Report from day one and two
well this Thursday has been unlike a first day at Essen for maybe 15 years. Due to the new regulations on not selling or Distributing games early, I had almost no games at the start of this morning.
You may have heard that the show is sold out this year. interestingly there are now people waiting outside with handwritten signs asking for tickets, it is like being at a football game and people looking for scalped tickets
Only a brief report today: Essen was the busiest I can remember for a Thursday, with the fair sold out. Moving between halls while carrying bags was a struggle!
Age of Comics: The Golden Years. This is a nice game designed by the owners of Lirius games where they have captured and gamified the process of producing comics from the writing and artists up to the printing. The game captures the feel of producing highly rated comics with totally new art paying tribute to the comics of yore. Actions are taken with workers and the idea is to collect together writer artist and comic cards and score them for number of fans. Fan score can be increased with bonuses and the game rewards multiple comics published which releases additional actions. Coins are scored at the end of every round and then gradually decrease I. Popularity each round, simulating what would happen in reality as new comics emerge.
We only played a quick round but I got a good overall impression and liked the artwork and feel of the game – definitely need to play it through and see how the game evolves with the rounds, but definitely looking like a good effort!
Rajas of the Ganges – the card game: excellent
Implementation! This is how to do a a card version of the game – same feel but different play to the original, we all enjoyed this a lot. One of those games with a lot of tension as you compete for cards in the middle which give you buildings, goods, or ships (similar to the original but different). In this game you are trying to collect sets of three using cards (backside of the cards mentioned above) to pay instead of dice. Collecting a set of three gives you fame or coins which in turn allow you to flip one of your scoring cards. Flip all 6 and you’ve won. Really loved this and enjoyed it. NOTE: full disclosure that I did the translation of the rules into English (without playing it) but my review is based on a play with friends.
Â
Â
Monkey Palace is a jungle-themed game of light strategy that incorporates both collaborative and competitive elements. Players must strategically work together to construct the Monkey Palace while competing for the highest brick income and points, all under the watchful gaze of the Monkey. The palace gradually takes form thanks to a construction using LEGO elements, and each time the board game is played, the building experience and final construction are unique.
Â
In Looot, you need to gather resources and capture buildings to develop your fjord. Fill your longships and complete your construction sites in order to rack up your victory points. Store up the most riches, and you’ll be crowned Jarl of the Vikings!
Well, this year looks to be a bit different than years past. As with all things, changes are inevitable, and Spiel is no different.
The major plans to the hall organization remain from last year. The booths are theoretically grouped by style (family games, strategy games, serious strategy games, Asmodee games, tcg games, etc). Ok the Asmodee thing is kind of a joke, though they go have a huge portion of hall 1 and hall 6…
The big change this year, at least from the press standpoint, is that the halls are now off limits on Wednesday. In the past, many people had informal access to the halls, and it was not uncommon to have meetings scheduled on Wednesday. It was a nice quiet time to catch up with people as they took breaks from setting up.
In Trash or Cash, players take on the role of scavengers in an underground world. Each turn presents a massive garbage puzzle, and players must decide whether to accept the potentially space-consuming puzzle piece. Declining incurs a compensation fee, while accepting grants the full compensation. Players must strategically manage their space, earning additional compensation for collecting pieces of the same series.
Various module cards are also provided to add more challenges for players, ensuring each game offers a unique experience. Balancing the accumulation of garbage with financial sustainability becomes crucial as players navigate this intricate underworld.
