Obviously, our friends at Bombyx and Matagot (the co-editors of Takenoko) are overjoyed and proud – and the deserve to be, because a game about a panda bear wins the As D'Or. And that's not something you see every day.

Takenoko tells the tale of gardeners and a panda bear in the Far East, using beautiful art, impeccable graphics, and a design from renowned designer Antoine Bauza. Antoine, by the way, is in the process of buying a new storage shed to hold all the awards he has won in the past years for games like Ghost Stories and 7 Wonders.

The As D'Or has other prizes besides the top pick, like the surprise Special Jury Award, which this year went to Detective Sherlock Holmes Council (by Raymond Edwards, Suzanne Goldberg and Gary Grady, and edited by Ystari).

Congratulations to Bombyx, Matagot and Ystari, who now join the select club of As D'Or winners, such as Dixit, Identik, 7 Wonders and Skull & Roses.

As D’Or 2009 Dixit

As D’Or 2010 Identik

As D’Or 2011 Skull & Roses

As D’Or 2011 7 Wonders (Jury award)