>> designed app, created by the uber-talented Wei-Hwa Huang.  Wei-Hwa made the
>> app easy to use and it makes the voting process a lot more enjoyable than
>> previous versions (don’t ask, many of us still bear the scars).  I’ll
>> discuss how to use the application once we’ve settled on the games for our
>> first election, but it’s very intuitive, so even the newbies should have no
>> problems with it.
>>
>>
>>
>> So let’s take the next week to come up with that initial list of games.
>> I went to the Geek and came up with a group of almost 200 leading games
>> from last year.  That sounds like a lot, but as I’m sure you’re all aware,
>> a crapton of games gets released every year.   I’m sure there are some
>> titles that I’ve missed, so I need your help.  The games are listed at the
>> end of this note.  Please go through them and post any additional titles
>> from 2018 that have a good chance of making your top 10 from the year.  You
>> should also include any designs that debuted before last year, but which
>> you think haven’t been truly accessible until 2018.  List your reasons for
>> why you feel that game should be included this year and I’ll make the
>> judgement call on each of them.  But I’ll try to be accommodating, since
>> the goal is to let everyone vote for their top 10 games of the year during
>> the first election.  Either post your suggestions here or, for folks who
>> don’t have access to the user group, send them to me at huzonfirst AT gmail
>> DOT com.  I’d also appreciate it if you could point out any of the games I
>> listed that you don’t think should be eligible this year, and why.
>>
>>
>>
>> So that is our current task.  A week from today, I’ll add your
>> suggestions and provide the list of games for our first round of voting.
>> I’ll also give the procedure for using our voting app.  If you want the
>> current list in a form you can manipulate, check out the spreadsheet I’ve
>> uploaded.  For each game, I’ve listed its Game Rank on the Geek, together
>> with its Average Rating and Number of Ratings (based on what was showing a
>> couple of weeks ago, when I gathered the stats from the Geek).  There are
>> two tabs, one sorted by Game Rank, and one in alphabetical order of the
>> games.  If you don’t want to be bothered with that, I’ll list the games in
>> alphabetical order at the end of this note.  In the meantime, I’ll try to
>> spread the word, so that as many people as possible are participating.
>>
>>
>>
>> I always look forward to doing this and I hope the rest of you do as
>> well.  Let’s pick a trio of great games!  Thanks in advance and I look
>> forward to your suggestions over the next few days.
>>
>>
>>
>> Here’s the current list of 2018 designs under consideration.  Which games
>> should be added?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 1066, Tears to Many Mothers
>>
>> 1834
>>
>> 18Lilliput
>>
>> 5-Minute Marvel
>>
>> A Song of Ice & Fire: Tabletop Miniatures Game
>>
>> Architects of the West Kingdom
>>
>> Arkham Horror (Third Edition)
>>
>> AuZtralia
>>
>> Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra
>>
>> Belratti
>>
>> Betrayal Legacy
>>
>> Between Two Castles of Mad King Ludwig
>>
>> Big Trouble in Little China: The Game
>>
>> Blackout: Hong Kong
>>
>> Blitz Bowl
>>
>> Blue Lagoon
>>
>> Brass: Birmingham
>>
>> Brikks
>>
>> Camel Up (Second Edition)
>>
>> Captains of the Gulf
>>
>> Carpe Diem
>>
>> Carson City: The Card Game
>>
>> Castell
>>
>> Cataclysm: A Second World War
>>
>> Century: Eastern Wonders
>>
>> Cerebria: The Inside World
>>
>> Ceylon
>>
>> Choose Your Own Adventure: House of Danger
>>
>> Chronicles of Crime
>>
>> CO₂: Second Chance
>>
>> Coimbra
>>
>> Concordia Venus
>>
>> Container: 10th Anniversary Jumbo Edition!
