SPIEL Essen on Marta's BG Corner

Chopstick Tightrope: Steady Hands Not Included

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hello everyone!

Today I’m bringing you a review of one of the games I bought at SPIEL Essen this year: Chopstick Tightrope! It’s a tiny box with a lot of fun inside, so let me introduce it and tell you what I thought.

Game Overview

Chopstick Tightrope is a 2026 release for 2 or more players, ages 8+, with a playtime of 20 minutes. It was designed by Gareth Edwards and published by Gorilla Games.

Chopstick Tightrope ready to play at the Gorilla Games booth

My copy is the Essen release, bought at the Gorilla Games booth and signed by the designer. The official launch in shops is planned for 2027, so if you didn’t pass by their stand, you may have to wait a little to get your hands on it.

With Oda By at the Gorilla Games booth

Theme

Chopstick Tightrope is a party game, and the challenge is the whole theme: a rope, a pair of chopsticks, and a bunch of little meeples that really don’t want to stay where you put them.

How to Win

The first player to reach 15 points wins the game.

Components

The material is really nice. The box itself becomes the board, and you stretch an elastic rope across it: that’s where all the action happens. The meeples come in several shapes: blue sumos, fish, lucky cats, Mount Fuji pieces, little houses, cubes and rectangles. And of course, the chopsticks!

Gameplay

On your turn, you draw a card and try to reproduce the pattern shown on it by placing meeples on the rope. Sounds easy? The catch is that you can’t use your hands: everything is done with chopsticks!

A steady hand is everything (and I don’t have one)

The cards are worth from 1 to 5 points, all shuffled together. The 1-point cards usually ask for just one or two meeples, while the 5-point cards are the hardest ones, with meeples stacked on top of each other.

If you manage to reproduce the pattern, you keep the card and score its points. If a meeple falls, your turn is over: you turn the card face down, and it counts as a negative point.

The meeples you place stay on the rope, so space gets tighter and tighter as the game goes on. And guess what happens when there’s no room left? You have to stack them on top of the ones already there! You already do it with some of the harder patterns, but this time it’s different: even placing a single meeple becomes a real challenge. And if anything falls at that moment, you flip the card for a negative point. Then the whole rope is cleared, and everything goes back in the box to start again.

Stacking sumos: this is where it gets tricky

There are also three special cards that add a little chaos. They’re shuffled into the deck with the pattern cards: if you draw one, you keep it and draw another card to get your pattern.

Clean the Tightrope: lets you empty the rope (everything goes back in the box) before attempting any card.
Freeze: play it before any player’s turn to make them miss it.
Force Second Card: play it on another player after their first card, forcing them to play another one. This can be good for you or for them: if they succeed, they win the points of both cards, but if they fail, they have to turn both cards face down, even the one they had already completed, for a total of −2 points.

There’s no time limit, but nothing stops you from adding one as a house rule if you want to put some extra pressure on the table!

Solo Mode

There’s no solo mode, as the game is for 2 players and up. That said, I can easily imagine practising on my own and trying to reach 15 points. Why not?

My Experience

I’ve played three full games with my boyfriend: I won two and he won one. On top of that, we did lots of tests and little rounds we never finished, just for fun!

We had so many laughs, especially when you draw a card with a tricky structure, the rope is almost full, and you have to be extra careful. I don’t have a steady hand, and chopsticks are not my speciality at all, so it’s not that easy for me. But that’s exactly what makes it so enjoyable: you work on your dexterity, train your chopstick skills, and have a really good time together.

Some moments were unforgettable. In one game, I had the perfect card to finish: an easy 2-point card. But the rope was full, and when I placed my fish, everything collapsed! My boyfriend had his own moment of glory too: he decided to place a sumo on top of a Mount Fuji piece, and he succeeded. But that sumo wasn’t very steady, and when he placed the next piece, everything fell. It was great! And the special cards played their part: he once played a Force Second Card on me, I managed to complete it, and that’s when he lost the game.

The end of one of our games, with our scored cards on each side

I’ll definitely try it with more players soon, so I can share this wonderful game with more people.

My Rating

At 2 players, I give Chopstick Tightrope a 9/10. It’s fun, and it doesn’t require a functional brain, so you can play it when you’re tired and you’ll come out of it feeling lighter and more relaxed.

Just keep in mind that it really is only a party game: you need to be in the mood to laugh. After a few plays, the games feel quite similar, but they’re still funny if you’re in the right mood. If you’re feeling grumpy, avoid it!

Final Thoughts

Chopstick Tightrope is a small game, but a really rich one. If you like dexterity and party games, this one is for you!

