Each year, Imagination Gaming presents 10 awards, divided into two distinct categories. The first category celebrates games that are new to Imagination Gaming within the current 12-month period, while the second recognizes established games that have demonstrated consistent excellence over time.
This year (2025), we have added a brand new award, ‘Travel Games,’ to our list, bringing the total to an exciting 11 awards!
Type 1. Games New to Imagination Gaming – regardless of when they were originally published.
This category includes games that may have been published at any time but are newly introduced to our organisation within the past year. Games can be submitted for the following nine categories:
To be eligible, games must not have been used in any of our activities prior to last year’s awards. They can be completely new, unpublished titles or previously released games, provided they are finished products and have not been previously recognized.
The awards available in these categories are:
The Imagination Gaming Seal of Approval – This award recognises those games that meet our high standards for use in our work with schools and at community events and are games that we can recommend to families as a great game.
Shortlisted – This award is for those exceptional games that make it onto the shortlist for final judging.
Gold Award – This award recognises the judges’ choice for the best game in the category.
Judging Process: (excluding the Players Choice Award***, which is dealt with below)
Nominees
Every submitted game in this category is played and tested for consideration by Imagination Gaming staff and colleagues on numerous occasions with a mix of invited, suitable participants to ensure each game is fully understood and appreciated. It is also play tested, where appropriate, in our work at schools and at community events nationwide.
Shortlisted
These games are then judged solely by this years large, independent panel of educators, parents and enthusiasts.
Winners
The games will be available in our huge UKGE Family Zone hall for the full 3 days of this years convention and at other selected games conventions and events nationwide. Over this period the games will be available to all visitors to playtest and with all participants given an opportunity to help determine the top games.
The top game in each category is then awarded the Gold Award!
***The Imagination Gaming, Players Choice Award judging process***
Games considered for this award include ALL the games from the other awards above and are judged by players at games conventions and events where IG have a family zone.
The BIGGY award:
This will be judged by the Imagination Gaming team and given to the game that has really stood out to us and one that has proved not only popular, but one that can be played again and again! There will be just one game out of all the submissions we receive that will be awarded with the BIGGY!
All games that have been submitted into the awards will be in the running – if you have a game you think will impress us, it’s important that you get it to us as soon as possible! Who knows, it could be just what we’ve been searching for!
Type 2. Classic Games
The following 2 categories deal with games published more than 12 months ago.
• The Family Classic Award
• The Excelled in Schools Awards
For these, any game may be considered for these awards, providing it hasn’t won an award in either category in a previous year.
Each year we will award 1 game in each of these 2 categories which will be recognised as excelling in the area and will be awarded the appropriate badge.
Games in both of these categories are solely shortlisted and judged by Imagination Gaming based on the experiences of using the games in our year-round, education workshops and family events nationwide.
The key element of a good “family” game for us, is that everyone can play it… with everyone else… and to its full potential. Yes, there are lots of games that are good for all ages, but often that can mean it works when adults play each other or when children play it together. We love games that can get a really wide range of ages and abilities together on a level playing field, whether it’s a five minute dash or a 45 minute stalk, will everyone find it fun and competitive at the same time. If so, you’re onto a winner.
We do also recognise that “families” have very different make ups, and can be focused around an older age group or be specifically centered around a larger number of younger children. As such we have included a huge range of titles to be shortlisted in this all en-compassing category, and we will endeavour to find the right balance in judging the awards!
There’s a lot more to “maths” than just numbers!
The teachers and parents we work with like to talk about “thinking skills”. So good numeracy games may involve obvious number-play and calculation, but it’s how those skills are applied through strategy, logic, movement, money skills, risk and probability, planning and perception that really make the Games that Count!
For us, good literacy games take more than words…
It’s not just about encouraging spelling and vocabulary knowledge, but also the ability to comprehend and communicate situations, thoughts and ideas effectively… and the fun that can result. We use all kinds of games and activities to support all these skills to give our players confidence in what they are saying, and enjoy the laughter that comes with using language cleverly to outwit your opponents
To celebrate a good “cross-curricular” game, we’re looking for are games that have a bit of everything from an educational side.
There are tons of great games out there that cover a wide range of curriculum and social skills, however they may first appear. For example, a game involving money will obviously require mathematical skills, but if it involves negotiation as well, then you have introduced language and emotional skills too. Can it be linked to other important learning topics such as health, teamwork, responsibility, confidence and risk assessment? What is the theme of the game, is it historical, geographical, business etc?
Games like this can’t simply be pigeon-holed… but we have tried to with this award!!!
Our Problem Solving Awards celebrate individuals of all ages who demonstrate creativity and resilience in overcoming challenges. This category emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and innovative solutions, essential skills for both personal and professional success.
By engaging in diverse problem-solving activities, participants enhance their analytical abilities and decision-making processes. We aim to foster a culture of perseverance and ingenuity, encouraging individuals to tackle obstacles with confidence and adopt a growth mindset.
Foundation stage children are filled with imagination, curiosity, and energy, making this developmental phase crucial for shaping their learning experiences and instilling essential values. Our Young Einsteins awards harness this spirit through tabletop games designed to educate and inspire. These games promote social skills, teamwork, and critical thinking while providing opportunities for laughter and joy. By integrating play into learning, we create a supportive environment that encourages exploration, problem-solving, and creativity, setting the foundation for lifelong success.
Sometimes, you need a game to bring along for the ride, whether it’s to keep the children entertained during a journey or to have fun at a family meal. A good game can help keep everyone occupied, not just the kids! Look for something that is easy to carry, fits in a pocket or bag, and doesn’t take up much table space. Have you got the ideal game?
As always, we will be taking EVERY game submitted for this year’s awards with us to UK Games Expo; the UK’s biggest hobby gaming convention. Here, Imagination Gaming run the massive Family Zone, an area that can cater for hundreds of players at once across all three days of this year’s convention, and where all these games and many more will be available on request for us to demonstrate to anyone who would like to try them out! as well as to other large gaming conventions and events nationwide
That’s pretty amazing!
Remember… All the Games nominated for this year in the other Type 1 categories above also have a chance of winning this coveted award!!!
For this one… the gloves are off!
These are the games that we have found to have the most impact across a range of ages and abilities, whilst being both good fun and enhancing vital thinking skills. By definition, all the games we introduce to our games club network have value in the classroom with an intrinsic mix of engagement and fun. We just want to know which ones could not be put down by staff or children… for whatever reason!
Want your game to have a shot at next year’s title?! Get it to us now and it could be an important inclusion in our workshops and activities for the coming year… and beyond
This award, like the Excelled In Schools category is open to games from any year, previous to this one of course!
Here we are looking for games that families of all ages have consistently responded favourably to over the years at community events, festivals, libraries and conventions. Basically anywhere that parents have a chance to play with there children and extend family and friends, whatever the ages!
Want your game to have a shot at next year’s title?! Get it to us now and it could be an important inclusion in our workshops and activities for the coming year and beyond. By this time next year it could be on it’s way to becoming a ‘classic’ itself!
Now this is the big one…hence the name! This award is open to any game that has been introduced this year that really knocked our socks off!
The BIGGY award, which will be judged by the Imagination Gaming team, will be given to the game that has really stood out to us and one that has proved not only popular, but one that can be played again and again!
All games that have been submitted into the current years awards will be in the running – if you have a game you think will impress us, it’s important that you get it to us as soon as possible! Who knows, it could be just what we’ve been searching for!
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Data Protection Policy | Child Protection Policy | COPPA
2022© Imagination Gaming
Design & Website Build: Ginger Fox Studio