>>
>> Crown of Emara
>>
>> Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done
>>
>> Crypt
>>
>> Cryptid
>>
>> Cupcake Empire
>>
>> Darklight: Memento Mori
>>
>> Decrypto
>>
>> Deep Madness
>>
>> Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game
>>
>> Dice Hospital
>>
>> Dice Settlers
>>
>> Dice Throne: Season One
>>
>> Dice Throne: Season Two – Battle Chest
>>
>> Drop It
>>
>> Duelosaur Island
>>
>> Empires of the Void II
>>
>> Endeavor: Age of Sail
>>
>> Escape Tales: The Awakening
>>
>> Everdell
>>
>> Exit: The Game – The Mysterious Museum
>>
>> Exit: The Game – The Sinister Mansion
>>
>> Fertility
>>
>> Fine Sand
>>
>> Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar
>>
>> Fleet: The Dice Game
>>
>> Forbidden Sky
>>
>> Forum Trajanum
>>
>> Founders of Gloomhaven
>>
>> Franchise
>>
>> Fuji
>>
>> Gingerbread House
>>
>> Gizmos
>>
>> GKR: Heavy Hitters
>>
>> Great War Commander
>>
>> Gùgōng
>>
>> Gunkimono
>>
>> Hannibal & Hamilcar
>>
>> Hardback
>>
>> Haven
>>
>> Heroes of Land, Air & Sea
>>
>> Heroes of Terrinoth
>>
>> History of the World
>>
>> Hokkaido
>>
>> Illusion
>>
>> Imaginarium
>>
>> Imhotep: The Duel
>>
>> Just One
>>
>> Key Flow
>>
>> KeyForge: Call of the Archons
>>
>> Krass Kariert
>>
>> Legendary Encounters: The X-Files Deck Building Game
>>
>> Let's Make a Bus Route
>>
>> Lift Off
>>
>> Lincoln
>>
>> London & Northwestern
>>
>> Lords of Hellas
>>
>> Lost Cities: Rivals
>>
>> Lowlands
>>
>> Luxor
>>
>> Maximum Apocalypse
>>
>> Menara
>>
>> Monolith Arena
>>
>> Monster Lands
>>
>> Monster Slaughter
>>
>> Nemesis
>>
>> NEOM
>>
>> New Frontiers
>>
>> Newton
>>
>> Obsession
>>
>> Orbis
>>
>> Palm Island
>>
>> Pandemic: Fall of Rome
>>
>> Pandoria
>>
>> Patchwork Express
>>
>> Pavlov's House
>>
>> Pax Emancipation
>>
>> Petrichor
>>
>> Piepmatz
>>
>> Pikoko
>>
>> Planet
>>
>> Prehistory
>>
>> Quartermaster General: The Cold War
>>
>> Raccoon Tycoon
>>
>> Race to the New Found Land
>>
>> Railroad Ink: Blazing Red Edition
>>
>> Railroad Ink: Deep Blue Edition
>>
>> Railroad Rivals
>>
>> Railways of Nippon
>>
>> Reef
>>
>> Renegade
>>
>> Reykholt
>>
>> Rise of Tribes
>>
>> Rise to Nobility
>>
>> Rising Sun
>>
>> Robin Hood and the Merry Men
>>
>> Roll to the Top!
>>
>> Root
>>
>> Scarabya
>>
>> Scorpius Freighter
>>
>> Shadows of Brimstone: Forbidden Fortress
>>
>> Shadows: Amsterdam
>>
>> Shards of Infinity
>>
>> Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: Carlton House & Queen's Park
>>
>> Sherlock: Last Call
>>
>> Skies Above the Reich
>>
>> Smartphone Inc.
>>
>> Solenia
>>
>> Southern Pacific
>>
>> Space Base
>>
>> SpaceCorp
>>
>> Spirits of the Forest
>>
>> Spirits of the Wild
>>
>> Sprawlopolis
>>
>> Spring Meadow
>>
>> Star Realms: Frontiers
>>
>> Star Wars: Legion
>>
>> Star Wars: X-Wing (Second Edition)
>>
>> Street Masters
>>
>> Stuffed Fables
>>
>> Tales of the Northlands: The Sagas of Noggin the Nog
>>
>> Teotihuacan: City of Gods
>>
>> Thanos Rising: Avengers Infinity War
>>
>> That's Pretty Clever
>>
>> The City of Kings
>>
>> The Edge: Dawnfall
>>
>> The Estates
>>
>> The Grimm Forest
>>
>> The King's Guild
>>
>> The Manhattan Project 2: Minutes to Midnight
>>
>> The Mind
>>
>> The Quacks of Quedlinburg
>>
>> The Reckoners
>>
>> The Rise of Queensdale
>>
>> The River
>>
>> The World of SMOG: Rise of Moloch
>>
>> Thunderstone Quest
>>
>> Ticket to Ride: New York
>>
>> Tiny Epic Defenders (Second Edition)
>>
>> Tiny Epic Zombies
>>
>> Tokyo Metro
>>
>> Too Many Bones: Undertow
>>
>> Trade on the Tigris
>>
>> Trapwords
>>
>> Treasure Island
>>
>> Tsukuyumi: Full Moon Down
>>
>> Tudor
>>
>> Underwater Cities
>>
>> Unlock! A Noside Story
>>
>> Unlock! The Adventurers of Oz
>>
>> Unlock! Tombstone Express
>>
>> Valparaiso
>>
>> Villainous
>>
>> Vindication
>>
>> War Chest
>>
>> Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team
>>
>> Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress
>>
>> Warhammer Underworlds: Nightvault
>>
>> Way of the Panda
>>
>> Welcome To...
>>
>> Werewords Deluxe Edition
>>
>> Western Legends
>>
>> Who Goes There?
>>
>> Wildlands
>>
>> Yellow & Yangtze
>>
>> Zombicide: Green Horde
>>
>>
>> 
>


-- 

*Brian Frahm*