Larry Levy:  Designers of the Year – Summary

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and found lots of new games under the tree (or are continuing to find new games by the menorah).  I know after spending the last two weeks talking about my picks for Designer of the Year since 1958 (you can find the articles here and here), I promised that I’d reveal my selection for 2005 this week, but the holidays have just been too hectic.  So I’m afraid you’ll have to wait another week for the momentous announcement (I know, the tension must be unbearable!).  :-)

Rather than leave you all with coal in your blogging stockings, I’ll give you a little content this week by summarizing the Designers of the Year I’ve listed so far.  This list is corrected (after some errors in publication dates were pointed out to me) and complete up to 2004.  Here it is:

1958:  Allan Calhamer – Diplomacy(Hh)

1959:  Albert Lamorisse – Risk(h)

1960:  Joli Kansil – Bridgette(h)

1961:  S. Spencer/F. Murray – Broker

1962:  Sid Sackson – Acquire(sdHh)
` ` ` ` ` ` Alex Randolph – Twixt(sh), Oh-Wah-Ree

1963:  no award

1964:  no award

1965:  Sid Sackson – Focus(S)
` ` ` ` ` ` Douglas Malewicki – Nuclear War

1966:  John Reilly/Thomas Divoll – Win Place & Show(H)

1967:  Sid Sackson – Sleuth, Bazaar

1968:  Sid Sackson – Venture, The Case of the Elusive Assassin

1969:  Frederick Herschler – Thinking Man’s Football, Blue Line Hockey

1970:  Sid Sackson – Monad

1971:  Sid Sackson – Executive Decision

1972:  Joli Kansil – Montage

1973:  Philip Orbanes – Cartel
` ` ` ` ` ` Alan Turoff – Boggle

1974:  Francis Tresham – 1829(H)
` ` ` ` ` ` Dave Arneson/Gary Gygax – Dungeons & Dragons(Hh)

1975:  Rudi Hoffman – Janus(s), Minister(s), Ogallala, Schützenfest

1976:  no award

1977:  Bill Eberle/Jack Kittredge/Peter Olotka – Cosmic Encounter(dH)

1978:  Eric Solomon – Black Box, Spellmaker

1979:  Bill Eberle/Jack Kittredge/Peter Olotka – Dune, Darkover

1980:  Sid Sackson – Can’t Stop(s), Corner

1981:  Francis Tresham – Civilization(Hh)
` ` ` ` ` ` Chris Haney/Scott Abbot – Trivial Pursuit (h)

1982: Alex Randolph – Enchanted Forest(S), Ghosts(s)
` ` ` ` ` ` Steve Jackson – Illuminati, Car Wars, G.E.V., Killer

1983:  Reinhold Wittig – Riombo(s), Wir Füttern die Kleinen Nilpferde($)

1984:  Larry Harris – Axis & Allies(h), Conquest of the Empire, Broadsides and Boarding Parties

1985:  Alex Randolph – Top Secret(s), Jago(s), Velono

1986: Karl-Heinz Schmiel – Die Macher(sdH)
` ` ` ` ` ` Michael Gray – Shogun, Fortress America

1987:  Wolfgang Kramer – Auf Achse(S)

1988: Alex Randolph – Hol’s der Geier(s), Inkognito($)
` ` ` ` ` ` Urs Hostettler – Kremlin(s)

1989:  Rudi Hoffman – Café International(S), Maestro(s)

1990: Klaus Teuber – Adel Verplichtet(SD)

1991: Gary Dicken/Steve Kendall – History of the World(dH)

1992: Reiner Knizia – Modern Art(sDH), Quo Vadis(sd), Pirat, Revolution

1993: Richard Garfield – Magic: The Gathering

1994: Andreas Seyfarth – Manhattan(Sd), Waldmeister

1995: Klaus Teuber –The Settlers of Catan(SDH), Galopp Royal(sd)

1996: Klaus Teuber – The Settlers of Catan Card Game(sd), Entdecker(d), Hallo Dachs!($)

1997: Reiner Knizia – Euphrat & Tigris(sDH), Titan: The Arena, Mole Hill

1998: Reiner Knizia – Durch die Wüste(sdH), Samurai(d), Zirkus Flohcati, Katzenjammer Blues, Exxtra, Honeybears, Ohio

1999: Reiner Knizia – Ra(diH), Lost Cities(I), Stephenson’s Rocket(i), Schotten-Totten(i), Money(s), Rheinlander, Drahtseilakt, It’s Mine!, Tabula Rasa
` ` ` ` ` ` Wolfgang Kramer –Tikal(SDI), Torres(Sdi), Die Handler(d), Evergreen

2000: Reiner Knizia – Taj Mahal(sDi), Lord of the Rings($i), Traumfabrik(i), Merchants of Amsterdam(di), Battleline, Trendy, Ivanhoe, Vampire

2001: Alan Moon/Aaron Weissblum – San Marco(sdI), Capitol(sdi), Das Amulett(sd)
` ` ` ` ` ` Martin Wallace – Liberté(i), Volldampf(i), Pampas Railroads(i)

2002: Wolfgang Kramer – Wildlife(i), Goldland(di), Pueblo(di), Mexica(di)

2003: Michael Schacht – Industria(i), Magna Grecia(i), Coloretto(sdi), Paris Paris(sdi), Richelieu(s), InterUrban, Crazy Chicken

2004: Alan Moon – Ticket to Ride(Sdi), Oasis, Clocktowers, Warriors, Employee of the Month, Slow Freight

And for those of you scoring at home, here are the designers with the most awards to date:

Sid Sackson – 7
Reiner Knizia – 5
Alex Randolph – 4
Wolfgang Kramer – 3
Klaus Teuber – 3
Eberle/Kittredge/Olotka (Eon) – 2
Rudi Hoffman – 2
Joli Kansil – 2
Alan Moon – 2
Francis Tresham – 2
28 designers tied with 1

That’s a total of 40 designers honored over the 47 years of the award, which is a pretty nice sized club.  Will 2005 give us our 41st?  Or will we have a repeat winner?  You’ll just have to check in next week to see.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and very safe New Year’s celebration.  Talk to you in 2006.

© 2005 Larry Levy

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