News

75 years of the Nuremberg Spielwarenmesse: Congratulations!

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:25:00 +0100

For 75 years, the Toy Fair has been the most important event for the industry – nationally and internationally. This applies to most manufacturers, publishers, retailers... but also to creative minds such as game designers, who present their latest creations there. We would like to thank the Spielwarenmesse for the generous support we have received over many years.

Bureaucratic Monster: Withholding Tax for Foreign Authors

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 11:21:00 +0200

Game authors who are not resident in Germany are – like all foreign licensors and artists – affected by the unsatisfactory procedure for exemption from and reimbursement of withholding tax. The SAZ has once again submitted proposals to reduce bureaucracy.

Success for TTGDA in the “Ace of Spades” case

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 18:58:00 +0200

The Tabletop Game Designers Association (TTGDA), a partner organization of SAZ in the US, has successfully drawn attention to the sensitive handling of illustrations in games with a statement in the wake of the discussion about the design of cards in the game Ace of Spades. The publisher Devir responded immediately and announced measures to replace the affected playing cards and not to allow further sale this version.

We would like to take this opportunity to refer once again to the Code of Respect and Responsibility, which we drafted and published in 2021 together with the SAJ and other international authors.

Game of the Year 2025: Award Winners

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 15:27:00 +0200

The "Spiel des Jahres 2025" is Bomb Busters from Hisashi Hayashi (Pegasus Spiele), and Endeavor: Die Tiefsee from Carl de Visser and Jarratt Gray (Frosted Games / Board Game Circus) was chosen as the "Kennerspiel des Jahres 2025". The "Kinderspiel des Jahres 2025" award went to Topp die Torte from Wolfgang Warsch (Schmidt).

Board Game Designer of the Year award 2025

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 16:35:00 +0200

Lucca, June 25, 2025 — Only five of the most active and prolific board game designers in the world are selected each year as finalists for the Board Game Designer of the Year award, an initiative organized by Lucca Crea, the company behind Lucca Comics & Games, in collaboration with SAZ Italia. This year, eight designers were initially nominated by the jury and the organization, from which five finalists were ultimately chosen.

Gamesmarkt | German Scholars Launch Deutsche Gesellschaft für Spielwissenschaft (DGSW)

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 16:52:00 +0200

The aim of the DGSW is to achieve institutional independence for this scientific discipline, with a view to its social, cultural, and economic relevance. The spectrum ranges from free play to toys, role-playing, board and party games, construction games, and digital games.

Game of the Year Jury: The nominated games 2025

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 15:45:00 +0200

The Jury "Spiel des Jahres e.V." association announced this year's nominations and recommendation lists on June 09, 2025. Three games each were nominated for "Spiel des Jahres 2025", "Kinderspiel des Jahres 2025" and "Kennerspiel des Jahres 2025".

“Playing board games” in the nationwide UNESCO directory of intangible cultural heritage

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 14:09:00 +0100

The German Conference of Ministers of Culture of the Federal States and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media confirmed yesterday that 18 living traditions will be included in the nationwide directory of intangible cultural heritage – including “playing board games”. The SAZ welcomes the decision and demands consequences.

Election test stones for the German Bundestag elections 2025

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 11:53:00 +0100

We have prepared for the German Bundestag election in February 2025 four election test stones that document our expectations, goals and positions, even though we will unfortunately not receive any official answers from the parties due to the shortened time frames.

Loans of analogue games in Germany doubled in four years

Sun, 17 Nov 2024 12:27:00 +0100

A recent statistic shows that loans of analogue games in German public libraries doubled to more than five million loans per year in the period from 2020 to 2023. The statutory remuneration claims (library royalties) must finally be fulfilled.

The 35th Hippodice Game Design Competition has started

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:09:00 +0200

The 35th Hippodice Game Design Competition has started. Unpublished prototypes can be submitted until October 13, 2024. The first phase of the competition involves submitting digital game descriptions and rules via an online application form.

