Before I forget: the voting for the 2026 BGA Awards is coming to an end. If you haven't voted already, there is still time to do it here: https://boardgamearena.com/awards

Now, let's talk about today's release.

In Movers & Shakers, you play as a railway magnate in 19th-century Bengal, competing to transport goods, fulfil contracts, and invest your profits wisely. Over two strategic rounds, you’ll use your own and rival trains to move Crates between Benares and Calcutta, aiming to build wealth through sharp planning and bold decisions. Only the most ambitious and efficient tycoon will rise to shape the future of Bengal’s railways.

Each round consists of two phases: the Action Phase and the Administration Phase.

During the Action Phase, players choose a card from their hand and place it into a slot of their choice on their Company board. They then perform the action shown on the card, as well as the action linked to the slot where the card was placed. These slot effects vary, so careful planning is essential.

During the Administration Phase, players evaluate the Shipping zone of the board, which affects deals and modifies turn order. They then collect money from completed deliveries, adjust the Market, and invest their money to prepare for the next round.

Movers and Shakers is a negotiation and strategy game where players use trade, alliances, and persuasion to gain the most power and wealth in a dynamic marketplace. You can have a look at the tutorial before moving trains all around 19th-century Bengal:

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=moversandshakers

We want to thank Paulo Soledade and Nuno Bizarro Sentieiro, the game designers, as well as Quined Games, the publisher, for authorizing us to have Movers & Shakers on Board Game Arena. Let’s also salute the work of paramesis for porting the game to our platform.

That was your Wednesday release

And you can fulfil your child’s dream of driving a train, so take care and play fair.

Deep underground, in the shadowy halls of an abandoned mineshaft, unspeakable creatures lurk in search of purpose! Hauntingly bored and yearning for thrills, they’ve conjured a devilish idea: to construct the eeriest ghost train... if only they had YOU to guide them!

In Ghosts Galore, players select track tiles to expand their ghost train, filling it with monsters, such as ghastly ghosts (duh), mischievous satyrs, grim skeletons or oozing slimes, each with their own quirks.

Round after round, you will brave the darkness and satisfy these creepy creatures. The player who best manages the preferences of each monster and creates the most sinister track will win the game!

The game is played over eight rounds. Each turn, you may reveal a tile from the mysterious stack and immediately play it or use a tile that was revealed on an earlier turn. In the final hour (aka the 8th round), every tile must be placed as the ultimate design of your ghost train is judged.

Will you dare to delve into the haunted depths and build a train worthy of the underworld? Give it a go via the tutorial or raise your army of undead against others!

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=ghostsgalore

Special thanks to designer Michael Luu and Lookout Games for bringing this spooky-good game to life on BGA, and to firgon for developing it with such devilish dedication. Without them (and the monsters, of course), this frightfully fun experience wouldn’t haunt our screens today!

This was your Monday release.

Get spooky if you dare, but never forget: take care and play fair.

Hoping to uncover the universe’s secrets and “to boldly go where no man has gone before,” you have launched your very own international space station! But you are not the only one.

Space Lab is an exciting and accessible tableau-building game full of interesting decisions. You will need to recruit members from the world’s four largest space agencies to assemble the ideal team and complete the most prestigious projects outer space has to offer!

On your turn, collect all the cards from the same agency from the top of the deck or the recruitment center. Manage your hand wisely and strategically place your Lab cards around your Capsules to optimize their powers and your objectives. Watch the pace of the game to anticipate the end and maximize your score!

Adventure, strategy, and discovery collide in Space Lab, where you will build a dream team of scientists, engineers, and astronauts from competing space agencies. Balance careful planning with adaptability to make the most of every turn, outsmart opponents, and claim your place among the stars. Are you ready to leave your mark on the cosmos?

https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=spacelab

A galactic thanks to Johannes Goupy and Corentin Lebrat, the game designers, and our gratitude to Studio H for letting us have Space Lab on BGA. We also want to shine a light on Galeelox for their inspiring development work that brought Space Lab to life on the platform.

This was your Wednesday release!

In space, be bold but take care and play fair…

Tembo, the Swahili word for elephant, invites you to guide a majestic herd through the savanna in this cooperative adventure. Your mission is far from easy: you need to lead the elephants to safety, but the journey is full of obstacles. The herd must find resources, like food and water, go through ever-changing landscapes, and steer clear of lions.

