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Board games, giftedness and the MinD game price

board Games & Giftedness – connection ?!

Why do so many gifted people like to play board games??
And why does a club of highly gifted people award a MinD game prize?

Simply because these people have proven to be extremely fond of playing. The highly gifted love puzzles, brain teasers and board games. Highly gifted children often play games that otherwise only older children and adults can master. Playing promotes many skills and always presents new challenges to the other players.
The proportion of academics is very high among gamblers. Playing makes you smart!

What is canteen ?

We usually associate the term cafeteria with a school or student canteen. The Latin term means "table". Mensa e. Also wants to bring people to a table. V. It is an association for the highly gifted, because it exists in over 80 countries. Mensa has around 120,000 members worldwide. After the USA and Great Britain, Germany is the country with the most members. The German association for the highly gifted is called Mensa in Deutschland (MinD). The fact that the word “mind” is created is certainly no accident.

Cafeteria in Germany (MinD)

Mensa has over 12,000 members in Germany (MinD). The potential is significantly higher, as around 2% of the population meet the MinD acceptance criteria. All people with an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 130 or higher are considered highly gifted. With 82 million Germans, the association could have 1.6 million potential members. If you want to know more about talent, membership in MinD or intelligence tests, then a visit to the Mensa in Deutschland (MinD) website is worthwhile.

The canteen members meet in over 50 German cities for lectures, concert visits and game evenings. One of the highlights of each canteen year is the annual presentation of the “MinD Game Prize”.

The MinD game price

I was amazed when I first read that the cafeteria in Germany awards its own game prize. We all know the “Game of the Year”, some maybe also the “German Game Award”. But what distinguishes the MinD game price ?

Mensans generally have just as much fun as other people. The difference lies in an increased interest in board games that meet their talent. As a rule, these are games that contain a part of thinking or puzzling and / or offer exciting strategic and tactical options.

The MinD game prize is therefore a guide for game fans who also appreciate demanding (re) games – both inside and outside the club.

Choice of the MinD game price

A MinD jury nominates six games each in two categories. The categories are "Complex Games" and "Short Play Time".
Afterwards all cafeteria members have the opportunity to get to know and try out the nominated games. In addition, game presentations and game evenings are offered, and there is even a canteen game weekend. The canteen cities will also receive test copies of the nominated games. After that all cafeteria members can vote.

MinD Game Award 2018 – the nominations

The voting for the MinD game price 2018 will run until the end of 2017, after which the two winning games will be determined. The winners will be announced and awarded in early 2018.

I don’t want to list all of the nominated games. Rather, I only briefly discuss a small selection of games that are particularly close to my heart.

update: For 2019 there is also a new category at the MinD game price: Games for 2 people. Here you can find out who won and what else is so recommendable in this year .

Short game play

Nominated for the MinD Game Award 2018 as Short game play Word Slam is:

Word slam is a cool word explaining game in which 2 teams compete against each other at the same time. The "at the same time" works because there is no speaking in this game. The words to be guessed are described using explanatory cards. Each team has over 100 such explanatory cards available, which and how many are used, the declarer decides himself.
The terms to be guessed are divided into 4 levels of difficulty, so that you can increase yourself very slowly. Wordslam is a great communication and association game for 3 or more players, ages 12+.

Buy Word Slam from Amazon

Complex games

In the category of complex games, 3 board games are nominated, which I have already put on my Top10 list of current games for adults: Great Western Trail, Terraforming Mars and First Class I can recommend to any friend of demanding games without hesitation.

Great Western Trail	First class	Terraforming Mars
Drive your most valuable herd on the route from Texas to Kansas City and cleverly use the buildings along the way. Great Western Trail is a challenging cattle drive game in the Wild West for 2-4 players, ages 12+	Due to the 5 different game modules you have a different game mission each time in the Orient-Express project. First Class is a very flexible rail game for 2-4 players, ages 10+	Tame the red planet! Terraforming Mars is a semi-cooperative engine building game with the goal of making Mars habitable. A very thematic and atmospheric board game for 1-5 players, ages 12+
Buy from Amazon	Buy from Amazon	Buy from Amazon

The winners of the MinD game award 2014-2017

I would also like to share with you the winners of the MinD game award of the past four years. A short introduction is worthwhile, because there are really great games!

Short adjustment of the MinD game prize winners from 2014 to 2017:

Complex games

Short playing time

2017

Orleans code Names In contrast to other worker insertion games, the workers at Orleans are not all-rounders, but specialists. They are artisans, farmers, priests, knights or monks who help you as successors to succeed. Orleans offers many different options and options. Orleans was nominated for the Kennerspiel des Jahres 2015. I highly recommend the game to all frequent gamers and ambitious casual gamers.
For 2-4 players, ages 12+ I wrote one of my very first game recommendations about the brilliant word association game Codenames. I wonder why? Because it is an absolute top game! Codenames is an exciting communication and deduction game in teamwork, which – fully deserved – was chosen as the game of the year 2016.
For 4 or more players, ages 14+. (Please take your age seriously!) Buy from Amazon Buy from Amazon

2016

Barragoon Splendor 100% strategy, no luck factors, Barragoon is an abstract board game for 2 people. I have to admit that I don’t know Barragoon myself and that abstract 2 person games are not my primary area of interest.
But I think it is a good alternative for all chess friends! For 2 players, ages 8+ The perfect mix of strategy and luck. Splendor is all about gemstones. It’s quick, tactical &, captivating and offers fun for the whole family.
Easy rules – played quickly, high quality material – what more could you want? Splendor was nominated for the Game of the Year 2014.
For 2 – 4 players, ages 10+ Buy from Amazon Buy from Amazon

2015

Terra Mystica La Boca Terra Mysitca is a real heavyweight. Each player takes one of 14 peoples and tries to spread them out on the game board. Each people has individual skills. Great game, but not for casual gamers! For 2-5 players, ages 12+. La Boca is a building game in which changing teams of two have to build a given 3D building from different colored blocks. However, everyone sees only one side of the finished building, so good consultation is required.
Something for all friends of Ubongo & Make a break. For 3-6 players, ages 8+ Buy from Amazon Buy from Amazon

2014

Village Hanabi Kennerspiel des Jahres 2012 and winner of the German Game Prize 2012. So many prizes can’t be wrong!
Steer the fortunes of your family and lead them to fame and glory. The unique thing about Village, however, is that – like in real life – your family members (= game characters) do not live forever. A top game! For 2-4 players, ages 12+ My favorite card game! Cooperative and extraordinary, since no player sees their own cards – that of the other players! The players help each other with clever tips. You must put the playing cards together in the correct order per color in the middle of the table.
An incredibly good game, but it demands a lot from your gray matter!
Hanabi is the game of the year 2013.
For 2-5 players, ages 8+ (better older!) Buy from Amazon Buy from Amazon

My conclusion:

I’m not very talented, but I understand board games. And I have to say, the MinD members made a very good choice throughout. That’s why Chapeau! for Mensa eV. and the MinD game price.

Although this game prize is not as well known as e.g. I like the “German Game Award” or the “Game of the Year” very much. The "wisdom of the many" has once again proven that it basically leads to very good results.

The winners of the Short Play Category are all by the way good for families and casual gamers. you So you don’t have to be very talented, around to have fun with these games!

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