Two important things happened this week. On one hand, the Spiel des Jahres awards were handed out, and on the other hand, the founders of PlayWise are in the same country and city, so they can finally work together in person instead of just in front of a computer. Everyone can decide for themselves which is the more significant event.

The most important award in the board gaming world is obviously something we pay attention to, so we celebrated our meeting with a Sky Team party. (Between a brainstorming session and a content creation session.)

Personally, I was very happy that Sky Team won the main prize because I love two-player games. If I don't count my abstract favorites, I would highlight Aton, Jaipur, Mr. Jack Pocket, Patchwork, and Schotten Totten as my favorite two-player board games. I don't know if Sky Team will make it onto this list, but based on the first impressions, it's not unlikely.

I'm not a fan of cooperative games, but I'm always very interested in whether they are truly cooperative. For example, I think that Pandemic is not cooperative in many ways because an alpha player can dominate the entire game since all information is visible, the best moves are clear, and they just need to be recognized. Sky Team provides a nice solution for achieving true cooperativity by hiding the most important information.

I like that we don't collect points; we either win or lose, and this goal is clear and straightforward. If a game uses dice smartly, it is almost an instant success for me. Dice are one of the most important, emblematic tools in board gaming, which we have somewhat neglected for a long time, as we only saw luck in them (though I don't necessarily have a problem with that). However, for many years now, many designers have shown that they can be used in incredibly diverse ways. (As a game designer, I am also interested in dice. Sometimes we just use them as markers, as quickly as possible; sometimes I put letters on them, sometimes colors, and sometimes we need to build towers with them.) In Sky Team, players use 4 dice each, which are used to choose actions and react to each other's dice without knowing what the other has rolled. This simple but ingenious mechanic provides an excellent gaming experience, balancing uncertainty with calculation and intuition.

Sky Team is a two-player board game that is quick to set up and play but still requires thoughtful strategy. I think it's perfect for home use; it's truly cooperative, so it demands tuning into each other. I should add that Dani and I landed flawlessly on our first try, and we hope this harmony is evident throughout PlayWise. I would also highlight the game's appearance. I was very pleased that it wasn't packaged in plastic, enjoyed assembling the board, and love the little components. I'm eagerly looking forward to exploring the depths of the "secret" compartment. It certainly seems that the award went to the right place!