Award-winning games
Looking for original games with that extra something? Zoch’s award-winning titles offer unforgettable play experiences for kids and grown-ups alike. Read on to discover our most celebrated game highlights!
- 30 %
Skill games
Bamboleo
601120100€49.99
Bamboleo Bamboleo is a game of skill for gravity experts and anybody who wants to become a gravity expert. A cork ball on the top of a wooden pedestal carries a board on which about 25 wooden pieces are placed. These pieces have different shapes, sizes and weights. In turn, each player takes away one of these pieces from the board, while trying to keep the board balanced. Some sloping positions of the board seem to be impossible and when it tumbles, the game is over. The player who is able to take the most pieces off the board (without causing it to tumble) is the winner. A wobbly challenge for the whole family and a pleasure to play, enjoy and watch. for 2 to 6 Players, Ages 6 and up
- 43 %
Family games
Hamsterrolle
601133500€39.99
Hamsterrolle Hamsterrolle plays a role again! This daredevil thrill for holders of the ring brings turning moment on the game table. This loopy roleplay boasts equipment of excellent quality and has for more than ten years excited every game round with finest gameplay. Especially as framing one another is encouraged! for 2 to 4 Players, Ages 7 and up
- 33 %
Family games
Niagara
601124900€29.99
Niagara Niagara is a fantastic treasure hunt in a race against the stream. The canoes of all players drift on transparent disks towards a waterfall. By using their paddle cards, the players navigate the speed of their boats and at the same time, affect the tempo of the river. The object of these manoeuvres is to load up the gemstones which lie along the riverside. But beware of thieves! Only the one who brings his rich capture ashore can win the game. Niagara is a ravishing wild water spectacle for rash adventurers. for 3 to 5 Players, Ages 8 and up
Skill games
Riff Raff
601105012€63.99
Riff Raff Neptune is raging! The rats are leaving the ship. The sailors are on the ropes and the cargo is shifting all over the deck lickety-split. Only your steady hand can calm all the waves! The players riskily stow away their cargo high up in the yardarms. Many a hardened sea dog turns out to be just an ordinary seaman who has trouble with his balance just halfway up the mast. Whoever will instinctively defy gravity - and catch even free-falling cargo as fast as lightning - will go down in the annals of the seven world oceans... Unique in its equipment and technical finesse, Riff Raff transforms any playing table into the ferocious seabed of a rolling galleon. for 2 to 4 Players, Ages 8 and up
Children’s games
Zicke Zacke Hühnerkacke
601121800€26.99
Zicke Zacke Hühnerkacke is the award-winning memory game about a chicken farm. The chickens are all spruced up with a beautiful wooden tail feather, and are keen on plucking these feathers from the other chickens to adorn themselves. The game starts at a great pace: when you turn over a yard tile with the right motif, your chicken hops to the next plate. If your chicken manages to overtake another chicken, it plucks out all of its feathers and puts them on his own tail. This speedy chicken rally is a classic and enthuses not only children. For 2 to 4 Players, Ages 4 and up
Family games
Menara
601105101€31.99
As a tight-knit team, players use pillars and wondrously shaped temple floors to build a spectacularly soaring structure full of nooks and crannies. Cooperation and static skills are in demand, since for each mistake in construction, you have to add another floor to the temple. A steady hand, an alert mind, and mutual assistance can help you successfully complete what seems to top out at dizzy heights. Menara – a masterly static building game. Reviews: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIm4Ajd2J8Y www.boardgamegeek.com/video/172617/menara Author: Oliver Richtberg
Children’s games
Da ist der Wurm drin
601132100€26.99
Da ist der Wurm drin The "Kinderspiel des Jahres 2011" (German Children's Game of the Year) is a real eye-catcher: The worms vanish into the game board, squint out from time to time and put up a competitive dig to the compost heap. Along the way children learn to estimate and handle lengths. This is a jackpot for every child's room! for 2 to 4 Players, Ages 4 and up
Children’s games
Purzelbaum
601105128€29.99
