Top 10 Best Board Game Art 2019 - The Vote
Vote for the Best Board Game Art of 2019
I created this site to help spotlight and share the stories behind board game art. Each year to celebrate the hard work of those responsible for making our games look so beautiful I host nominations and then a vote on your favorite board game art from the previous year.
In December you nominated over 350 different games for best art.
I’m looking to find out which of these games released in 2019 had the BEST OVERALL ARTWORK. To help guide you in your vote, I’ve included images of each game as well as the artists and publishers attached to each game according to website Board Game Geek.
The Top 10 most nominated games are below. Vote for your favorites.
The images were provided by the publishers or alternatively using photos taken by myself. Although I’ve tried to get a good variety of images I’d encourage you to seek out more about each game before casting your vote and to help I’ve included a link next to their names (showing as “more info”) which will link you through to the website Board Game Geek. Here you can find a gallery of images, the game descriptions and any additional information you may need to guide your choices.
Remember, this is for overall artwork so try not to judge a game solely by it’s cover.
You nominated so many incredible games I wish I could have included more and I hope you’ll join me in celebrating not only the talent shown below but that in the industry as a whole. Finally, I’d just like to say a huge thank you to the thousands of you who nominated games in December for being patient with me launching this vote, it’s a little later than anticipated! Also a huge welcome to those of you joining us for the vote, there are some amazing games on this list.
Top 10 most nominated games (A-Z)
Detective: City of Angels (more info)
Artist: Vincent Dutrait
Publisher: Van Ryder Games
Publisher Description: Detective: City of Angels, set in the dark and violent world of 1940s Los Angeles, is a game of mystery, deception, and investigation. Most players will step into the shoes of LAPD homicide detectives, hungry for glory and willing to do whatever it takes to successfully close a case, even if that means intimidating suspects, concealing evidence, and hiring snitches to rat on their fellow detectives. One player, however, will take on the role of The Chisel, whose only goal is to stall and misdirect the detectives at every turn using bluffing, manipulation, and (often) outright lies.
Images: Photography by More Games Please.
Museum (more info)
Artist: Vincent Dutrait
Publisher: Holy Grail Games
Publisher Description: It’s the turn of the 20th century, the golden age of museums. As interest in and accessibility of museums grew exponentially, many institutions underwent an intense period of expansion on both an intellectual and physical level, searching to grow their collections for profit and science. You play as a curator of one such museum and it’s your job to build the biggest, most coherent collection that you can in this game of collection, bartering and authentic architectural facts. But it’s no simple task!
Images: Photography by More Games Please and renders from Holy Grail Games
Pipeline (more info)
Artist: Ian O'Toole
Publisher: Capstone Games
Publisher Description: The refinement of oil has long been part of the government-controlled energy sector. Amassed with an incredibly complex and inefficient system of refineries, the government has felt the severe pressures of worldwide demand and the ever-increasing global standards for refinement. Unable to keep up with demand, the government has only one option: privatizing the oil industry. This is where you come in. Seeking to capitalize on this new opportunity, in Pipeline you start a company in the oil business. You will focus on building a much more efficient pipeline network in your refinery, hiring experts that provide valuable benefits over your competitors, and managing the logistics of purchasing and selling your refined oil in the various markets. You will need more than strong economic skills – carefully crafting an interweaving network of pipelines just might ensure your victory!
Images: Supplied by Ian O’Toole
PARKS (more info)
Artist: Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series
Publisher: Keymaster Games
Publisher Description: PARKS is a celebration of the US National Parks featuring illustrious art from Fifty-Nine Parks. In PARKS, players will take on the role of two hikers as they trek through different trails across four seasons of the year. While on the trail, these hikers will take actions and collect memories of the places your hikers visit. These memories are represented by various resource tokens like mountains and forests. Collecting these memories in sets will allow players to trade them in to visit a National Park at the end of each hike.
Images: Supplied by Keymaster Games, photography by Cathy Bock
Pax Pamir 2E (more info)
Artist: Cole Wehrle
Publisher: Wehrlegig Games
Publisher Description: Pax Pamir is an interactive historical game about politics and power in nineteenth century Afghanistan from the designer of Root. As local Afghan tribal leaders, players will work in coalitions to build a new state after the collapse of the Durrani Empire. However, only a single player can win. As your coalition becomes powerful, former allies will turn to espionage and political subterfuge in an effort to secure their personal dominance.
Images: Photography by More Games Please.
Power Rangers Heroes of the Grid (more info)
Artist: Dan Mora (illustrator), Jeanne Torres (Graphic Designer)
Publisher: Renegade Game Studios
Publisher Description: Power Rangers: Heroes of the Grid gives each player the chance to take the role of a Power Ranger, the heroes of Angel Grove who defend the earth against the evil Rita Repulsa and her nefarious minions. Each Ranger comes with a unique combat deck representing their special skills and fighting style. From the Red Ranger's leadership karate skills, to the Yellow Ranger's Sabertooth ferocity, to the Blue Ranger's tactical mind, each ranger brings a unique set of skills to the table. You need to use your powers well if you intend to save Angel Grove!
Images: Supplied by Renegade Game Studios
Skulk Hollow (more info)
Artist: Dustin Foust, Sebastián Koziner, Keith Matejka, Helen Zhu
Publisher: Pencil First Games
Publisher Description: Over generations and generations the ancient woodland of Børe prospered and grew. The world was bestowed with great spirit, which lifted the animals of the land to new heights. Unfortunately, over the years these clans lost touch with the spirit of the land and faction warring developed. The Foxen Kingdom of Skulk Hollow in the South, The spiritual Red Pandas of Cupboard in the North, the Mischievous Mice of Multon in the West, and the colony of Blackheart Bunnies in the East. As skirmishes started breaking out across the continent, lives lost, there was a monstrous shake and then The Great Return. No one quite knows why, but the Guardians have risen - but not the kind, life-giving Guardians of spiritual legend. Dark, ferocious, versions that are now attacking all the kingdoms of the land.
Images from: Photo 1 by More Games Please and photos 2-4 provided by Pencil 1st
Tapestry (more info)
Artist: Andrew Bosley, Rom Brown
Publisher: Stonemaier Games
Publisher Description: Create the civilization with the most storied history, starting at the beginning of humankind and reaching into the future. The paths you choose will vary greatly from real-world events or people — your civilization is unique!
Images: Supplied by Stonemaier Games
Unmatched (more info)
Artist: Oliver Barrett
Publisher: Mondo Games, Restoration Games
Publisher Description: Unmatched is a highly asymmetrical miniature fighting game for two or four players. Each hero is represented by a unique deck designed to evoke their style and legend. Tactical movement and no-luck combat resolution create a unique play experience that rewards expertise, but just when you've mastered one set, new heroes arrive to provide all new match-ups.
Images: Supplied by Restoration Games
Wingspan
Artist: Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo, Natalia Rojas, Beth Sobel
Publisher: Stonemaier Games
Publisher Description: Wingspan is a competitive, medium-weight, card-driven, engine-building board game. You are bird enthusiasts—researchers, bird watchers, ornithologists, and collectors—seeking to discover and attract the best birds to your network of wildlife preserves.
Images: Supplied by Stonemaier Games
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Thanks for reading, now on to the vote.
Vote for your Top 10 Best Art of 2019
You can vote for up to 3 different games on the form below. Also, feel free to write a comment for the artists or the publishers why you love these games. I’ll be looking to include some of these in the final results released in March.
Voting now closed!
If you’re new to the site, why not stick around a while? There are interviews with some of the best artists in the industry and if you’d like to read more you can find these by heading over to the Interview Archive!