Your Turn

Are you a chopstick master, or would you be dropping meeples like me? Have you tried any dexterity games you’d recommend?

Come share your comments on Mastodon, Facebook, and BoardGameGeek.

Chopstick Tightrope on BoardGameGeek

October 2026 Plays

Sat, 07 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hello everyone!

October is over, and judging by the shops and the TV, we’ve already entered the Christmas season. But before thinking about Christmas, let’s look back at October.

Last month I was hoping to finally play Dune: Imperium and Planta Nubo, and I’m happy to say I managed both! October was also the month of my very first SPIEL Essen. I shared my adventures day by day, so if you want all the details, have a look at Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3.

This recap is also a bit different from usual. After my favourite game of the month, I’m starting with the games I brought home from Essen. These are first impressions, and proper reviews will follow soon.

Table of Contents

October 2026 by Numbers

18 plays (vs. 11 in September)
11 different games
9 new games to me
Most played: Dune: Imperium, Chopstick Tightrope and Castellion (3 plays each)
Solo plays: 14 (Chopstick Tightrope and Moustache were multiplayer)

The month in numbers

The games of the month

Favourite Game of the Month

Moustache

Designed by Alexandre Aguilar and Jules Messaud, published by KODAMA.

Moustache was my top game of Essen and my favourite of the whole month. I completely fell in love with it! It’s a game for 3 to 6 players, so not my usual kind of game, but it’s so much fun with the right people. I got to try it at Essen with two wonderful players who made the game shine, and we had the time of our lives.

It’s a competitive trick-taking game where each round adds a new rule and you team up with a random player. You’re trying to earn the most points by winning tricks and taking trophies, each with a different value. The added rules are fantastic: a type of card you really don’t want in the early rounds can become the one everyone envies in the last round. In our game, the stars on green cards counted negatively for the first three rounds. Then in round four, a new rule made the team with the fewest stars win the round, the complete opposite, so those green cards became pure gold! It was so funny that we still talk about it today. Thank you, Vanessa and Leticia, for that moment.

My hand in Moustache: are those stars a blessing or a curse?

Moustache gets a 9/10 from me.

My SPIEL Essen Haul

I didn’t lose my head at Essen, and five games came home with me: Karnivorous, Light in the Dark, Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs, Chopstick Tightrope and Cat Days. I’ve already played four of them this month. Only Cat Days hasn’t hit the table yet.

Karnivorous

Designed by Inka and Markus Brand, published by inPatience.

The story behind Karnivorous is almost funny. A group of scientists is developing a genetic modification to make apple trees grow faster and bigger, so they produce more and bigger apples. But… they apply it to the wrong plant and trigger a plant apocalypse! And guess who they’re counting on to save them, the lab and the world? The helper robots.

A lab overrun by plants, with my robots trying to keep up

It’s a puzzle-style game where you always seem to be short of actions. You roll dice that help you decide your actions, then solve objectives, but you have to plan carefully which ones you want to tackle. It’s entertaining and a lot of fun. I played it twice, losing once and winning once. I want a few more plays before writing the full review, but it already earns an 8.5/10.

Chopstick Tightrope

Published by Gorilla Games.

This is a party game, and I have to say I love it. I’m not that agile with chopsticks, since I only learned to use them recently, but the game makes me want to improve. All three of my plays were at two players with my boyfriend, which is rare, and that made it even more special. It’s a 9/10 for me, and a full review is coming next week!

Steady hands needed (and spot the blog T-shirt!)

Light in the Dark

Designed by Kai Starck, published by Archona Games.

In Light in the Dark, you’re a plague doctor curing villages and fighting the bad guys. It’s a dungeon crawler with a lot of potential. I’ve only played once (and won!), but I really appreciated the mechanics, especially how the enemies and the doctor move. I’ll need more plays to judge how replayable it is, but so far I’m happy with the game and its theme. Because of those doubts, I’m giving it 7/10 for now, and I’m looking forward to the Fires of Thokaia expansion, which I think will improve the game a lot.

Light in the Dark by candlelight, closing in on the boss

Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs

Designed by Joe Klipfel and Nikki Valens, published by Cephalofair Games.

This one isn’t new, but I’d always been reluctant to try the big Gloomhaven. I’d watched some videos and wasn’t convinced at all. So I went to talk to the person at the booth to find out more. The presentation was really good and won me over, and the tiny box fitted in my luggage (otherwise I’d have had to ship it home).

