The Spiel Foundation oversees two award programs for board and card games: The Major Fun Award and The Spiel of Approval.

Major Fun

The Major Fun Award was created by noted game designer and philosopher of play Bernie DeKoven over 25 years ago. 

Major Fun celebrates games that are great for kids, families and friends.

You’ll see Major Fun emblems on games in mass market retailers and friendly local game stores. Anyone can play and enjoy a game that’s Major Fun!

Spiel of Approval

The Spiel of Approval  celebrates games that encourage thoughtful and strategic play. 

Spiel of Approval games are fun because they make you think. They grow more rewarding each time you play.

Games that earn our Spiel of Approval tend to appeal to more experienced players but are not exclusively “gamer’s games.” If you’re interested in exploring the wider world of board games, this is a great place to start!

***

Both awards have an established legacy of quality, integrity, and respect within the game industry. Hundreds of games are evaluated for the awards each year, but only a dozen or so are selected as winners.

Publishers who win each award  are licensed to place the logo on the game box. No license fees are ever accepted for the awards.

To learn more about each award and explore past winners, use the links in the menus above.