2008 Winners
GENERAL STRATEGY - MULTI-PLAYER CATEGORY
AGRICOLA
In the Multi-Player category, the award goes to Agricola, the creation of German designer Uwe Rosenberg and published by Lookout Games and Z-Man Games. Agricolaplaces players in the roles of rural farmers, beginning life with their spouse in little more than a wooden shack with some surrounding land. The challenge is to build a profitable farm, which requires players to acquire the necessary construction materials to erect fences, barns and expand their homes. Of course, animals are required, and choosing the proper mix of pigs, cattle and sheep is critical. Ultimately, one needs to properly feed the animals and inevitable children, and at the same time, turn a handsome profit. Agricola is quite challenging, and the abundance of cards makes every game refreshingly different. The game has earned the IGA in the General Strategy, Multi-Player category, and marks the first IGA for designer Rosenberg and publishers Lookout Games and Z-Man Games.
GENERAL STRATEGY - 2-PLAYER CATEGORY
1960: THE MAKING OF THE PRESIDENT
In the 2-Player category, the award goes to 1960: The Making of the President, a challenging and entertaining game that recreates the pivotal 1960 United States presidential election between Richard Nixon and John Kennedy. Players represent these historical figures as they campaign across the United States in an effort to win enough electoral votes to capture the presidency. History comes alive as events that actually occurred are deeply ingrained into the system, challenging players to adapt to an ever-changing political landscape. The game is designed by designers Jason Matthews and Christian Leonhard, and released by Z-Man Games. This marks the second IGA for Matthews, and the first for Leonhard and Z-Man Games.
In order for a game to be eligible for the General Strategy category, a game must have been released from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008
EXPLANATION OF VOTING RESULTS AND COMMENTARY PROVIDED BY STUART DAGGER
MULTI-PLAYER SECTION
Voters: 19. The winning target is therefore 10.
The initial count of first preferences gave the following:
Agricola 8; Brass 4; Race for the Galaxy 3; Tribune 2; Hamburgum, Stone Age 1.
Hamburgum did better than Stone Age at the nominations stage and so the latter is the first to be eliminated. Its voter switches his allegiance to Tribune. Hamburgum goes next and this vote also switches to Tribune.
Those two votes mean that Tribune is now up to 4, leaving Race for the Galaxy alone in last place. Its elimination results in 2 votes being transferred to Brass and 1 to Agricola. So the scores are now: Agricola 9; Brass 6; Tribune 4.
The winning post has not yet been reached and so Tribune is eliminated. Its votes go 2 each to the other two games, giving a final score of Agricola 11; Brass 8.
Agricola is the winner.
TWO-PLAYER SECTION
Voters 11. The winning target is therefore 6.
The scores after the first count are:
1960: Making of the President 5; Power & Weakness, Tzaar 2; Cold War: CIA vs. KGB, Perry Rhodan 1.
Of the bottom two, Perry Rhodan did better at the nominations stage, and so Cold War: CIA vs. KGB is the one to be eliminated. Its voter switches to 1960: Making of the President, which is enough to see that past the post.
1960: Making of the President is the winner.
Stuart Dagger,
25th August 2008