The best ways to get 'board'

MAJOR AWARD WINNERS

• The 2008 winner of Germany's prestigious Spiel de Jahres is Keltis, published by Kosmos Games, but which will be released in English as Lost Cities by Rio Grande Games. Designed by Reiner Knizia, one of the top board game designers in the world, it sends game players on Indiana Jones-style expeditions to find ancient cities. "This is a great family game with simple rules, great theme, a lot of player interaction and quick play," says Jones.

• Games Magazine Game of the Year is Tzaar (Rio Grande Games), an abstract strategy game for two players, in which sides try to capture discs and create stacks of varying heights.

MAJOR AWARD WINNERS

STRATEGY GAMES

• Aquaretto (Rio Grande Games): Similar to last year's Zooloretto, this can either be a stand-alone game or an expansion to Zooloretto. Players create aquariums and try to attract visitors with exotic aquatic animals. Whoever takes the best care of the animals wins.

• Through the Ages (CzechBoardGames): A civilization-building game that offers an intensive two-hour-plus experience. The winner is the player whose world produces the most culture during the game.

• Acquire (Avalon Hill): Originally published in 1962 as one of the 3M bookshelf games, it has long been out of print. Players try to earn the most money by developing and merging hotel chains.

• Tayu (Goliath Games): A fast-paced game requiring strategy as each player tries to create as many water channels from one side of the board to the other, while also blocking his opponent.

• Pentago (Mindtwister): A new version of an old game, it is a two-player abstract strategy game in which players play a marble of their color into an unoccupied space and then rotate the section of the board 90 degrees. A player wins by getting five marbles in a row.

FAMILY GAMES

• Kayak Chaos! (SimplyFun): Be the first to maneuver your kayak up, down and across a river that you build as you go. Watch out for rocks and competing kayakers, which can change the flow of the river.

• Turtlemania (SimplyFun): Inspired by the ancient Chinese game of Mahjong, the goal is to dismantle 135 colorful tiles by matching identical patterns as fast as you can. Make the most matches and collect the most points.

• Rolit (Goliath Games): Surround your opponent's playing pieces and switch them to your color. The one with the most pieces in their color at the end of the game wins.

• It's Alive (Reiver Games): Play mad scientist and be the first to create your monster by collecting body parts, but watch out for the wrathful villagers who may come after you.

PARTY GAMES