More information at: Hippodice Game Design Competition

German withholding tax: Foreign authors despair

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 09:00:00 +0200

Foreign authors must apply to the German Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) for an exemption so that the German publisher is not forced to reduce the royalty payment by 15% withholding tax for licenses. In a press release, SAZ criticises the bureaucracy at the BZSt as well as the practice of many publishers and makes suggestions for simplifying the system.

Registration for the International Game Inventors' Fair

Tue, 30 Jul 2024 15:51:00 +0200

Registration for the International Game Inventors' Fair on 31.01.2025 is currently already possible. All further information can be found on the Spielwarenmesse website.

Game of the Year 2024: Award Winners

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 13:45:00 +0200

The "Spiel des Jahres 2024" is Sky Team by Luc Rémond (Kosmos / Scorpion Masqué), and e-Mission by Matt Leacock and Matteo Menapace (Schmidt) was chosen as the "Kennerspiel des Jahres 2024". The "Kinderspiel des Jahres 2024" award went to Der magische Schlüssel by Markus Slawitscheck and Arno Steinwender (Game Factory / Happy Baobab).

Game of the Year Jury: The nominated games 2024

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 09:47:00 +0200

The Jury "Spiel des Jahres e.V." association announced this year's nominations and recommendation lists on June 11, 2024. Three games each were nominated for "Spiel des Jahres 2024", "Kinderspiel des Jahres 2024" and "Kennerspiel des Jahres 2024".

Quantum computers explained in a board game

Mon, 27 May 2024 12:09:00 +0200

An exciting research project is being launched under the leadership of TU Braunschweig in Germany. With public funding, the "QUANTista" project team is developing a board game about quantum technologies to familiarise a wide audience with them.

TTGDA launched : More power for game authors now also in North America

Tue, 07 May 2024 17:12:00 +0200

The Tabletop Game Designers Association (TTGDA) has completed its founding preparations and is now launching as an interest group for game authors in North America. We wish our friends every success.

Game Designers Convention in Goettingen 2024

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 16:40:00 +0100

The 42nd Game Designers Convention will take place in Goettingen on June 1st and 2nd, 2024. Detailed information about the event and the online registration form can be found under this direct link or under EVENTS on this website.

License fees for game authors: Fairness and transparency instead of a black box!

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 19:29:00 +0100

The Game Designers Association (SAZ) presents a position paper that analyses the non-transparent and questionable practice of a whole range of game publishers when calculating royalties and outlines alternatives. Of course, we are pleased to discuss alternative, fair and transparent calculation bases.

Becoming capable of democracy through board games

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 16:19:00 +0100

Much has already been written about the diverse ways in which analog games promote cognitive and social skills. One aspect has so far been neglected and is currently highly topical: promoting an understanding of democratic principles and their application. An article in Politik & Kultur goes into this in detail.

We mourn the loss of Bernward Thole

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:27:00 +0100

Our honorary member Bernward Thole passed away peacefully on December 18. He was a founding member of the Spiel des Jahres jury in 1978, spokesperson until 1994 and later Honorary Chairman, founder of the German Games Archive in Marburg and a tireless campaigner for games as a cultural asset.

euronews | Meet Reiner Knizia: The man who’s designed over 700 board games

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 17:04:00 +0100

Reiner Knizia is like royalty in the board game community. With more than 700 published games, spanning a 25-year career, he is one of, if not the most prolific board game designer in the world. Euronews presents him in an article and a video.

TTGDA launches - Representation of interests for game authors now also in North America

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 12:21:00 +0100

In North America, some game authors are preparing to found the TABLE TOP GAME DESIGNER ASSOCIATION (TTGDA). We are pleased that a strong advocacy group for game authors in the USA, Canada and Mexico is now being formed.

Looking over the fence: Who receives what from a book?

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 15:08:00 +0100

The German Kurt Wolff Foundation has published an illustrative overview of the book industry, which uses an exemplary literary title to show how the costs and revenues of a book are shared.

SAZ at the SPIEL 23

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 09:37:00 +0200

From 05. to 08. October the biggest fair for board games will take place in Essen again and the Game Desingers Association will be present as well. We are looking forward to meeting you at our booth in hall 4, F113.

Also feel free to stop by at the Spielwiesn from November 3rd to 5th in Augsburg.