Leaves and nuts are hanging from the branches of the high-rising tumble-tree. Like squirrels do in nature, players take these leaves and nuts in autumn in order to stock up on supplies for the winter. On your turn, you open a hole in the forest ground and try to cause the nut to drop from the tree into that hole. Over the course of the game, the forest and meadow holes of the playing area turn from an autumn landscape into a winter scene. Now all squirrels show how well they remember where they hid their nuts. As the nuts are dug out, the snow on the playing area melts away more and more. By the end of the game, spring has come, visible to everybody. Author: Harald Fecher, Thomas Liesching
Family games
Geistesblitz
601129800€14.99
Geistesblitz is a brilliant reaction game in which quick-wittedness and the right action are crucial. Five large wooden items in five colors stand in the middle of the table. In each round, players turn over one card that shows two items in two different colors. Now the players have to realize as quick as lightning which item to look for. If neither figure is depicted in its original color, you have to grab the item whose shape or color cannot be found on the card. But if an item is depicted in its original color, this item has to be grabbed. If you are right, you win the card. The player with the most cards in the end wins. for 2 to 8 Players, Ages 8 and up
Boule, Boccia & outdoor games
CrossBoule Set DOWNTOWN
601131400€27.99
Crossboule Crossboule - that's Boules in the 3rd dimension, and even more... In Crossboule, each player has his own set of boules in one out of twelve fashionable designs. Different from Boules, these boules are made from soft material, flexible and squeezable. You throw them on benches, stairs, shelves - depending on where the target boule is. There are no limits to your imagination. Every kind of terrain provides players with new challenges. It's still fun even in snow, rain or in the water. You can gain extra points with special combos. The player who wins two sets of 11 points each wins the match. for 2 Players or More; Ages 6 and up
Boule, Boccia & outdoor games
CrossBoule Set MOUNTAIN
601105015€27.99
Crossboule Crossboule - that's Boules in the 3rd dimension, and even more... In Crossboule, each player has his own set of boules in one out of twelve fashionable designs. Different from Boules, these boules are made from soft material, flexible and squeezable. You throw them on benches, stairs, shelves - depending on where the target boule is. There are no limits to your imagination. Every kind of terrain provides players with new challenges. It's still fun even in snow, rain or in the water. You can gain extra points with special combos. The player who wins two sets of 11 points each wins the match. for 2 Players or More; Ages 6 and up
Children’s games
Beethupferl
601105172€29.99
Water lets your plants sprout! Drop for drop, the young vegetables come to the sunlight when eager gardeners grab the watering can. It’s exciting to see the water drops rolling into the vegetable bed. Wherever they seep, the soil starts to move. Carrots, cabbage, and pumpkin twist from the ground and become visible. Of course, this also delights greedy snails, that right away stop by the cucumbers. If you know in advance which vegetables will grow where, you’ll be one tip of the watering can ahead when it comes to harvesting. Not only children’s eyes will be amazed by the incredible twisting effect that "lures" the watered vegetables out of the ground. Beethupferl conjures an exciting experience of nature into every child’s room and provides a bountiful harvest of suspense and fun. For 1-4 players, aged 4 and up. Author: Bernhard Weber
Children’s games
Das Kleinhorn vom Riesenwald
601105184€21.99
“Das Kleinhorn im Riesenwald” is a magical children’s game that stimulates the imagination and transports the players into a world full of colour and fantasy. Four giants are rushing through the forest to guard unicorns. The colour of the played card indicates which giant moves through the forest. Once the giant reaches a matching unicorn, the unicorn can be collected and guarded. If another unicorn is discovered at the same time and the player also has a matching card in their hand, they can add it to their collection. If you can’t find a matching unicorn in the forest, you can steal one from another player. The player who has collected the most horns at the end of the game is the winner. Designed by Benjamin and Emma Schwer and beautifully illustrated by Michele Cavaloti, “Das Kleinhorn vom Riesenwald” is an entertaining game for the whole family. Author: Emma & Benjamin Schwer
Boule, Boccia & outdoor games
CrossBoule Set BEACH
601131500€27.99
