Since 1992, awards have been presented each year for the best premiere role-playing games at Fastaval, and since 2012 for the best designer board games. The award is called Otto and takes the form of a golden penguin, which is also Fastaval’s logo. The Otto competition is an integral part of Fastaval and has been a hugely important factor in developing the quality and creativity at Fastaval. The Otto is awarded every year on Sunday evening at Fastaval, at a show where we also pay tribute to the year’s organisers, players and Fastaval in general.
In addition to the awards for creative products, an honorary award is also presented to a person or group who has made an extraordinary contribution to Fastaval.
THE BOARD GAME OTTO
The designer board games are awarded by a jury consisting of five people, who jointly decide which board games are nominated and which win. The Otto jury is led by a chief judge appointed by Alea, who assembles the jury based on a desire for different skills, diversity and experience within board games. The Otto is awarded on the basis of submitted prototypes, which the jury has read and played through before Fastaval, but player experiences are also taken into account in the form of evaluation forms handed out after each board game.
For the judges, it is a long and thorough process to review and analyse all the board games and then select those that are nominated and win an Otto. If you want to know more about what it means to be an Otto judge before, during and after Fastaval and how the jury works, you can read more here:
Four Ottos are awarded for board games: Best Board Game, Best Innovation, Best Presented Board Game, and Participants’ Choice Award for Board Games. You can read the definitions for the board game Ottos below:
BEST BOARD GAME
Awarded to the design that provides the best basis for a good board game experience at Fastaval. The game is judged as a whole, with particular emphasis on the harmony between concept, game mechanics, functionality, and communication.
BEST INNOVATION
Awarded to the design that most strongly breaks with our expectations and assumptions about what board games do and can do. The award is given on the basis of the new ideas brought to the table, and can be given for individual mechanics or for the overall innovative spark of the design.
BEST PRESENTED BOARD GAME
Awarded to the board game that, through its materials, creates the most accessible and inspiring gaming experience. The award covers the communication of rules, the use of illustrations and iconography, and the choice of components and gaming materials. The difficulty of communicating the board game’s content is taken into account.
PARTICIPANTS’ AWARD FOR BOARD GAMES
Awarded to the board game that overall provides Fastaval participants with the best gaming experience. The award is based solely on the players’ experience of the board game, as reflected in the number of votes cast.
Be considered as a judge at Fastaval
Every year, the Head Judges appoint their team of associate judges to the juries. It is entirely up to the sitting Head Judges to appoint their team, but they are always open to suggestions and input. Perhaps you are just the person they need?
Send an email with your name and whether you are interested in being a board game judge, scenario judge or sitting on the honorary jury, and Alea will compile a list that we will share with the Head Judges as soon as they have been appointed.
You cannot expect to hear anything from the judges, but they may reach out to hear more or to invite you to participate. Alea updates the list regularly, so you only need to send an email with your name once, and otherwise write to us if you would like to be removed from the list.
Write to alea@fastaval.dk with your name and your preference for judging duties, and possibly a few keywords about what you can offer as a judge.
We look forward to hearing from you!
– Alea’s board (the organisation behind Fastaval)
