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Quick Look: Essen Spiel Game Fair
A.K.A: Spielwarenmesse or Spiel Essen
What is it?: THE WORLD’S LARGEST GAMES FAIR
We are the world’s largest public fair for board games and bring together passionate game fans with national and international exhibitors in Germany in the heart of the Ruhr area. Here you can discover new titles from all over the world, enjoy the company of other gamers and above all play as much as you want. Because playing is in the heart of SPIEL.
Thousands of new releases, which will be shown and sold for the first time, are waiting for you in the city of Essen. Explainers will help you to start playing right away, authors will sign their works and are happy to meet their fans.
Review:
From the early days of the late 1960s, 1968 to be exact, Essen Spiel Game Fair or then known as “Spielwarenmesse” was formed and the idea of a small gathering of those who enjoyed the past-time of games gathered together to share in the joy or as the good folks in Germany say, “Mitfreude”. In 1983, about the time I started into the hobby, the fair became known as the Internationale Spieltage SPIEL and currently, like most cultural staples, converted to an acronym or shortened words known by the 1000s in the gaming community worldwide as Essen! Essen is actually the city where it has been housed since inception. A traditional developed area of Germany, Essen is also a welcoming community of the arts and often celebrates numerous gatherings of creative crazy’s that are most surely my kind of people. Do note that the city supports quick transportation throughout the area to and from the convention center by way of an underground metro system at a rate of two to four euros per ride one way. All aboard!
From a young awkward teen in the 80s who engaged in that so-called “Satanic Ritual Game” Dungeons and Dragons, I wanted to travel abroad and experience what the civilization that created and developed games like Chess, Cribbage, and the vast number of card games was like. I was told; “You don’t want to go there, it is so crowded and packed, you barely get to see or do anything but walk baby steps around multiple buildings all weekend”. While the event was in multiple buildings (6 plus gigantic convention centers sprawling over 68,500 square feet), they were not spread out far and to my delight, found they were all connected through a couple of corridors that offered an array of food options at the typical fair pricing. Though this frugal guy could have brought a few more snacks and a water bottle to offset the already expensive flight over, the numerous options offered a nice variety and break from the 10,000 plus steps taken daily. Yes, the herding through thin gaps of the gaming masses happens often. The layout and lane spacing setup by the organizers had the enormity of the pending crowds in mind and all did flow well.
Speaking of the cost of the trip, the least expensive element was the cost of the full weekend badge. At $65 USD, it is a very complementary price that delivers value to the attendees. Keep in mind, the organization takes in millions with a record setting 204,000 gamers emerging onto those aforementioned six buildings. Yes, there are immense expenses, but the 923 exhibitors and sponsorships should absorb those costs if executed properly. And by how well it was run and the price point of the badges, they are very much on top of it!
In planning for the trip, I was often stifled by the amount of options to direct my limited time towards. This, I know, is common to many who have found themselves in the same situation of so much to do in so little time. With thousands of games now on the market and available to demo and purchase including over 1500 NEW Releases, one could become exhausted just reviewing which to seek out. This doesn’t even include the many manufactures and table or dice vendors on site. As a designer partly focused on pitching to publishers my own creations, the set pitch appointments and play through sessions made my available time even less to experience all the key games I was anxious to play.
Managing to either sit in on a demo or get the 10 minute overview by a publisher’s staff member of over 20 games across the four days, here are just a few highlights with honorable mentions:
- Beast by Studio Midhall. Having tried a few modern hide and seek games that I found to be lackluster, this game showcased a well balanced and more in-depth play mechanic that was complemented by some of the nicest art work I have seen in a game in some time.
- Sær by La Mame Games. It is so inspiring and joyful to play a game from a small publishing group of wonderful folk who emanate the energy that is put into the design and development of a simple game play. Yes, I too love the array of styles from deep crunchy 4 hr plus euro games but this card focused concealed combat game where after just a quick 20 minutes you say at the end- “Let’s go again, LETS GO AGAIN”. Those are true Gems!
- BOOM BUSTERS by Pegasus Spiele. There are always those hit games that you know when you play it AND is found in a majority of bags when you give it the slightly creepy Peeping Tom neck extension to look into the bags of on coming aisle lane traffic. Though we did not get the full demo experience due to a language gap of others that jointed in, we did get the feel and can see why it crossed many of the age, experience, and time restrictions of most players to have been sold out before day 3.
- METRO DOMINO by NAME. In sales they say timing is everything. This game reenforces that as the family has been indulged it the simple game of Mexican Train when elders and “non-gamer” friends have gathered. This domino driven game takes the simple rule set of this traditional game and adds a thematic flare to it. It is also very close to the heart given my card game launch focused on the vintage WAR card game mechanic.( HERE ) It simply adds a space battle theme that all gamers can relate and enjoy. Metro Domino has limited distribution to date so I’ve linked the BGG site as well to let you decide if this low bar to entry, minimal depth game should be of interest and brought to your table.