I played it once in October and already twice in November, and so far I’m enjoying it, though I’ve realised I’m not very good at it: I already lost on scenario 2. Finishing the campaign is going to be a struggle! What I like most is how quick it is. Both setup and play are fast, so it’s perfect for a little break or the end of a tiring day. On the downside, the small size is great for carrying it around, but it makes everything hard to read and handle. It’s cute, but not that practical. It’s a 7/10 at this stage, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy the gameplay more once I get the hang of it.

Scenario 1, A Rude Welcome, with the Bruiser

Played at SPIEL Essen

Now let’s talk about the games I played at Essen but didn’t buy (at least, not yet!).

Mayor of Chicago

Designed by Xavier Georges, published by inPatience.

I have to confess that once I got home, I pre-ordered it from my usual shop, and now I’m waiting for it to arrive. That says a lot about how much I enjoyed it! Like most inPatience games, it’s a solo puzzle game. You’re competing against another candidate to become mayor of Chicago, and you need the most votes at the end of the game. You place cards to build the city and bring people in, earning both immediate and permanent bonuses. But be careful: your deck is limited, and each time you complete a column, you need to meet certain conditions to earn more benefits, or bad things happen.

Building my city at the inPatience booth, one headline at a time

You build an engine to earn more points and votes, which I really enjoyed. I loved the artwork and the theme: it’s fun and clever. And yes, I lost, because of a bad move right near the end… I miscounted my cards! It’s an 8/10 so far, and I can’t wait to see how it holds up once my copy arrives.

More Essen Discoveries

Mazing (designed by Jim Deacove, published by inPatience): I played it solo at the inPatience booth. It’s an abstract game where you try to bring the black main pieces to one side of the board and the white ones to the opposite side. Each piece has its own movement rule, and some spaces make you flip a piece face down, leaving it stuck. It’s almost like chess, but you can play it solo. I had a lot of fun! I don’t think I’ll buy it, but I’d happily play it again. I’m giving it 7/10, since I don’t know yet if it stays as fun after several plays.

Black and white messengers, ready to cross the maze

I also tried two games without playing a full game, so they’re not in my numbers.

7th Seal (designed by Julio Falagán, published by Devir): I fell in love with this solo game, where you break the seven seals and fight bosses and minions with dice. I only played one round, but it was enough to enjoy it: the art is really nice, and so is the gameplay. I’ve pre-ordered it too, so I’ll test it more once it arrives.

Facing Teskatlipoka at the Devir booth

The Fog: Escape from Paradise (designed by Robert Müller-Reinwarth, published by XOLLOX Games): a competitive game where you get your people to the boats before a deadly fog catches them. I played a short demo version at three players. My first impression was that you never have enough moves to save your people, or enough of them, but I suppose that’s the whole point: who will you sacrifice, how close to the beach will they get, and who will you save? The closer to the beach someone is when the fog catches them, the fewer points you lose, so you need to find a balance. I’d love to play a full game to form a better opinion, but so far it’s a hit for me.

Everyone racing for the boats before the fog arrives

Other Games Played

Dune: Imperium

Designed by Paul Dennen, published by Dire Wolf.

Dune: Imperium puts you at the head of one of the great houses of the Dune universe, mixing worker placement, deck building and influence majority. The first player to reach 10 points triggers the end of the game.

I’ll confess its dark, strange look made me hesitate for a long time. But the game shines solo, with a deck of cards or a companion app running your two rivals, and it’s probably even better multiplayer. My first game, as Paul Atreides, ended in an 11 to 9 win… with an asterisk, since I played the trash rule wrong in my favour. The next two brought me back down to earth: 6 to 10 with Helena Richese, then 5 to 11 with Duke Leto Atreides. It still earns an 8/10 from me.

The game where Glossu Rabban crushed my Duke Leto

Planta Nubo

Designed by Michael Keller, Andreas Odendahl and Uwe Rosenberg, published by The Game Builders.

In Planta Nubo, you play in a future world where you take care of the Earth, creating your own plantations and forests to deliver flowers. It’s a moderately complex game with lots of small rules. The Botbot is an automa with different difficulty levels: it can be hard to manage at first, but it gets easier after a few turns. I’ve only played once, and I won 94 to 63! I loved it. The components are beautiful, and I love the idea of delivering flowers in so many colours. It gets a 7.5/10, and it will definitely be back on my table next month.

My cloud garden taking shape

Quick Notes

Castellion (designed by Shadi Torbey, published by inPatience): you draw tiles one by one to build your castle, using their powers along the way, and at the end of each ordeal your towers and bastions are put to the test. I’ve played it several times hoping it would click, and it hasn’t yet. I enjoy building with the tiles, and the components are good quality, but losing without any clue how I could have won is frustrating. If I find the right strategy, I’ll probably love it. It’s a 6/10 today, but I’m not giving up.

