by Scott Alden

The BoardGameGeek Hall of Fame honors games that have made meaningful contributions to the board game hobby in the areas of innovation, artistry, and impact. By curating this distinguished list, BoardGameGeek seeks to preserve the history and evolution of board gaming, while inspiring and informing a global community of players who have a passion for games. Additional games will be inducted annually as the world of board games continues to evolve.

The selection process was guided by a jury composed of dedicated and experienced players who have been deeply involved in the board game community for years and who have brought their knowledge and expertise to the discussions. The process began by evaluating games that were at least ten years old in order to ensure widespread engagement and recognition. Additionally, the jury identified and included games that, while perhaps less widely played, have had a profound and lasting impact on the hobby.

The BoardGameGeek Hall of Fame focuses on modern board games that have directly shaped the contemporary hobby and community. Games such as Chess, Backgammon, Go, and traditional 52-card games, while timeless classics and undoubtedly influential, fall outside the scope of these awards.

Through this initiative, BoardGameGeek aims to celebrate the legacy of these exceptional games and their creators, while fostering a deeper appreciation for artistry and innovation within the world of board gaming.

This concludes the list of the 5 inductees to the BoardGameGeek Hall of Fame for 2026. Thank you to all of the jury and all of the contributors who have helped to form this award. This is an annual award, so we’ll see you next year!

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Terraforming Mars – 2016

Set in a near-future vision of the corporate colonization of space, Terraforming Mars has proved to be imminently (im-,a-met-ly) replayable. By combining familiar game elements like card drafting, asymmetric player powers, a half-dozen resources, and bonuses claimed by whoever reaches a milestone first, designer Jacob Fryxelius (Frix-el-e-us) has created an involved game that challenges players to raise the red planet’s temperature, adjust its oxygen level, and create arable land — but while players terraform Mars collectively, they all have individual goals driven by more than two hundred unique project cards that they will purchase and play. Whether you want to plant forests, build cities, or establish an ocean, you can work towards those goals, yet you need to keep an eye on everyone else because once Mars reaches critical terraforming thresholds for life in the form of oxygen, temperature, and fresh water, only one corporation will end up on top.

Youtube Video