#Dossier: Spielejournalismus

9 May 2024 Media

Tag der Brettspielkritik 2024: “The golden age of board game criticism”

Over 70 games critics came to the third Day of Board Game Criticism 2024 in Mannheim. Some discussions and talks were recorded on video, including the closing discussion.

4 March 2024 Media

Bernward Thole: Umrisse einer Spielekritik

“Games criticism must rethink its self-understanding,” demanded Bernward Thole in 1992 in his article “Umrisse einer Spielekritik”. Thole’s critique of games criticism is still cited and discussed today. We are documenting the original text.

7 March 2023 Media

Board game journalism: New Boardgame Journalism – necessary?

In November 2013, Guido Heinecke started a discussion about game reviews with his article “New Boardgame Journalism – necessary?”. At the time, Heinecke was editor-in-chief of TricTrac Deutschland; today, he is managing director of Spiel des Jahres. We have documented the discussion from back then.

26 January 2023 Media

A lane for homo ludens: Eugen Oker is the father of German games criticism

This text is considered the first game review in Germany. It was published on 4 December 1964 in Die Zeit, is titled “Dem homo ludens eine Gasse” and is by Eugen Oker. With his articles, Oker made game reviews popular. We have documented five texts by the old master – featuring Malefiz, Monopoly and Twixt.

7 August 2022 Media

Board Game Criticism Day 2022: “Dilettantism prevents better board game reviews”

“Board game journalism lacks professionalism,” says spielbox editor-in-chief Andreas Becker. What’s the reason for this? And how could it change? Possible answers to these and other questions were provided by Becker in his talk, which opened the Day of Board Game Criticism 2022. A documentation for reading.

23 July 2021 Timeless classics

Null Ouvert: Magazine for analogue gaming culture

Welcome to an experiment. It’s called Null Ouvert and is a printed magazine for analogue gaming culture. With it, we, Klemens Franz, the intergenerational games café, and Sebastian Wenzel, want to show the potential in reporting on board games.

11 July 2019 Media

Tag der Brettspielkritik 2019: Spiel und Kulturkritik

Over 60 board game journalists and bloggers attended the Tag der Brettspielkritik 2019. “Unfortunately, in many texts about games, we learn little about what they do to us,” said Stefan Gohlisch in his opening speech. Gohlisch, cultural editor at Neue Presse Hannover and a jury member of Spiel des Jahres, thus described a common thread that ran through the workshops and discussion rounds.