On your turn, you play a card to either expand the savanna or advance your herd across its dangerous terrain. Each card offers two potential actions, and your position at the table determines how you can play it, adding layers of strategy to every decision and creating a multi-layered puzzle for you and your team to solve.

Success will require strategic thinking, collaboration, and a clever use of your limited options. Tembo is a test of unity and skill as as you work together to lead your herd to triumph. https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=tembo

Let's thank the many game designers, Dan Halstad, Mads Fløe, Asger Aleksandrov Granerud and Daniel Skjold Pedersen, not forgetting Sidekick Games, the publisher, as well as Tisaac and KuWizard the developers who made it happen for Board Game Arena.

This was your Monday release

The head of the herd is calling far, far away, off you go with care and fair play…

The dice version of one of the most critically acclaimed and award-winning games is finally making its debut on Board Game Arena! 7 Wonders Dice brings a fast-paced spin to the beloved 7 Wonders experience for new players and seasoned strategists alike, one roll at a time.

Step into the role of a leader of one of antiquity’s greatest cities. Your goal? To leave a legacy that will stand the test of time. How? By constructing breathtaking wonders, advancing science, thriving through commerce, managing resources, and forging your city's prosperity. But beware, watchful eyes peer at you from neighboring cities, and they will do anything to beat you to the punch.

7 Wonders Dice is simple yet strategic. At the start of each turn, dice are rolled to reveal various symbols that represent your available options. Each symbol presents unique actions. Will you focus on building your wonder, amassing resources, or striking your rivals? The player with the most exceptional city, aka the most points, claims victory.

Roll. Strategize. Build. Whether you’re leading your city to scientific triumph or aiming for economic dominance, every choice counts. Will you sharpen your skills with the tutorial or confront like-minded players? https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=sevenwondersdice

We would like to thank Antoine Bauza, the game designer, as well as Repos Production, the publisher, for their authorization to bring this game to our platform. And join us to thank darhf and BoucleMed for their huge work developing 7 Wonders Dice.

This was your Wednesday release

Keep rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ rollin’, and take care and play fair…

Here is some valuable information that you may, or may not, already know: a pili-pili is a small but extremely hot chilli pepper. It is also called piri-piri or peri-peri and is known as “z’ozio” in Creole. It is used in most spicy cuisine and... Stop! STOP! STOOOOP!!! This is not a culinary website... Let’s start again.

Pili Pili is a trick-taking card game in which you have to guess how many tricks you will win... and try to stick to that guess! Like in most trick-taking games, the card with the highest value wins the trick. Once all the cards in hand have been played, if you fail to match your number of tricks, you receive Pilis as a penalty, one for every trick you missed or excedeed your bet by.

And it gets trickier: each round, you have a mission. Its effect is applied to your hand making it more complex, more savage or just more fun. These missions force you to adapt your strategy and the number of tricks you think you will win. But be careful: accumulate too many pilis, and the game is lost.

Pili Pili mixes trick-taking, betting and variable rules, making it a dynamic game easy to enjoy. Trick or be tricked, that is the question. https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=pilipili

Let’s take a minute to spit out fire and thank Ben (II) and JB, the game designers, as well as ATM Gaming, the publisher, for allowing us to have their game on the platform. And thank you to Moof who spiced up BGA with this game.

This was your Monday release.

Stay cool, don’t get too hot-headed, and take care and play fair…

Forge armies, build wonders, and prepare for the final clash. Do you have what it takes to become the most spirited champion of the ancient world?

In Spirited, your goal is to earn the most Spirit (victory points) by forming allegiances, battling for glory, and constructing wonders. Strategically manage your cards across three areas: your hand, the road, and your camps, there to strengthen your position and outshine your rivals.

Card management is at the core of Spirited. New cards are drawn onto your road, a dangerous area where they are vulnerable to attacks. From there, you must carefully decide whether to move them to your hand or your camps. Cards in your hand trigger powerful effects to gain advantages, while camps are vital for marching and building, keys to collect Spirit and secure your path to victory. Balancing these areas is critical for success.

The draw pile contains three Passing of Time’s cards. Each time one is revealed, the game inches closer to the Final Battle, marking the end of your journey. When the hourglass reaches its final space, the ultimate clash begins. The player with the most Spirit emerges victorious, leaving their mark as the champion of this age.

