Diamant d'Or 2026: The 8 Finalists for Best Expert Eurogame Revealed

The "Wild Boars" Award Reveals This Year's Nominees

The Diamant d'Or , the prestigious French award created over a decade ago to showcase complex Eurogames (the so-called "wild boars") often overlooked by more generalist prizes, has revealed its list of eight finalists for the 2026 edition.

The jury, composed of expert players, selects titles that stand out for their high replayability and strategic depth, focusing on releases from the last 12 months. The winner, who will succeed the 2025 winner SETI (a game that also won the Deutscher Spiele Preis), will be announced on February 8, 2026 .

The Finalists and their Mechanics

Here's an analysis of the competing titles, ranging from pure management, worker placement, and dice manipulation:

• Galactic Cruise (Kinson Key Games): One of the most anticipated titles after a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign. Players run a luxury space travel agency. Key mechanics: worker placement, resource management, and interplanetary logistics.
• Recall (Alion / Dr Ø): From the creators of 2023 finalist Revive . This title mixes engine building with exploration, promising the same tactical depth as its predecessor.
• Sweet Lands (Uchibacoya): The Japanese publisher is known for lavish productions and heavy rules. Sweet Lands is no exception, offering a complex economic challenge hidden behind a colorful aesthetic.
• Ada's Dream (Alley Cat Games): A tribute to Ada Lovelace. The game focuses on dice manipulation and programming, requiring careful planning to optimize your actions.
• Ants (Cranio Creations): A title also from the Italian publisher, focused on the expansion of an ant colony. Details: Colony management, resource conversion, and set collection by Renato Ciervo and Andrea Robbiani.
• Keyside (HUCH! / R&D Games): Richard Breese, creator of the legendary Keyflower , returns, joined by David Turczi. Expect a lethal mix of auctions, logistics, and indirect interaction typical of the "Key" series.
• Luthier (Paverson Games): An original theme that puts us in the shoes of musical instrument makers. The game is known for its use of hidden bidding combined with worker placement.
• Philarmonix (Archona Games): Another musical title, but set in space. Designed by Faris Suhaimi, it's a worker placement game focused on managing a galactic orchestra.

The context of the award

The Diamant d'Or continues to be a beacon for gamers seeking cerebral challenges. Last year, SETI took the top spot, followed by Stefan Feld's Civolution and Vital Lacerda's Inventions: Evolution of Ideas . This year's selection (selected from around 50 initial entrants) appears to maintain the high level of competition, offering a mix of new authors and industry veterans.