“The Nerdies” are the end-of-year awards from Nerds on Earth. They are only awarded to the most excellent of things, and are selected by Nerds on Earth writers and editors, with input from readers via our social media.
Our category today is “Best Board Game,” and what a year for board games it has been.
This year’s slate was difficult with literally hundreds of new board games being released in 2018, but we narrowed it down to four before opening the vote to determine the winner of the Nerdie Award for Best Board Game.
2018 Nerdie Award for Best Board Game
Everdell

Everdell is the tableau building and worker placement board game from Starling Games. It is set within the charming valley of Everdell, beneath the branches of a towering tree, where little forest critters are thriving. 1-4 players lead a group of critters tasked with expanding into new territories. There are buildings to construct, characters to meet, and events to host.
Everdell is a stunningly beautiful game, with exceptional component quality. I have a 7- and a 9-year-old daughter in my house and they go absolutely ga-ga over the game, while I admit that I am quite smitten myself.
Everdell is a simple game, yet it has an amount of depth far beyond what the little critters of the game would suggest. It’s a game that is exciting even to set up at the table, plus I’d also tack on words like whimsy, mirth, and charm.
With so many generic fantasy themed games, expressing a woodland theme and then really marrying that theme into the mechanics works for Everdell. That makes it something that could appeal to everybody, whether they’re 10 years old or 70. It’s sweet and charming, but it’s not cartoony. Plus, it boasts deep, thoughtful game play. For those reasons and more, Everdell wins The Nerdie Award for Best Board Game of 2018. – Clave