"Dito!" is the Game of the Year 2026
13/7/2026
Translation: machine translated
A Swiss publisher wins the main prize with a party word game from Indonesia: "Dito!" is the Game of the Year 2026. "Rebirth" wins the connoisseur game category, "The Island of the Mookies" is the best children's game.
What do people wear on their faces? Glasses! Nose! Poker face! In "Dito!", the most original answer doesn't win. Points are collected by those who write down the same thing as others at the table. This simple game principle convinced the jury.
On Sunday evening, the expert panel awarded the prizes in Berlin for the Game, Connoisseur Game, and Children's Game of the Year. They chose from a record number of 571 new releases. The result delivers a premiere in all three categories.
First time a game from Indonesia wins
Martin Ang from Indonesia developed "Dito!". The original name of the game is "JinxO". Game Factory, a brand of Carletto AG based in Brunnen (Canton Schwyz), published the German-language edition under the new name.
According to the Spiel des Jahres association, this is the first time a game from Indonesia has won the main prize. "Dito!" prevailed against "Cozy Sticker Ville" and "Morty Sorty Magic Shop".
This is how the winning game works for three to seven people aged ten and up, lasting about 30 minutes. In each of the three rounds, the group chooses three categories. Everyone enters three terms for each category into a nine-field grid. Matches earn points. If exactly two people write down the same term, both receive an additional so-called BFF star. If all three fields in a row or column consist of matches, there are additional bonus points.
At first glance, "Dito!" seems like another party game with terms. The appeal comes from two levels: players must estimate what others will write down, and at the same time, tactically decide where their terms land in the grid. According to the jury, they learn to understand other perspectives, which creates a positive dynamic at the table.
Already during the presentation of the nominees, it was noticeable: many titles this year forgo complicated rules and focus on direct social moments. "Dito!" makes this approach the entire game.
Reiner Knizia gets the missing pawn
Reiner Knizia accepts his award in a kilt. This suits "Rebirth": Frosted Games and Mighty Boards published the game, which leads to Scotland and Ireland.
Two to four people place energy facilities, farms, and settlements. They expand territories and fight for castles. The basic principle is quickly understood. The competition on the shared game board creates tactical depth, according to the jury.
With this victory, Knizia closes the last gap in his collection. He already won the Game of the Year in 2008 with "Keltis" and the Children's Game of the Year with "Who Was It?". This makes Knizia the first game designer with awards in all three categories.
First time a children's game for exactly two people wins
Florian Sirieix developed "The Island of the Mookies". Kosmos and Scorpion Masqué published the game for two children aged four and up. Two stacks of cards lie on the table. In each turn, players choose a stack and a card side. This way, they collect creatures from five families and compete for the respective trophies.
The rules are concise yet require tactical decisions. A game lasts about 15 minutes. Sirieix developed the game for his child, who had wanted a short game. Now, for the first time, a pure two-player game, "The Island of the Mookies", wins the Children's Game of the Year award.
In May, the two nominations from Game Factory still seemed like a Swiss side note. After the award ceremony, it has become the main story: "Verflixt verzaubert" goes empty-handed in the children's game category, but "Dito!" takes home the main prize.
Back then, I wrote: There's enough time until the decision to confidently tip the wrong favorites among friends. Those who bet on "Dito!" can now, like me, confidently say: I knew it.
Would you have decided the same way as the jury? Tell us in the comments.
Header image: Frederic Schweizer on behalf of Spiel des Jahres e.V.
I get paid to play with toys all day.
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