Crossboule Crossboule - that's Boules in the 3rd dimension, and even more... In Crossboule, each player has his own set of boules in one out of twelve fashionable designs. Different from Boules, these boules are made from soft material, flexible and squeezable. You throw them on benches, stairs, shelves - depending on where the target boule is. There are no limits to your imagination. Every kind of terrain provides players with new challenges. It's still fun even in snow, rain or in the water. You can gain extra points with special combos. The player who wins two sets of 11 points each wins the match. for 2 Players or More; Ages 6 and up
Boule, Boccia & outdoor games
CrossBoule Set JUNGLE
601131600€27.99
Crossboule Crossboule - that's Boules in the 3rd dimension, and even more... In Crossboule, each player has his own set of boules in one out of twelve fashionable designs. Different from Boules, these boules are made from soft material, flexible and squeezable. You throw them on benches, stairs, shelves - depending on where the target boule is. There are no limits to your imagination. Every kind of terrain provides players with new challenges. It's still fun even in snow, rain or in the water. You can gain extra points with special combos. The player who wins two sets of 11 points each wins the match. for 2 Players or More; Ages 6 and up
Family games
Heckmeck am Bratwurmeck
601125200soon available again
Heckmeck am Bratwurmeck is a turbulent dice game for real gamblers. On the grill in the centre of the table are 16 roast worm portions of different values. After rolling the eight dice the player picks the symbol/number that he has rolled the most and puts aside all the dice that show this symbol before throwing the remaining dice again. Once a player has enough points for one of the roast worm portions, he may take it. But you can also take roast worm from the other players plates... Heckmeck am Bratwurmeck is a refreshingly light dice game for clever hens who know what they like in a roast worm. for 2 to 7 Players, Ages 8 and up
Children’s games
Go Gecko Go
601105129available in stores
Everything is topsy-turvy at the big swimming competition. The frog paddles on top of the crocodile. And the turtle is a great raft for any gecko! But beware: There's a bridge ahead! Duck your head!!! … Otherwise…… Splat!!! If you aim too high, you'll splash into the water and fail. You'll end up ahead if you stack your animals cleverly, assess the heights correctly and thus slip under bridges where others hit their head. A clever and fast-paced three-dimensional playing experience, where especially the smallest ones show real greatness. Author: Jürgen Adams
Family games
Villa Paletti
601122900available in stores
Villa Paletti Villa Paletti is an exceptional construction game, in which the laws of equilibrium are out of bounds. Each player has five different columns to his disposal. To begin, the columns are placed on the base and then the first of five asymmetric plateaus is put on top of them. Each player places one of his columns on the upper plateau. If a player has no column left, he has to add the next plateau instead. The winner is the player who placed the most valuable columns on the shaky upper plateau. for 2 to 4 Players, Ages 8 and up
Award-winning games for your collection
There’s no shortage of creative game ideas – and new ones hit the shelves every year. But which games truly stand out? Awards and nominations can offer helpful guidance. At Zoch, we’re here to show you what game awards exist – especially in the German-speaking world – and which of our own award-winning titles deserve a place in your collection.
For over 30 years, Zoch has been known for inventive game concepts, high-quality components, and a great sense of fun. It’s no wonder so many of our titles have won prestigious prizes – and stayed popular for years to come.
Which game awards are worth knowing – and what do they mean?
Each year, several German and European game awards draw attention within the board game community – and often spark excitement among families, teachers, and collectors alike. Titles like Spiel des Jahres, Kinderspiel des Jahres or the spiel gut seal are more than just fancy-sounding names: they’re well-established marks of quality. Many Zoch games proudly carry these badges.Still, for international players, it’s not always easy to understand what these awards represent. Some are nationally renowned across Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, while others are known mainly among educational professionals or game experts.To help you navigate this landscape, we’ve put together an overview of the most respected German and European awards – with quick explanations so you’ll know what to look for next time you’re browsing for a new game.
