{"title":"Spiel des Jahres 2026 Nominees","description":"\u003cp\u003eThese games have been nominated for the 2026 Spiel des Jahres Awards.  Don't worry if you can't pronounce it but it's a big deal.   These are nominated for Kennerspiel des Jahres (Enthusiast\/Expert Game of the Year).  Don't be intimidated, they are a bit more complex but can be a blast (especially Moon Colony).\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"moon-colony-bloodbath","title":"Moon Colony Bloodbath","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe rockets have launched. The colonists are loaded. The robots are programmed. Everything has been planned in exhaustive detail, and there is no chance of failure. There is, however, every chance of catastrophe, and the deck of Event cards waiting in the middle of the table is going to make sure of it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoon Colony Bloodbath is a deck-building game where the deck you're building is shared with the table, and the table has been making bad choices. Every card someone adds to the central deck stays there — including the ones that kill colonists. You'll engine-build with the goal of growing your population on the moon, but every shuffle through the Event deck triggers something, and the something is rarely good.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat makes it sharp is the engine-losing layer. Most deck-builders reward growth. Moon Colony Bloodbath rewards growing while the engine itself decays under you, and the dark humor of watching everyone's colony quietly collapse is the heart of the game. It's a Donald X. Vaccarino design, with the same precision you'd expect from the designer of Dominion, just pointed at a much darker target.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDeck-building groups, fans of darker-themed games, and players who like a bit of bite to their board games will all enjoy this. Plays 1 to 5, with the community calling 4 the sweet spot, and runs 45 to 90 minutes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt's the kind of game where the table is laughing for all of the wrong reasons. If that's your humor, you'll love it. If it isn't, give this one a pass.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Game Connection","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48376494424313,"sku":"RIO647","price":37.47,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/7527\/5001\/files\/01-box-front_d2e9a5ed-2039-4bbf-8836-057ce472cc46.jpg?v=1778278143"},{"product_id":"rebirth-international-english-edition","title":"Rebirth: International English Edition","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe old clans are picking up the pieces, and the hills of a recovering Scotland are dotted with castles waiting to be rebuilt and claimed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn your turn you place tiles onto a shared landscape, building your presence in each region and working toward the contracts in front of you. Whoever holds the strongest claim in an area when it counts takes the points, so where you place is always a quiet negotiation with everyone else at the table.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is classic Reiner Knizia design, which means the rules fit on a single page while the decisions get harder as the board fills and the good spots disappear.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt plays in well under an hour and teaches in a few minutes, which makes it an easy yes for a weeknight with your partner, a family table with teenagers, or a group easing into modern board games.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo not expect a heavy brain-burner here. Rebirth sits on the lighter side of clever, and that is exactly why it keeps coming back to the table.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mighty Boards Ltd.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48459242504441,"sku":"MBGRB003EN","price":39.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/7527\/5001\/files\/01-box-front_30c54569-1513-45db-bd24-21cfe0a817f0.jpg?v=1780158760"},{"product_id":"boss-fighters-qr","title":"Boss Fighters QR","description":"\u003cp\u003eTen bosses stand between your party and victory, and every one of them fights back with its own tactics, strengths, and nasty surprises.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a cooperative card game paired with a free Scan and Play app. You choose a hero deck and a class such as Warrior, Mage, Rogue, or Druid, then play cards the app instantly recognizes, and the boss responds to your choices on the spot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeat a boss and you crack open hidden loot boxes, upgrading your deck and unlocking new powers as you work through the campaign. Four difficulty levels let you set the challenge for a brand new group or a hardened one.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBuilt for 2 to 4 players across about 40 to 60 minutes, it is made for groups who love pulling together against a common enemy and solving a puzzle as a team.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe app sits at the center of how this one plays, so it is best for tables that do not mind a phone or tablet in the mix.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pegasus Spiele","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48459242569977,"sku":"PES51270","price":44.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/7527\/5001\/files\/01-box-front_8d2d1db9-102b-41fa-a978-f10618f0dd3d.jpg?v=1780158763"}],"url":"https:\/\/thegameconnection.com\/collections\/spiel-des-jahres-2026-nominees.oembed","provider":"The Game Connection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}