We have great news to share: Onoda, designed by Paco Gradaille, illustrated by Javi de Castro, and published by Salt & Pepper Games, has been nominated for the 2026 Summit Awards in the best historical game category.
The Summit Awards, organized by San Diego Historical Games Convention (SDHist), annually recognize games that contribute to expanding the world of historical gaming through unique themes, new approaches, and accessible and meaningful experiences.
In the case of Onoda, the jury specifically highlighted the uniqueness of its theme and the way the game allows players to engage with the story of Hiroo Onoda and the decisions and dilemmas that marked his decades on Lubang Island.
Onoda is a solitaire game that condenses a story spanning almost 30 years into approximately 25 minutes. Beyond depicting his actions as a soldier and guerrilla fighter, Paco Gradaille's design seeks to explore concepts such as survival, resilience, paranoia, and the consequences of our decisions.
The proposal is complemented by the artistic work of Javi de Castro, whose illustrations help convey the particular tone of the story, and the graphic design of João Duarte-Silva.
For us, this nomination is especially significant because Onoda very well represents our commitment to publishing historical games that explore events and characters from different perspectives, and that are capable of transforming a real story into a memorable gaming experience.
The four finalists will compete for the 2026 Summit Award, the winner of which will be announced in November during the SDHist Summit in San Diego.
We are very proud to see Onoda among the finalists!