Codex Naturalis (designed by Thomas Dupont, published by Bombyx): you continue the work of a monk finishing his book about nature, and if you’ve followed my posts about the art in my games, you know how much I love the gold on its cards. This month I tried the solo mode for the first time, after discovering it in a video by Unna, a Spanish reviewer I really appreciate. You play against an automa that takes cards from the same river as you, and I lost 30 to 34. It’s still fun solo, though I need more plays to form a real opinion, and in multiplayer it’s great too. I’m giving it 7.5/10.

All that gold catching the light

Final Thoughts

Even though I’ve been working a lot and had less time to play, I’m really happy with my October. I learnt some new games, and above all, I got to go to SPIEL Essen for the first time. It was a wonderful experience, and I’ll definitely be back next year.

The game that stood out this month is Moustache: such a simple game that made me laugh so much. Its lovely illustrations make it even better.

Looking Ahead

For November, I’d like to play more quick games, like Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs and Conservas. As for bigger games, maybe Kingdom Rush: Elemental Uprising, which I’m really eager to try.

Your Turn

And you, were you at SPIEL Essen this year, or did you follow it from home? Which new game caught your eye?

Come share your comments on Mastodon, Facebook, and BoardGameGeek.

SPIEL Essen 2026: Day 3

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hello everyone!

Here we go with Day 3, the last day of my very first SPIEL Essen! If you missed the start of the adventure, you can catch up on Day 1 and Day 2.

Going solo

The sky was grey today, but at least it didn’t rain. It was cold, though!

My boyfriend wasn’t feeling well, so I went to the Messe alone. It was a different experience, with its positives and its negatives. I missed having my partner by my side to share my findings and my enthusiasm. On the other hand, without him to talk to, I ended up moving around more and talking to a lot more people.

Ready for my last day, this time on my own

Synapses Games: Chimerium

Designed by Eric Dubus and Olivier Melison · Illustrated by Alexandre Bonvalot · Published by Synapses Games · BGG page

My first stop was Chimerium. The magical universe and how beautiful the game looks on the table made me stop and take a careful look.

One of the presenters gave me a quick explanation. You draft dice to study new species and acquire powerful artefacts for your laboratory, then manage your resources to create unique Chimeras and trigger chain reactions.

Of course, I asked about the solo mode. You play against an opponent, and that was enough to put me under its spell. The game isn’t on sale yet, so I’ll be keeping a close eye on it.

Chimerium and its magical laboratory

inPatience: Karnivorous, Mazing and Mayor of Chicago

Karnivorous: designed by Inka and Markus Brand · Illustrated by Vincent Dutrait · BGG page Mazing: designed by Jim Deacove · BGG page Mayor of Chicago: designed by Xavier Georges · BGG page Published by inPatience

I’m a big fan of inPatience games, so this booth was a must, and I spent my morning there. Sofiane presented three games to me, and he was awesome. He told me he hasn’t been working at the company for very long, but he’s doing a wonderful job.

With Sofiane at the inPatience booth

Karnivorous made me fall in love straight away. First, the theme, with all its humour: scientists trying to end world hunger with giant apples used their discovery on the wrong plants, and now the plants want to eat everyone! The only ones left to stop them are brave gardener-robots.

Then there’s that puzzle-like management typical of inPatience games. Sofiane explained that the plants spread whether you complete the quests or not, but they spread less if you do. Completing all the quests every round is extremely hard, almost impossible. So you have to make choices and sacrifice things carefully. I love that side of it, and the puzzle side too. The colours are lovely as well. It’s a cooperative game for 1 to 4 players, and it came home with me!

Karnivorous: a lab overrun by hungry plants

Next, I played Mazing, an abstract game where two white and two black pieces must swap sides across the board. Some pieces can only travel on white spaces, others only on black ones, each with its own movement, and some spaces block a piece for good.

For my first two moves, I was completely lost and thinking, “this is impossible!” Then Sofiane suggested moving the black and white pieces that travel through the white spaces first, and the ones that travel through the black spaces afterwards, as it makes it easier to trace a path. Suddenly it all made sense, and I managed to win! I’m not entirely sure I didn’t cheat somewhere, but it was so much fun, and the ending was pure joy.

Mazing: impossible at first, pure joy at the end

Then came Mayor of Chicago, a solo game. Sofiane explained it and stayed to watch my game, getting excited right along with me. I had built a perfect engine and could easily have won, but I miscounted my cards and lost because of one miserable card. Sofiane shared my frustration, and honestly, that made the moment just perfect. I didn’t buy it this time, but it’s already on my shopping list for the near future.

