Maltese company wins 'Oscars of board gaming'
Mighty Boards is the first Maltese company to win Germany's Kennerspiel des Jahres
A Maltese company has become the first in Malta to win the prestigious Kennerspiel des Jahres board game award.
Mighty Boards, founded nine years ago by friends Mark Casha, Gordon Calleja and David Chircop, picked up the award at a ceremony in Germany on Sunday.
The company's game, Rebirth, designed by legendary German game designer, Reiner Knizia, was given the award, which recognises expert games for a more experienced audience
It's "akin to the Oscars or the Booker Prize for the industry," Casha explained.
The strategic tile-laying game is set in a future where civilisation has collapsed and players take on the task of restoring the world.
Rebirth has sold 120,000 copies internationally in 15 languages. Casha said orders are expected to increase following the win.
He described the award as "game-changing" for small publishers. "It puts you solidly on the map. The game can become what we call an evergreen, meaning it keeps selling over the years."
This win was also another feather in the cap for Knizia, who is considered royalty in the board game community. He is now the first game designer to have won all three German board game prizes: Kinderspiel, Spiel and Kennerspiel des Jahres.
Mighty Boards said they received the game as a basic paper prototype and built its theme, art direction and production.
"There is a whole team behind it: creative and art direction, artists and graphic designers, developers, testers, product designers, the crowdfunding team for the Kickstarter campaign, marketing, sales and logistics," Casha said.
The game is set in a future where civilisation has collapsed and begun rebuilding in harmony with nature. Players take on the role of restoring and competing for prestigious areas such as castles and territories.
Mighty Boards is based in Attard and has 14 games distributed from five warehouses around the world.