The concept is very simple: a race game without randomness where you pay carrot cards to move, the cost growing higher the further you choose to go. What better way to start than with the winner of the inaugural Spiel des Jahres award back in 1979? This race game is still in print and with good reason it still feels relatively fresh today, and so must have seemed an astonishing piece of innovation to that first jury back in the day. On your marks for this surprisingly thinky race game Hare and Tortoise was the first board game to win the Spiel des Jahres, and remains well worth playing over 40 years later. Here are eight board game winners of the Spiel des Jahres, all of which can be picked up for bargain prices secondhand or played online, that deserve some modern-day love. While some of these titles feel clunky and underdeveloped to the modern gamer, others ought to be considered as minor classics or vital stepping stones on the pathway to the current hobby. Given the long history of the award and the refinement of player taste and design over that period, it’s unsurprising that most of the older Spiel des Jahres winners have fallen out of favour. From the outset it was made clear this was a critic's award, chosen by jury consensus rather than a popularity contest.

However, the 'Game of the Year' prize has far more humble roots, dating right back to 1979 when it was established to promote excellence in the German market for family-friendly games. There’s a big fanfare over the nominees and winner every year that can translate into hundreds of thousands of extra copies sold.

The Spiel des Jahres is often seen as the biggest prize in board gaming.

Hexa block puzzle classic 79