Mayor of Chicago, already on my shopping list

A signature from Owen Davey

Fame & Fable: designed and illustrated by Owen Davey · Published by Owen Davey Games · BGG page

After lunch, I spent the afternoon moving from booth to booth, discovering new games.

Second attempt at Fame & Fable! I still didn’t get to learn the mechanics, as Owen Davey was in the middle of a signing session. But I did leave with a signature from the designer and illustrator himself! Discovering how it plays is now on my to-do list.

ICE Makes: Age of Legend

Designed by Jeffrey CCH · Published by ICE Makes · BGG page

At ICE Makes, I was presented with Age of Legend, which is coming to Gamefound. It comes in a small box, similar to Age of Civilization. I liked the art, and I loved how each card can be used in different ways: for its power, placed above the board, or for its resources, placed at the bottom. A small box, but a big promise. I’ll be watching that campaign!

Age of Legend: a small box with big promise

From my wishlist: Queen Alice

Designed by Héctor Carrión and David Heras Pino · Illustrated by Amelia Sales · Published by Combo Games · BGG page

Queen Alice was on my Essen wishlist, and it was exactly what I expected: really nice on the table, with beautiful illustrations. I watched a presentation of the rules, and I loved the shared actions on the central board and the little games inside the game. Someday soon, it’ll be on my table.

Queen Alice, beautiful on the table

A familiar face

In the middle of the crowd, I bumped into some friends from Legião dos Jogos, my board game group in Braga, and we stopped for a little chat. Even in a fair this huge, you can still find people from home!

Kinson Key Games: Excursions

Designed by Ben Rosset · Illustrated by Ian O’Toole · Published by Kinson Key Games · BGG page

I stopped at Kinson Key Games to understand the difference between Galactic Cruise, which I own, and their new game, Excursions. Excursions comes with a lovely circular board, and it’s smaller and easier than Galactic Cruise.

But after the presentation, I couldn’t really find enough differences between the two to make me back it. In my opinion, it overlaps a bit too much with Galactic Cruise. That said, I didn’t play it, so this is based on the presentation only.

Excursions and its circular board

Thistroy Games: Micro Architects

Designed by Michał Jagodziński and Kamil Langie · Illustrated by Jarosław Wajs · Published by Thistroy Games · BGG page

At Thistroy Games, a lady presented Micro Architects and its expansion, Big City Vacation, to me. The game is lovely! I liked the mechanic of selecting buildings to construct your city and meet objectives. It’s beautiful, even though the theme doesn’t leave much room for big illustrations. What I liked most is that it comes in a small box, so it’s easy to carry around.

Micro Architects: a whole city in a small box

KYF Edition: Behind

Designed by Cédric Millet · Published by KYF Edition · BGG page

Behind had been on my wishlist for so long that I was really happy to finally get the chance to test it! I played the convention scenario alone, and I managed to solve it.

It was so much fun to put the pieces together like a puzzle while following the clues in the design. The game made a lot of sense, and building the solution was a real pleasure.

I’m deliberately not sharing a photo, so I don’t spoil anything for those of you who might be at the Messe tomorrow and want to try it!

Quick looks

A few more games crossed my path today, more briefly:

Skirmish: Battle for Draconia (Jeffrey CCH, ICE Makes): the card design is what made me stop. It’s a card game for 2 to 4 players where you battle your enemies, and where you place each card matters, because it fights the card in the same place on your opponent’s side. I only saw it presented.
Timespan (Kristian Amundsen Østby and Kenneth Minde, Alion – by Dr Ø): another one from my wishlist. I only took a quick look, and it seemed crowded on the table, but maybe that’s because I saw a 5-player game. I’d like to dig a little deeper into this one.
Fear of the Dark (InterHuman): I went back, as promised on Day 2, and realised it’s a dungeon crawler. The art didn’t attract me that much in person, so I didn’t ask for an explanation. The feeling just wasn’t there.

Skirmish: Battle for Draconia

Timespan, with a full table of five players

Lucky Duck Games: Accidental Heroes and Oakspire

Accidental Heroes: designed by Wojciech Grajkowski · BGG page Oakspire: BGG page Published by Lucky Duck Games

Last but not least, I stopped at Lucky Duck Games, where Ben presented their crowdfunding projects.

Accidental Heroes launches on Kickstarter on 27 October. It’s a digital hybrid adventure board game with a companion app. To be honest, when Ben mentioned the app, I froze a little, because I prefer games without app dependency, even though I own some that have it. Ben explained that most of the game happens outside the app, but it’s still hard for me.

