Word-association game 'Dito!' wins the Spiel des Jahres 2026

The party game "Dito!" was named Spiel des Jahres 2026 this weekend, securing the tabletop industry's most prestigious international honour.

The German board game award was announced in Berlin on July 12. The title, designed by Indonesian creator Martin Ang and published in German by Game Factory, secured the top honour in the main category, recognising its intuitive design and engaging social mechanics.

"Dito!" (also published internationally as "JinxO") is a fast-paced word association game where players secretly write down terms fitting a specific category — such as "countries with good cuisine" — and score points by matching answers with their fellow players. The game rewards empathy and reading the room over pure trivia knowledge, with bonus points awarded if exactly one other person writes the same word.

The title prevailed over fellow nominees "Cozy Stickerville" and "Morty Sorty Magic Shop" to claim the coveted red pawn. The victory marks a significant milestone, with Ang becoming the first Indonesian designer to win the main Spiel des Jahres prize.

Alongside "Dito!", the expert-level Kennerspiel des Jahres went to "Rebirth". The win makes its designer, Reiner Knizia, the first person to win in all three of the award's historical categories. The children's game prize, the Kinderspiel des Jahres, was awarded to Florian Sirieix's "Mooki Island".