Dicebreaker also commented that the game as a "time-proven, award-winning classic". Similar sentiments were expressed by reviewers for Polish portals Polter and GamesFanatic. The game was awarded the Spiel des Jahres prize in 1996. The jury praised strategy, "clearly structured" gameplay, the game board landscape designed by the artist Doris Matthäus, and the "well-explained" rules despite the complexity, concluding that the "two authors have impressively succeeded in bringing all this together into a harmonious whole". The jury commented that despite some elements of luck, player control is more emphasised. Stewart Woods, writing in Eurogames: The Design, Culture and Play of Modern European Board Games, described it as "relatively complex" compared to other winners. El Grande also won the 1996 Deutscher Spiele Preis. . Expansions Following El Grande's release, several expansions were released, including Konig & Intrigant in 1997, which replaced several action and power cards. Grand Inquisitor & Colonies, which added regions, was also released in the same year; subsequently, the Grandissimo expansion was published, adding action cards. In 1998, El Caballero, which was based upon El Grande, was released, with the Spiel des Jahres jury describing the game as an "independent, attractive placement game". References External links Board games introduced in 1995 Board games about history Spiel des Jahres winners Deutscher Spiele Preis winners Wolfgang Kramer games Hans im Glück games Rio Grande Games games