{"id":2546,"date":"2025-05-22T15:46:30","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T13:46:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/?p=2546"},"modified":"2025-07-29T15:50:54","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T13:50:54","slug":"catch-up-games-on-the-spiel-des-jahres-stage-whats-their-secret-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/index.php\/2025\/05\/22\/catch-up-games-on-the-spiel-des-jahres-stage-whats-their-secret-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Catch Up Games : what\u2019s their secret recipe ?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Catch Up Games on the Spiel des Jahres stage : what\u2019s their secret recipe?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Boom. With Faraway and Flip 7 nominated for two of the most coveted awards in the board game industry _Kennerspiel des Jahres and Spiel des Jahres respectively_ Catch Up Games is closer than ever to the holy grail of international recognition. As we await the final results on July 13th 2025 in Berlin, co-founders S\u00e9bastien and Cl\u00e9ment share their reactions, reflections, and insights into their creative journey.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Double Nomination That Feels Surreal<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

S\u00e9bastien<\/strong> : It\u2019s pretty wild. It\u2019s exciting, but hard to wrap my head around\u2014it feels unreal.
Cl\u00e9ment<\/strong> : For me, it\u2019s nostalgia mixed with pride. I remember spotting the Spiel logo on games I bought years ago like Karuba<\/em>. When we launched Catch Up Games a decade ago, being nominated for the Spiel wasn\u2019t even a goal. The idea that we can now stamp \u2018Spiel Nominee\u2019 on a box ? It makes no sense and it\u2019s incredible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the spiel jury announced the news…<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With their eyes on the calendar, the team gathered to watch the official reveal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cl\u00e9ment<\/strong> : I\u2019m not big on awards, to be honest. They\u2019re great when they come, but they don\u2019t define a game\u2019s worth. It\u2019s all about context, taste, and human relationships.
S\u00e9bastien<\/strong> : Seeing Faraway<\/em> and Flip 7<\/em> announced felt unreal. The Spiel is the ultimate recognition. Having two games in the final stretch ? That\u2019s crazy !<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faraway\u2019s Path to Kennerspiel<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After the As d\u2019Or<\/em> win in 2024, did they expect Faraway<\/em> to go even further ?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

S\u00e9bastien <\/strong>: This felt like the one shot to get a Spiel nomination. With the games we had and strong distribution in Germany, I thought: maybe. But hoping and actually landing a spot are very different.
Cl\u00e9ment<\/strong> : When Faraway<\/em> launched, I knew we\u2019d nailed it: good alignment on gameplay, audience, and price. But juries are juries. It\u2019s subjective and depends a lot on who you play the game with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Kennerspiel the right fit?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cl\u00e9ment<\/strong> : Faraway<\/em> isn\u2019t as accessible as Flip 7<\/em> or Ch\u00e2teau Combo<\/em>. It\u2019s a complex game that doesn\u2019t suit beginners. In France, we position it for ‘initiated’ players and that fits the Kennerspiel category well in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flip 7 and the joy of simple games<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Did they foresee its nomination too ? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cl\u00e9ment<\/strong> : Given how Flip 7<\/em> started in shops and across Europe, yes, it’s a game that resonates. But every market\u2019s different, and even when demand exceeds expectations, that doesn\u2019t guarantee a Spiel nod especially in this category, where simplicity reigns.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Facing criticism with Grace<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Some reactions from the board game community weren\u2019t all positive… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cl\u00e9ment<\/strong> : Critics have a right to speak up. Ten years ago, I\u2019d have agreed ! I was into complex games. Now I match games to my audience\u2014even Skyjo<\/em>, which I used to dismiss, I now play with my kids and love it. Flip 7<\/em> gives people emotions\u2014and that\u2019s our guiding principle.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

S\u00e9bastien<\/strong>: Our goal with Flip 7<\/em> was to reach players who find most games too complicated. Not liking it doesn\u2019t make anyone wrong\u2014it just means it wasn\u2019t made for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ch\u00e2teau Combo : a bittersweet rejection ?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Though Ch\u00e2teau Combo<\/em> made the long list, it didn\u2019t reach the final trio. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

S\u00e9bastien<\/strong>: We\u2019re not complaining. It\u2019s amazing to even be recommended. The game\u2019s doing well, and players love it. But yes, we\u2019re a bit disappointed for the creators\u2014Gr\u00e9gory Grard and Mathieu Roussel\u2014and the illustrator St\u00e9phane Escapa. They truly deserve recognition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cl\u00e9ment<\/strong> : S\u00e9bastien won\u2019t say it, but he poured his heart into this project. From scouting authors to selecting materials\u2014it was all him. I wish he got that moment of spotlight.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

So what\u2019s the recipe ?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With Faraway<\/em>, Flip 7<\/em>, Courtisan<\/em>, and Ch\u00e2teau Combo<\/em> under their belt, how do Catch Up Games consistently unearth gems ?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

S\u00e9bastien<\/strong> : We love the games we publish.
Cl\u00e9ment<\/strong> : A good game makes you feel something and makes you want to play again. We don\u2019t rely on testing with 200 people or sales projections\u2014it\u2019s about instinct.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

S\u00e9bastien<\/strong>: Over time, we\u2019ve developed editorial filters. We ask ourselves: Does this game align with our audience? Is it too complex or expensive?\u201d\u00a0
Cl\u00e9ment<\/strong> : Successes are great\u2014but we learn from missteps too. The Guardians of Havresack<\/em> didn\u2019t sell well, even though it was excellent. I led that project, and we made editorial errors. The key is reflection whether a game flies or flops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From heartfelt storytelling to strategic insights, Catch Up Games reveals what it means to stay grounded while reaching for greatness. Their recipe ? Emotion, instinct, and unapologetic passion. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Catch Up Games on the Spiel des Jahres stage : what\u2019s their secret recipe?\u00a0 Boom. With Faraway and Flip 7 nominated for two of the most coveted awards in the board game industry _Kennerspiel des Jahres and Spiel des Jahres respectively_ Catch Up Games is closer than ever to the holy grail of international recognition.Continue reading \u00ab\u00a0Catch Up Games : what\u2019s their secret recipe ?\u00a0\u00ab\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2259,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-export","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2546"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2550,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2546\/revisions\/2550"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.blackrockgames.fr\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}