The GOAT Awards

The idea of the “Golden GOAT” is that we choose the most popular game played by the group during the year. There is also a companion award acknowledging our least favourite game of the year, known as the “GOAT Poo” prize. The voting and award is made at the annual “Un-Christmas Dinner” and everyone who attends has up to three points to hand out for the Golden GOAT Award (plus a bonus if wearing Festive Attire); everyone can then nominate up to two individual games for the GOAT Poo Prize. There is also the unofficial “Marmite Factor” award for a notable number of nominations for both the Golden GOAT and the GOAT Poo awards and an occasional award for “Moment of the Year”.

Award winners for previous years are:

2024 (Details)
Golden GOAT	Winner: Stamp Swap	Honourable Mentions: Akropolis, Kavango, Flamme Rouge & Ticket to Ride: Rails & Sails
GOAT Poo	Winner: Ca$h ‘n Guns	Dishonourable Mentions: King of Tokyo, Rolling Realms & Ark Nova
“GOAT Marmite-factor”	Winner: Viticulture
“Moment of the Year”	Pine getting the end game rule wrong for Tonga Bonga, so Pink thought he’d won, but then didn’t

2023 (Details)
Golden GOAT	Winner: Tapestry	Honourable Mentions: Earth, Fantastic Factories, SCOUT & Zoo Break
GOAT Poo	Winner: Dice Hospital	Notable: 7 Wonders
“GOAT Marmite-factor”		Dishonourable Mentions: Challengers!, Kites & SCOUT
“Moment of the Year”	Three-way tie in Tapestry	Honourable Mentions: “Speed Dating” in Challengers! & carnage in Survive: Escape from Atlantis!

2022 (Details)
Golden GOAT	Winner: Everdell	Honourable Mentions: Endeavor, Cascadia, Old London Bridge, Splendor, Tapestry, Die Wandelnden Türme
GOAT Poo	Winner: Disney’s Villainous – The Worst takes it All
“GOAT Marmite-factor”		Dishonourable Mentions: Dice Hospital, Azul, Modern Art & Viticulture
“Moment of the Year”	Burgundy‘s last Games Night at the 2022 UnChristmas Dinner	Honourable Mentions: the epic games of Viticulture and Tapestry and Lilac nobbling Pine in Turf Horse Racing

2021 (Details)
Golden GOAT	Winner: Praga Caput Regni	Runner up: Wingspan Honourable Mentions: Downforce & Ticket to Ride (inc. Heart of Africa and Japan Maps)
GOAT Poo	Winner: Dingo’s Dreams	Dishonourable Mention: Tiny Towns
“GOAT Marmite-factor”		Notables: Mercado de Lisboa & Draftosaurus
“Moment of the Year”	Pink stealing gems in Niagara (and winning as a result)

2020 (Details)
Golden GOAT	Winner: 6 Nimmt!	Runner up: Wingspan Honourable Mentions: Kingdomino & Terraforming Mars
GOAT Poo	Winners: Covid-19 & Camel Up	Dishonourable Mentions: Terrafoming Mars & Welcome To…
“GOAT Marmite-factor”	Winner: Terraforming Mars
“Moment of the Year”	Lime playing the French at 6 Nimmt!

2019 (Details)
Golden GOAT	Winner: Wingspan	Runner up: Key Flow Honourable Mentions: Gingerbread House, Lords of Vegas, Villagers, Tokaido & Boom Boom Balloon
GOAT Poo	Winner: 7 Wonders
“GOAT Marmite-factor”	Winner: Tapestry	Notable: 7 Wonders

2018 (Details)
Golden GOAT	Winner: Altiplano	Honourable Mentions: Yokohama & Keyflower: The Farmers
GOAT Poo	Winner: Queendomino
“GOAT Marmite-factor”	Winners: Endeavor & Yardmaster
“Moment of the Year”	Playing Rock-Paper-Scissors (during Walk the Plank!)	Honourable Mention: The perennial Saboteur