The American Tabletop Awards have returned for another year, with a new round of accolades celebrating the best board games of 2022 in multiple categories – from casual games, to strategy, and beyond. Between clever cat games and planet-faring adventures, this year’s winners and nominees are very eclectic, and show off the vast array of experiences you can find in the world of board games.
If you’re looking for your next tabletop journey, The American Tabletop Awards have crowned worthy winners in the following categories:
Read: The most anticipated board games of 2023
Early Gamers
The Early Gamers Award, designed to celebrate board games with approachable gameplay for young learners, went to boop. from Smirk & Dagger. This match-three game features a cast of adorable cats, and tasks two players with keeping their kittens aloft on a quilted couch.
Recommended games included:
- Kites – A card game where players keep colourful kites in the air.
- Mantis – A card game inspired by UNO and Gin Rummy.
Nominated games included:
- Green Team Wins – A multiplayer quiz game played in teams.
- Downtown Farmers Market – A tile drafting and placement game.
Casual Games
The Casual Games Award, given to games with a high degree of accessibility, was awarded to Turing Machine from Scorpion Masqué. This game, which can be played in teams or solo, asks you to solve questions by inputting 3-digit codes into a dedicated machine, inspired by computers of the 1970s.
Recommended games included:
- Next Station: London – A flip-and-write game featuring the London Underground.
- Cat in the Box: Deluxe Edition – A paradox-inspired card game about performing tricks and fooling your opponents.
Nominated games included:
- Long Shot: The Dice Game – A tense horse racing and betting game.
- Akropolis – A 3D tile-laying game set in ancient Greece.
Strategy Games
The Strategy Game Award, devoted to complex games that require quick thinking and analysis, went to Planet Unknown from Adam’s Apple Games. In this sci-fi adventure, players work to colonise and develop their own planet, while competing for resources and much-needed infrastructure.
Recommended games included:
- Return to the Dark Tower – A vast fantasy adventure through dark lands.
- The Guild of Merchant Explorers – An exploration-based adventure game.
Nominated games included:
- Three Sisters – A strategic roll-and-write game set in a backyard.
- Paperback Adventures – A pulp novel-inspired solo deck building game.
Complex Games
The Complex Games Award, designed to celebrate intricate games with unique, intertwining mechanics, was given to Carnegie from Pegasus Spiele. This history-based game tasks players with growing and managing businesses against the backdrop of the burgeoning steel industry in the United States.
Recommended games included:
- Frosthaven – An epic fantasy adventure / dungeon crawler.
- My Father’s Work – A gloomy app-driven narrative game.
Nominated games included:
- Ark Nova – A deep zoo management game.
- Dead Reckoning – A pirate-themed skirmish and exploration game.
If you’re looking for more tabletop adventures to explore, check out our other guides:
- The best board games to play solo
- The best board games to play in co-op with friends
- The best board games to play at a party
- The best puzzle-based board games
- The best board games for beginners
- The most relaxing board games for quiet afternoons
- The 8 best dungeon crawler board games for adventurers
- The best story-based adventure board games
GamesHub has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content. GamesHub may earn a small percentage of commission for products purchased via affiliate links.
