As d’Or: here is the game of the year 2023

When you think of the Cannes Film Festival, you immediately think of cinema, stars, Palme d’Or… But there is another, a little less known, but just as important in terms of notoriety in its own sector: the International Games Festival (“FIJ” of its small name).

Like every year, the FIJ awarded a label, the As-d’Or-Game of the Year, to several games, selected by a jury of around ten people (journalist, toy librarian, animator, entertainer, actor the circle is complete, in the person of Vincent Dedienne). After thousands of hours and games, twelve games, among several hundred released on the French market over the last fifteen months, have been selected, divided into four categories. With only one winner in each of them.

This categorization makes it possible to sweep the entire spectrum of players: the main prize, for the whole family; the child price, for the youngest (but where the parents are not bored); the insider price, for slightly more complex games; and finally the expert price, for games of a much higher level, really not recommended for beginners.

For the first time, Numerama was invited to attend the awards ceremony. Joy, emotions, disappointments, thanks, posthumous tribute, jokes, overly long speeches… we found the same ingredients there as at the Césars, the Molières or the Victoires de la Musique. And, like these ceremonies, obtaining an As d’Or is the French consecration for an author and a publisher.

For an hour, the merry Quebec lads ofAre you Game? animated the event, in the prestigious Grand Auditorium of the Palais du Festival, against a backdrop of musical comedy. A particularly successful show, provided you are used to the fun environment. Rather cryptic for laymen. Make up your own mind by watching the replay.

Beyond the ceremony, we of course visited the festival itself, and will relate our journey in a future article. In short, enough suspense, let’s move on to what interests everyone: the games that have won!

Ace d’Or-Game of the Year 2023

Little surprise, since the favorite of the main category left with his Golden Ace. Akropolis is a tile game in which you arrange the different districts of your Greek city as well as possible to score as many points as possible. A simple, addictive, fast-paced, well-edited game. It fully deserves its price.

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The other nominees, who do not deserve it, were:

• Black District : one of the very best two-player games of 2022. Addictive, with simple rules, beautiful illustrations. He restored the image of two-player games, generally shunned from nominations. Find our presentation of Black District.
• That’s Not a Hat : THE big surprise at the announcement of the nominees, since the game had just been released, and almost no one had played it. A memory and bluff game with very simple rules.

Ace d’Or-Game of the Year “Child” 2023

Investigate your zombie-infested school and foil their evil plan.

Flashback Zombie Kidz is a game of observation and deduction, in which you jump from point of view to point of view to see through the eyes of different characters.

Simple, original, and even works between adults.

The other nominees, who do not deserve it, were:

• The Feux Follets Hill : Reach the bottom of the hill before the wicked witches. A cooperative and poetic game, in which marbles determine your movements.
• The Pirate Board : a game of “stop or again” for little ones, where you place weights on the boards of others to make them fall. Bonus point: his elephant figurines of a cuteness infinite.

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Ace d’Or-Game of the Year “Initiate” 2023

Despite the editing flaws that we had raised, we must face the facts: Challengers stay in mind. With rules that are quite simple, you can improve your package as the tournament progresses, which sees up to eight players compete.

Fun, fast, risky (when you lose), strategic (when you win)… we hope for a second edition correcting its few flaws.

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The other nominees, who do not deserve it, were:

• Alice is missing : Alice, a teenager from a small American town, has disappeared. Find her, with all her friends… by communicating only by messaging. Undoubtedly the most original fun experience of 2022. Find our presentation ofAlice is missing.
• Turing Machine : Face your opponents or the machine (alone or in cooperation) to find the secret code. A beautifully edited deduction game, in which you use punched cards to check your guesses.

Ace d’Or-Game of the Year “Expert” 2023

There too, Ark Nova couldn’t miss the price. A real tidal wave (given the level of requirement it requires), it goes far beyond the usual circle of practitioners of this type of game.

You run a zoo, welcome animals there, but also support, in parallel, conservation projects to ensure the preservation of different species.

It is not by chance that it landed in our selection of the best games of the year.

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The other nominees, who do not deserve it, were:

• Carnegie : follow in the footsteps of entrepreneur and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, in this worker placement game that will delight fans of neural grilling.
• Federation : be the most convincing delegation to join a federation of five planets which seeks to expand. The game features an original double-sided worker placement mechanic.

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