Award-winning board games of 1985: all four major awards

Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective: The Thames Murders & Other Cases

• Spiel des Jahres

Every year, our algorithm names the outright winner shown at the top of the timeline. The rule is mathematical: the game that piled up the most of these awards wins. On a tie, the value of the medals (winner or runner-up) settles it. And if the tie still holds, the legendary Spiel des Jahres, the oldest and most influential institution in the world, acts as referee.