And then there was Oakspire, which made me fall in love as soon as I looked at it. The game is gorgeous: the illustrations of cozy animals are simply beautiful, and the boards are lovely too. It’s a tableau building game where each card can be used in multiple ways. In solo, you play to complete challenges from the back of the rulebook. I haven’t played it yet, but what I saw and what Ben told me was enough: I’ll be following the project, and I definitely want to play it.

Oakspire: love at first sight

My favourites of the day

The inPatience booth was my favourite moment. I felt at home there, like playing with a friend while discovering exciting new games.

And for the eyes, Oakspire and Chimerium win the day: they both conquered me with how beautiful they look.

Goodbye, SPIEL Essen

And that’s a wrap on my very first SPIEL Essen!

Being on my own today, I managed to see more games than on the other days. And since I was alone, I really had no excuses: I had to be the one asking for explanations, so there was no room to be shy. I loved the experience.

See you at SPIEL ‘27?

Over three days, four games came home with me: Chopstick Tightrope, Light in the Dark, Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs and Karnivorous.

Will I go back? For sure! If you’re into board games, it’s the place to be.

Have you ever been to SPIEL Essen? And which of today’s games would you have stopped for?

Come share your comments on Mastodon, Facebook, and BoardGameGeek.

SPIEL Essen 2026: Day 2

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hello everyone!

Here we go with Day 2 of my very first SPIEL Essen! If you missed the start of the adventure, you can catch up on Day 1 here.

Day 2 was a day of contrasts, with some wonderful moments, some frustrating ones, and one big lesson: a good presentation can change everything.

Getting there

The day started with a lovely sunny morning, at least until we left the hotel. Then it turned windy and rainy. 🌧️

Getting to Essen was easy this time, no Uber adventure needed! The metro between Essen Central Station and the Messe was packed, but nothing abnormal.

We were both more tired than yesterday, though, and the Messe was already crowded when we arrived. That brought a feeling of tiredness and impatience for both of us.

Tired, but ready for Day 2!

Esper Games: 99x1 and Dream Hoppers

99x1: designed by Rodrigo Esper · Illustrated by OKU · BGG page Dream Hoppers: designed by Rodrigo Esper and Alex Olteanu · Illustrated by Gou Eisuke · BGG page Published by Esper Game Studio

Our first stop was Esper Games, where we talked with Rodrigo Esper, the founder and designer. He presented two games to us, and the story behind them won me over straight away. They first talked with the artists, and only then designed the games around their art. Instead of art made for a game, you get a game made for the art. I love that idea!

In Dream Hoppers, you are guardians of a child’s dreams, preparing good dreams and memories while keeping the nightmares away. It’s a cooperative game for 3 to 6 players, illustrated by Gou Eisuke in a colourful Japanese style. Even the backs of the cards are gorgeous!

99x1 is a competitive/cooperative game where one player is the swordsman and the others play the demons, to see who wins the fight. It’s illustrated by OKU, and I loved how the red demons are drawn as a family, happy and close together, while the swordsman in blue looks colder and less friendly.

99x1: the red demon family against the cold blue swordsman

Dream Hoppers and its colourful Japanese-style art

We only saw the games presented, without playing. Even though the ideas and art are gorgeous, both are games for 3 players or more, so they don’t really fit my way of playing. Still, I loved the presentation and the games themselves.

Vesuvius Media: the Dwar7s saga

Designed and illustrated by Luís Brueh · On BGG: Dwar7s Fall, Dwar7s Winter, Dwar7s Spring and Flame & Forge

I’ve been following the Dwar7s saga for a while now, so I was curious to hear about it at Vesuvius Media. The person at the booth was so enthusiastic, and it was refreshing: everything made sense. The way he explained the gameplay of each game, and the story that connects them, was magnificent.

What I love most is how the saga follows the cycle of the seasons. In Fall, you fight against each other for power. In Winter, you fight creatures. In Spring, you start exploring more and more. And you end in Summer with Flame & Forge, and a dragon destroying everything. The image of that cycle is wonderful.

The Dwar7s saga, my favourite discovery of the day

I was completely charmed, and I wasn’t the only one: the presenter’s enthusiasm made my boyfriend smile too, and I think he’d say yes to playing it. Unfortunately, only half of the four games in the series can be played solo, and I don’t feel like buying them right now. Maybe another time! Either way, thank you for this joyful moment. 😊

Into the crowds

Next, I went looking for Fame & Fable from Board Game Circus. I was so curious about this one, and the art looks gorgeous, but the only copy available was in German. I’ll try again tomorrow!