Will your cunning and strategy be enough to forge a legacy? Put it all to the test in the tutorial before facing real spirited enemies with the same goal as yours: https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=spirited

We would like to thank the game designers, S J Macdonald, Shem Phillips and Zachary Smith, as well as Garphill Games, the game publisher, for allowing us to have their game on our platform. But this game wouldn’t be on BGA without jordijansen: our thanks go to you too.

This was your Wednesday release.

Your legacy awaits, keep you spirits up. Take care and play fair...

Sickles out. Set. Go! Welcome to Carnuta, the annual druidic ritual! You are running to be elected druid of the year. You have travelled far from your homeland for this, so make sure to prepare your best potion.

Carnuta is played over a series of turns. On your turn, with the wisdom of the ancient oaks and the grace of the flowing streams, you must take 2 actions: take a card, play a card, take runes, or flip runes. You can take the same action twice or 2 different ones, as you see fit.

The goal of the game is to create a potion by playing cards in front of you. Each card is worth points depending on the ingredients in your potion. The end of the game is triggered as soon as one player plays their 11th card.

Take out your sickle, ready your flask, scratch your beard and optimize the combinations of your ingredients to create the best potion, gain the highest score, and become Druid of the Year! https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=carnuta

We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Yohan Goh, Hope S. Hwang and Gary Kim, the game designers, as well as Repos Production, the publisher, for bringing this game to our platform. And thank you to darhf and BoucleMed, for weaving their magic for BGA.

This was your Monday release,

Explore, dream, and connect with nature and whatever you do take care and play fair…

The Board Game Arena Awards are back! It is time to highlight the games released on BGA in 2025 that made your gaming nights- and days- unforgettable. Cast your vote and celebrate the very best the virtual board gaming world had to offer in 2025!

Why these awards are special

We all enjoy competing on the virtual board, but these awards go beyond gameplay. They are a celebration of shared moments, brilliant strategies and hidden gem discovery. The 2026 BGA Awards are a chance to highlight the games that defined 2025, and you now have a chance to champion your favorites!

How it works

We have selected the most popular games released on BGA in 2025 and divided them into several categories to reflect the richness of games on the platform:

• Best Casual Game: Perfect for quick, lighthearted fun and friendly competition.
• Best Regular Game: Games that strike the perfect balance between strategic depth and satisfying complexity.
• Best Expert Game: For those who thrive on challenging strategies and enjoy conquering intricate puzzles.
• Best 2-player Game: Face-to-face duels that bring an extra level of intensity.
• Best Brain Teaser: For those who love to give their brain a workout and solve challenges.

How to cast your vote

It is simple! Go to the Awards page. Review the nominated games in each category and then choose your favorite.

To cast your vote in a category, you must have played all 4 nominated games at least once before the voting ends. You have one month to try out each nominee and vote. Vote in every category, or just the ones that interest you. It is your choice!

Note that you can change your vote at any time or click the "reset" button at the bottom of the page to start over.

Your turn to play!

Have your say in the 2026 Board Game Arena Awards. Share your opinions and celebrate the best games.

If you are not familiar with a few nominated titles, this is the perfect opportunity to explore them! The Awards are not just about voting, they are about discovering new, exciting games that could become your new go-to selection at the table.

Voting closes on February 16th, 2026, at noon (UTC+1). Do not miss out. Make your voice heard and let us celebrate the incredible games that made 2025 so much fun!

A new day has begun but your resources are running low. You and your tribe must go on an adventure to ensure your survival. You will travel through forests and deserts, you will fight other tribes. Will you settle by a river or in the heart of the mountains? YOU will write your own story…

Dewan is an engaging game where quick thinking, strategy, and resource management lead to victory. It is a game that blends elements of racing, area placement, and hand management to create a dynamic experience.

Your objective is to earn the most points, no surprise there. You can achieve this by placing camps strategically, meeting specific requirements outlined in your story tiles, and gathering resources. You will win if you find the right balance between resource use and planning.

Dewan is unique because it offers a welcoming gaming experience with a focus on exploration, resourcefulness, and strategic planning. If you enjoy strategic challenges without the tension of turf wars, Dewan is for you.

Step into a world of vibrant strategy and exciting competition. Refine your approach through the tutorial and become the most skillful adventurer before leading your tribe to a prosperous future: https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=dewan

It is now time to celebrate Johannes Goupy and Yoann Levet, the games designers, as well as the people from Space Cowboys, for letting us add Dewan to the platform. And a big thank you to Moof, for the development of the BGA version.

This was your Wednesday release.

It’s always time to go on an adventure and if you do, take care and play fair…