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Gamer Choice Awards

June 3, 2002 - San Marco, Dvonn and Wilderness War have been presented with the 2002 Gamers' Choice Awards by the Strategy Gaming Society, an organization of board game enthusiasts. The awards were created to recognize outstanding games and game designers and to promote the board game industry throughout the world.

"This is an exciting time for people who enjoy board games," said award committee chairman and GCA committee member Greg J. Schloesser. "With the great influx of fantastic games from overseas, particularly from Germany, the public has more exciting, challenging and high-quality games available to it than ever before."

To be eligible for the 2002 Gamers' Choice Awards, a game had to be released during the 2001 calendar year. The winners were announced on June 3, 2002.

San Marco, a game designed by Alan Moon and Aaron Weissblum and published throughout the world by Ravensburger, won in the category of Best Multi-Player Game. The game is set on the enchanting islands of Venice, Italy and engages players in a struggle for control of the many districts of the island city. The game plays 3 - 4 players, ages 10 and up.

Dvonn is the fourth in a series of strategic abstract games from designer Kris Burm. It is released in the United States by Rio Grande Games of Rio Rancho, New Mexico and internationally by Don & Company. The game was chosen as best in the General Strategy, 2-Player Game category. Like classic games such as chess and Go, Dvonn has "simple rules but strategies and tactics that provide great depth and excitement." Dvonn is recommended for ages 9 and up.

Wilderness War, a simulation of the French and Indian War designed by Volko Ruhnke and published by GMT Games of Hanford, California, won in the category of Best Historical Simulation Game. According to the award committee, "Wilderness War uses the extremely popular card mechanism pioneered by such games as We the People and Paths of Glory, taking it to a new and exciting level." Wilderness War is recommended for adults and teens.

The Strategy Gaming Society was formed in 1973 as the American Wargaming Association. This is the third year it has presented the Gamers' Choice Awards, which are presented annually. The SGS is the oldest continuously existing organization of board gaming enthusiasts in the United States.

The SGS website is located atwww.boardgamegeek.com/~sgs/ For more information on an Marco, Dvonn or Wilderness War contact Ravensburger USA Inc., (800) 886-1236; Rio Grande Games, (505) 771-8813; and GMT Games, (800) 523-6111.