After that, we spent a lot of time moving between booths, trying to avoid the most crowded spots. The thing I noticed most today was the big bags and suitcases everyone carries around for their games. They turned moving around the Messe into real confusion and madness.

A tougher stretch: Gaudí and Oniro

Gaudí: designed by Dani Garcia · Illustrated by Edu Valls · Published by Devir · BGG page Oniro: published by Magic Box

After that frustrating moment, I stopped by Devir hoping to try Gaudí, but all the tables were taken. Looking at it more closely left me with mixed feelings. I was expecting a wow moment from the board, but it felt confusing and not as bright as I’d imagined. Maybe I was just too tired to enjoy it, and I’d need to play it to really understand it.

Gaudí, with every table already taken

Then I tried Oniro at Magic Box, a solo puzzle game where you’re in a labyrinth, shown on a single card, and have to find the best combination of moves to get out. The explanation was so superficial that I couldn’t understand the goal or the story behind it. I played two challenges and struggled to solve them, which is unusual for me, as I’m normally good at this kind of game.

Oniro: a whole labyrinth on a single card

Archona Games: Light in the Dark

Designed by Kai Starck · Illustrated by Daniel Cunha · Published by Archona Games · BGG page

At Archona Games, I got a presentation of Light in the Dark, a solo dungeon crawler set in the Pest universe. I love the theme: you defend the city against animals and invaders, while trying to grow your renown and become a reference in the city by fighting the plague and healing it. So it caught my interest, and I came back later to buy the base game! There’s also an expansion in late pledge on Gamefound, but it wasn’t available yet.

The Pest universe at the Archona Games booth

The presentation itself, though, lacked enthusiasm and didn’t explain the theme well, when it could have shone. If I hadn’t already known the theme, I probably wouldn’t have been won over. The purchase was a bit odd too: when I asked for a receipt, I was told it needed the boss’s approval first, which surprised me.

Cephalofair Games: Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs

Designed by Joe Klipfel and Nikki Valens · Illustrated by Yanis Cardin and Mofei Wang · Published by Cephalofair Games · BGG page

And then came the presentation that changed everything.

As I told the presenter, I’ve never been able to bring myself to play Gloomhaven. The size of the box, how big the game is, the theme, the way it looks: none of it attracts me. I’ve even tried watching videos on Facebook, and there was no way.

So he presented Buttons & Bugs to us, with a full explanation of the rules. His enthusiasm and clear explanations changed my mind, and I decided to give it a try. I bought it! My boyfriend liked it too, especially the fighting side. A brilliant presentation. 👏

Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs, the game that changed my mind

Lovemore Games: Jewel Box

Designed by Zac Loveless · Illustrated by Megan Galura · Published by Lovemore Games · BGG page

At Lovemore Games, we discovered Jewel Box, a lovely-looking game about collecting beetles. Sadly, the presentation didn’t manage to sell it to me: I still don’t know what the goal is, who we are or what we’re doing. It sounded a little like In the Footsteps of Darwin, but I didn’t really get it, which makes me a bit sad, because the game looked beautiful.

Jewel Box and its beautiful beetles

XOLLOX Games: The Fog: Escape from Paradise

Designed by Robert Müller-Reinwarth · Illustrated by Unique Litani Soparie · Published by XOLLOX Games · BGG page

The young woman presenting The Fog: Escape from Paradise was very nervous, even shaking, but her presentation was good! The game takes place on an island where a sudden fog starts spreading, and you need to bring everyone to the boats to keep them safe. Everything sounded nice, and visually it made sense too. They also mentioned their next game, The Voyage, which will follow the journey of the people from the boats, though it wasn’t on display at the fair.

Then I was invited to join a table that was just starting, so I did. The game was shortened on purpose for the fair, and we played three rounds. That was too short to feel its whole potential, but enough to get a taste. My only criticism is the way rounds work, as you can spend a lot of time waiting without playing. Still, I enjoyed testing it and figuring out how to use the different movement types, and having to think about who was left behind is a nice twist.

Joining a table at the XOLLOX Games booth

Racing the fog to get everyone to the boats

My favourite of the day

The Dwar7s saga, without hesitation. The art by Luís Brueh has that childlike touch that is so characteristic of the series, and the cycle of the seasons gives the whole saga a wonderful sense of story. If I ever dive in, Fall would be my first season to play, right at the start of the cycle. ✨

What I take away from Day 2

On the second day, tiredness sets in and people become less patient. The fair is very crowded, and there’s almost nowhere to sit unless you take a booth table to play or a seat in the busy food areas. My boyfriend isn’t that keen on board games, so it would have been nice if he could rest somewhere while I carried on with my visit. In the end, he managed a little break on one of the few booth couches. A fair this big really needs places to rest.

