Rüdiger Dorn

Lore & Background

Rüdiger Dorn was born in 1969 and lives in Pfofeld near Nuremberg with his wife and three children. He works as a certified trade teacher and board game developer at the Gunzenhausen business school, teaching subjects including BSK, economic geography, and people and the environment. His first published game is Magic Hill (1999) or Traders of Genoa (2001), not Cameo (1992).

Fantasy Flight Games published his fantasy-themed Dragonheart in 2010. Dorn received multiple Spiel des Jahres nominations: for Jambo (2005), Die Baumeister von Arkadia (2007), Las Vegas (2012), Karuba (2016), and Luxor (2018). He won the 2014 Kennerspiel des Jahres award for Istanbul. His games have also placed in the Deutscher Spiele Preis, including first place for Traders of Genoa (2001) and second place for Goa (2004). (Note: Louis XIV was designed by Michael Schacht, not Dorn.)

Dorn's game designs span a variety of themes and mechanics, from the trading game Traders of Genoa to the family-friendly Karuba and the dice-driven Las Vegas. His later works include Luxor (2018), Rune Stones (2019), Las Vegas Royale (2019), My Farm Shop (2020), and Treehouse Diner (2022).

Reader's Guide

Rüdiger Dorn's significance in board gaming stems from his consistent production of critically acclaimed games that have garnered multiple Spiel des Jahres nominations and a Kennerspiel des Jahres win. His game Istanbul (2014) is widely recognized as a landmark in the 'expert game' category, winning the Kennerspiel des Jahres award. His nominations for the main Spiel des Jahres award—for Jambo, Die Baumeister von Arkadia, Las Vegas, Karuba, and Luxor—demonstrate his versatility across different game types, from two-player card games to family dice games and tile-laying adventures. Dorn's work also achieved high rankings in the Deutscher Spiele Preis, including a first-place finish for Louis XIV. Beyond his design work, his career as a trade teacher and board game developer at a business school highlights a dual professional life. His legacy is that of a prolific designer whose games have been consistently recognized by the industry's most prestigious awards, appealing to both casual and serious gamers.

Did You Know?

• Rüdiger Dorn won the 2014 Kennerspiel des Jahres award for his game Istanbul.
• His game Goa placed 2nd in the 2004 Deutscher Spiele Preis.