- DEEP ROCK GALACTIC by MOOD Publishing. I am pleasantly surprised by the conversions from video game to board game that have been released the past couple of years. Though making video games from movies has more often flopped, the designs and development of past games like (setting kickstarter and publisher politics aside) R6 – the Rainbow 6 Siege game, Slay the Spire – dungeon Crawl game, and now this collection of tokens, cards, and dwarven lore brings an entertaining game box to the table with Deep Rock Galactic. Each asymmetric character offers special actions that keep the game moving with simple dice rolls and card play that supports the character actions on a board with many versatile tile placements to offer a new adventure at each play session. The art work on this one as well tickles my fancy with a wonderful contrast of bright yellow and dark grays. Each dwarf hero is drawn to highlight features that best reflect how one would perceive those height-challenged beings to be in any combat focused adventure play.
- Warp and Weft by Cami Muñoz Villar and published by Fractal Juegos. Not every game needs to be a race-based shoote’em up dungeon style game to be worthy of time on the table. Puzzles and Patterns are two Ps in a Pod and are joined together for a wonderful experience within this design. This is a perfect entry game for older family members and friends that would not dive any deeper than one card or action mechanic but with a very tactile feel while adding an even stronger satisfaction level when doing final scoring.
- KRAFTWAGON by Arcane Wonders. With playing over 20 different games designed in a 4-day period, it is often hard to rank them in an order given the different genres, mechanics, and times at which I played them. Was it fresh in the AM or the last of a long day. Despite what I would say was a demonstrators major miss-step in showcasing the unique way to activate a turn in an order that had a very nice thematic feel, this one grew on me as I traversed the crowded halls over time. This turn-of-the-century auto industry area control and engine builder, showcased various ways to generate victory points and had just the right amount of strategy baked into a tight execution of turns that never left you waiting too long. Something I find to be a big issue with euro style games in this category.
- Ok one more- SETI by CGE. The heavy marketing and buzz for the release of this game required me to give it a morsel of my limited time. The team at Czech Games Edition is as top notch of a host as you could ask in both pleasantries and in-depth knowledge of the game they are explaining. SETI is among the leaders in a new board shifting mechanic, that I am seeing more and more, introducing changes to the environment and player options each turn. Their rotating 3 layered circular galaxy board map creates that added spacial element, forcing you to reevaluate your actions when your turn comes around – no pun intended.
These eight little gems are all well designed, play tested, and offer a unique experience at your gaming table. Some honorable mentions would be:
The Flames of Fafair by Lucky Duck Games. A huge orange marble spewing Dragon on the board destroying fortifications and the village every turn. Who doesn’t love a good Dragon in any game.
Andromedas Edge by Cardboard Alchemy. All the kickstarter hype and investment pays off with a truly DELUXE edition leaving no spared expense with the miniature designed and production, coins, tokens, and more. The entry to understanding is a bit daunting, but with enough attempts, you will not need another on your shelf of its type.
Ceres by Artipia Games – a moon landing and exploring area control game that dumps just about every crunchy euro option into it while still keeping some level of sanity each turn. This also uses a revolving board shift but to a much simpler and less impactful feel and end result.
Now back to that frugal reality and the economics of it all. Keep in mind that this is coming from the perspective of an American with limited baggage capacity and the availability of strong distribution to the country. I found most pricing after their VAT taxes, or decided price points, to be much higher than simply ordering it online and shipped to my house or holding out until I get back home and pick up while supporting my local game store for similar pricing. That is of course if the title has US distribution already set at launch.
Looking back and reflecting on the journey as I write this 34,000 feet above the earth with a loooooooong flight back to the states, I have to say it is a must attend for anyone with more than a hand-full of games on a shelf at your abode. And if you have a place in your pad that has any resemblance to a gaming table or a collection that rivals the Library of Congress, then start savings your Pennie’s, Quids, or whatever you call your small coin currency…(beans, bones, cheese) now and schedule your flights early to save on airfare.
Essentially, Spiel 2024 will be one of those fond memories that fades with each cocktail I partake in over the coming years with any genetic luck. From the fingers crossed successful pitches, the many amazing folks I met from over 80 nations who attended this years event and the great times spent with a dear friend who puts up not only with my crazy game design ideas but the occasional lapse in FILTER from my thoughts to my mouth. The trip is something every individual who loves rolling dice, replacing a worker, or controlling an area of cardboard should put HIGH on their bucket list. Until next year, whether as an exhibitor or attendee, we know the hollowed grounds of Essen will again adorn my footsteps for more great adventures. Join me!
After reading Bogue’s review, if this sounds like a board game fair for you at the time of this posting SPIEL Essen 2025 takes place from October 23 to 26.
Check it out and be on the look out for tickets HERE.
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Shane “Bogue” Bogardus- Reviewer
Born and discarded to the wolves of the great Northern Planes, Bogue grew up a nomad. His recluse behavior landed him in the penitentiary of the Witchic County Municipality with a population 2 -A man and his dog. Life was always a game set on hardcore until he met a mild mannered digital publisher who took him under his wing and showed him the miracles of game design and play testing. Now he is a thriving member of the Everything Board Games review team and lives with his long lost mother and his pet ferret named Meeple in Austin, TX. (Translation: A retired broadcast television and radio broadcaster turned financial planner. Bogue is an entrepreneur at heart owning multiple businesses including the latest www.Meepology.com
for current and new gamers to the hobby. He and his son hosts the monthly joystickshow.com