Because awards aren’t just pretty labels on a box – they help you spot games that are fun, thoughtfully made, and worth your time. Depending on the award, the judging criteria may focus on originality, educational value, design, material quality, innovative rules, or overall gameplay. The decisions are made by expert panels, teachers, families – and sometimes even by children themselves. So when you see a Zoch game with one of these badges, you know it’s earned that recognition.
A closer look at well-known German game awards
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Spiel des Jahres – Often translated as Game of the Year, this is the most influential board game award in Germany. A jury of experts selects games that are original, well-designed, and easy to learn for all ages.
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Kinderspiel des Jahres – A sister award to Spiel des Jahres, this title honours outstanding children's games with high replay value and strong educational or social benefits.
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Deutscher Lernspielpreis – German Educational Game Award, given to games that combine fun with meaningful learning outcomes.
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Deutscher Spielepreis – A public award voted on by board game fans and families. It’s known for highlighting slightly more complex games than those selected by expert juries.
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spiel gut – Translates to “plays well” – a quality seal for toys and games awarded by German child development specialists based on play value, design, materials, and educational merit.
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Wiener Spiele Akademie / As d’Or / Das Goldene Schaukelpferd – These include Austrian and French awards celebrating creativity, innovation, and product design in children’s games and toys.
Of course, these aren’t the only prizes out there. Dozens of local and international initiatives recognize exceptional games each year. But the ones above are among the most respected in the world of board and family games – especially in the German-speaking market. That’s why you’ll find many of them on Zoch titles. They’re proof that these games were tested, loved – and guaranteed to bring joy to the table.
Award-winning games from Zoch
Let’s get specific: Below is a colorful mix of award-winning board games, card games, and children’s games from Zoch – each recognized for its originality, quality, and lasting play value.
Recently awarded games
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Beethupferl – Winner of the Wiener Spiele Akademie Award 2023 & 3rd place (ages 3–6) in the 2024 Children Test Games by Germany’s BdkJ youth organization
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Das Kleinhorn vom Riesenwald – 1st place (ages 3–6) in the 2025 Children Test Games (BdkJ, Germany)
Games with internationally recognized awards
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Niagara – Spiel des Jahres 2005 (Germany) & 2nd place Jouet de l’Année 2005 (France), also honored by the German Working Committee for Children’s Games and Toys
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Spinderella – Kinderspiel des Jahres 2015 (Germany) & Deutscher Spielepreis 2015
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Villa Paletti – Spiel des Jahres 2002 (Germany), honored by the German Working Committee for Children’s Games, plus 1st place (ages 5–9) in the 2002 Children Test Games
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Da ist der Wurm drin – Kinderspiel des Jahres 2011
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Zicke Zacke Hühnerkacke – Special Prize for Best Children’s Game, Spiel des Jahres 1998 & Deutscher Spielepreis 1998
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Geistesblitz – Recommended on the Spiel des Jahres list 2011
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Go Gecko Go – Nominated for Kinderspiel des Jahres 2019
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Alles Tomate! – Recommended on the Kinderspiel des Jahres list 2008 & winner of the Deutscher Lernspielpreis 2008
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Riff Raff – As d’Or 2014 (France), Spiel des Jahres recommendation 2012
Creative ideas with design & innovation awards
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Hamsterrolle – Winner of the German Wooden Toy Design Award, 2nd place (ages 5–9) in the 2001 Children Test Games, and honored by the German Working Committee for Children’s Games
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Menara – Nominated for the Golden Rocking Horse Award 2018 (Germany)
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Bamboleo – Selected by Wiener Spiele Mischung 2006 (Austria)
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Purzelbaum – Winner of the Wiener Spiele Akademie Award 2019 (Austria)
Games with the "spiel gut" seal & recommendations
From the awards stage to your living room
Whether it’s a fast-paced kids’ game, a clever family challenge or a timeless classic – Zoch has always been about original ideas, charming design, and exceptional play quality. It’s no surprise that so many of our games have received top honors like Spiel des Jahres or spiel gut. So if you're searching for games that aren't just fun for an hour, but that keep the whole family coming back for more – you're in the right place. Explore Zoch’s award-winning board games, card games, and children’s games – and find your next favorite!