“I should have brought a trailer”: 999 Games scoops double win as Bomb Busters, Botanicus pick up Dutch game of the year awards

Hisashi Hayashi’s co-operative bomb disposal game Bomb Busters has added to its recent Spiel des Jahres win by triumphing in the family games category of this year’s Nederlandse Spellenprijs, the longest-running award celebrating Dutch language board games.

Bomb Busters faced competition for the award from a brace of Johannes Goupy designs: Faraway, which he co-designed with Corentin Lebrat, and Pixies.

The victory marks the third year out of the last four that the the year’s Spiel des Jahres winner has taken home the Nederlandse Spelleprijs family award, following Sky Team in 2024 and Cascadia in 2022.

Samuele Tabellini Ferrari and Vieri Masseini’s botanical garden builder Botanicus won this year’s Connoisseurs Game award – suitable for players aged 10-plus who appreciate a game that lasts an hour and a half, that can be explained in fifteen minutes – leading to a double celebration for 999 Games, which also published the Dutch version of Bomb Busters.

999 Games sales manager Rene Knip joked that he should have brought a trailer to the prize-giving event as he took to the stage to collect the second award.

He said of Bomb Busters, “After winning the Spiel des Jahres, [a Dutch Toy of the Year award] and a nomination for [Flemish game prize] Gouden Ludo, you realize you’re a strong contender, but other strong nominations kept things exciting. It’s even more fun when you finally win.”

Peter Prinz’s design Comet and Pirates of Maracaibo, designed by Alexander Pfister, Ralph Bienert and Ryan Hendrickson, had also picked up nominations for the Connoisseurs Game award.

Tomáš Holek’s already multi-award-winning Space exploration eurogame SETI picked up yet another gong in the Expert Game category, marking a debut win for fledgling Dutch publisher DSV Games – launched two years ago by online shop De Spelletjes Vrienden.

DSV co-owner Marieke Kuit – van Woesik said, “We are really proud that as a publisher, which has only been around for two years, we receive this wonderful confirmation that we are on the right track with our small team.”

The Expert Game award had been contested by by Germán Millán’s Egypt-themed worker placement and tile drafter Men Nefer and Dani Garcia-designed tulip-farming action-selection game Windmill Valley.

A 10-person jury of Netherlands-based board game writers, video makers, reviewers, game store and cafe owners and board game association organisers whittled down this year’s nominees from more than 100 Dutch language games released in the 12 months to June 30 this year, with a focus on “quality, enjoyment and originality”.

A special award was also handed out this year to mark the 25th anniversary of the Nederlandse Spellenprijs, with members of the public having been asked to vote for their favourite among all of the competition’s previous winners.

Mathias Wigge’s hugely popular zoo-building and conservation game Ark Nova won that prize, having previously picked up the Expert Game award in the 2022 competition.

Earlier this year French book publishing giant Hachette continued its expansion in the board game market by acquiring 999 Games, which has been operating as a publisher and distributor for 35 years.

The company, which was founded by Michael Bruinsma in 1990, has grown from a one-person board game importer to a major player in the Dutch and Belgian markets, selling about 2.5 million games each year distributed across more than 1,000 physical retailers.

The company competes with publishers in the Netherlands including White Goblin Games, DSV Games and Keep Exploring Games in addition to global players Asmodee and Ravensburger.

Last April 999 expanded into a new distribution centre with 5,000 sq m of floor space at its headquarters in Almere, near Amsterdam.

Nederlandse Spellenprijs 2025

Family Game:
WINNER: Bomb Busters, designed by Hisashi Hayashi – published by 999 Games
Faraway, Corentin Lebrat and Johannes Goupy – White Goblin Games
Pixies, Johannes Goupy – Gamin’BIZ

Connoisseur Game:
WINNER: Botanicus, Samuele Tabellini Ferrari and Vieri Masseini – 999 Games
Comet, Peter Prinz – HOT Games
Pirates of Maracaibo, Alexander Pfister, Ralph Bienert and Ryan Hendrickson – Geronimo Games

Expert Game:
WINNER: SETI: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Tomáš Holek – DSV Games
Men Nefer, Germán Millán – Keep Exploring Games
Windmill Valley, Dani Garcia – Board & Dice

Special 25th Anniversary Audience Award: Ark Nova, Mathias Wigge – White Goblin Games