Following Simone Luciani and Gregory Grard, Lucca Comics & Games and SAZ Italia launch the search for the Board Game Designer of the Year 2026, the award celebrating designers or co-designer pairs who stand out for their activity and impact within the tabletop gaming industry.
Lucca, April 15, 2026 – First awarded to Simone Luciani (2024) and Gregory Grard (2025), the Board Game Designer of the Year returns to spotlight the most dynamic and prolific voices in contemporary board game design. Presented by Lucca Comics & Games in collaboration with SAZ Italia, the award is judged by a distinguished panel tasked with evaluating designers who have published at least one title in the past two years and who demonstrate excellence in design creativity, strong awareness of evolving player and market trends, and a high degree of versatility.
As per the regulations, the winner of the previous edition automatically joins the jury. Gregory Grard will therefore sit alongside returning jurors: Fabio Cambiaghi, Jury President; Paolo Cupola, journalist for La Gazzetta dello Sport and ioGioco and former President of the Gioco dell’Anno award; and Harald Schrapers, Chairman of the Spiel des Jahres. Representing SAZ Italia this year, following Luca Borsa and Flaminia Brasini, is Stefania Niccolini. Together with her husband and co-designer Marco Canetta, she has designed and published internationally around a dozen titles, including Zhanguo and Kingdom Crossing.
The jury, thus composed, will first shortlist five finalists and subsequently select the overall winner.
Evaluation Criteria for the Board Game Designer of the Year Award
The jury evaluates candidates based on the following key criteria:
Originality and Innovation
The award recognizes not only creative talent but also the ability to reinterpret the current state of the art in a personal, original, and critical way, resulting in innovative game design. Historical and cultural accuracy in thematic settings, where relevant, as well as the ability to align the theme with the game mechanics are also considered.
Market Awareness and Timing
The jury also assesses the designer’s ability to anticipate and interpret player expectations by creating games that respond effectively to current market demands, capable of engaging both core hobby gamers and a broader mainstream audience.
Prolific Output and Versatility
Finally, the jury considers the designer’s productivity, both in terms of the number of critically recognized titles published during the eligibility period, and their ability to successfully explore a variety of gameplay styles and design approaches. Collaboration skills and the capacity to build creative synergies with other designers are also viewed positively.
The Jury, together with the organizer Lucca Crea, invites all fans to attend Lucca Comics & Games 2026 to discover the winner of the Board Game Designer of the Year 2026.