The bags and suitcases alone would be manageable, but a lot of people don’t mind pushing you to get past, and that’s not nice at all.

As for the presentations, today showed me both sides: some people clearly loved board games and shared that love, while others seemed less engaged. To be fair, by the second day, the people working at the booths are probably just as tired as we are. Still, for me, the presentation and the story behind a game are a big part of the experience. I didn’t come here to buy on impulse. I came to discover our industry, and publishers and games I didn’t even know existed. That’s why a presenter who takes a moment to understand who’s in front of them makes such a difference.

End of Day 2

A tiring day, but one full of discoveries, and two new games coming home with me: Light in the Dark and Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs.

And a small confession: remember my promise of a notebook full of names? Today I was too tired to write any down. 😅

Tomorrow is my last day, with second attempts at Fame & Fable and Fear of the Dark on my list!

Have you ever been to SPIEL Essen? And what makes a booth presentation win you over?

Come share your comments on Mastodon, Facebook, and BoardGameGeek.

SPIEL Essen 2026: Day 1

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hello everyone!

This year I’m at SPIEL Essen for the very first time, and it’s amazing! Let me take you along on a tour of my three days at the fair, starting with Day 1.

Getting there

Today was the big day. I was super excited and a bit anxious at the same time, because I really didn’t know what to expect.

We started the day in Bochum, where we’ve been staying for a few days. From Bochum, it’s about a 20 minute train ride to Essen, then a short metro trip to the Messe. But when we arrived at Essen Central Station, surprise: a huge queue for the metro! We were waiting patiently, already resigned to a 30 minute wait, when a really nice person came up to us and asked if we wanted to share an Uber. We said yes, and we reached the Messe in 10 minutes. So thank you to that wonderful person whose name I unfortunately didn’t ask. 😞

That’s how our journey began: as a real adventure.

Arriving at the Messe, along with half of the board game world!

First impressions

In front of the Messe, crowds of people were already heading inside, but getting in was quick and easy. Thank you to everyone organising and working at the event!

My first thought when I walked in was: oh my God, this is BIG. We started wandering between the booths, taking photos and trying not to collapse with so many things to look at, when someone asked us in French if we wanted to join a table to play Moustache. We said yes straight away, even though my boyfriend doesn’t speak French. 😛

We weren’t the only ones excited to be there!

Moustache

Designed by Alexandre Aguilar and Jules Messaud · Illustrated by Manu Gorobeï · Published by KODAMA · BGG page

Moustache is a trick-taking game with four animal colours. Each colour has a different strength, from green (the weakest) to blue (the strongest), and some cards have stars, which are the points you count up.

The fun part is that you play in teams, but the teams change every round and are randomly assigned. On top of that, a new rule card is revealed each round and stays active until the end, so the game keeps changing under your feet. The winning team of each round takes trophies, and after four rounds, the player with the most points wins.

We had the pleasure of playing with Vanessa and Leticia, a lovely Belgian mother and daughter. Before we even started, Vanessa announced, in a really funny way, that she was going to win. And guess what? She did! 😄 We laughed a lot and had a really great time. Thank you both, you were brilliant! The game really shone with you two, and thanks to that I can say I’d recommend Moustache to anyone who likes quick games.

Moustache, a quick trick-taking game full of laughs and surprises

The best table of the day: Vanessa, Leticia, my boyfriend and me (and yes, Vanessa won!)

After that perfect moment, we carried on exploring and talked with lots of people. Here are the moments that stood out most.

Gorilla Games: Chopstick Tightrope

Published by Gorilla Games

Thank you to Oda By for the enthusiastic presentation of Chopstick Tightrope. It’s a dexterity game where you build patterns on an elastic band, placing the pieces with chopsticks. It’s so much fun! I haven’t played a full game yet, but I already know it’s going to bring a lot of laughs. In fact, I couldn’t resist and it was my first purchase of the fair, and I was even offered Cat Days with it!

We also had a really interesting chat with Oda about board games and how important player feedback is. Thank you for your time, Oda!

Chopstick Tightrope: patterns, elastic bands and very steady hands

With Oda By, who showed us Chopstick Tightrope with so much enthusiasm

Black Beacon Games: Era of Tribes

Designed by Arne Lorenz · Illustrated by Marc Exner, Radosław Jaszczuk and Arne Lorenz · Published by Black Beacon Games · BGG page

At Black Beacon Games, we got a presentation of the rules of Era of Tribes, and I have to confess, it won me over much more than I expected. It’s a civilisation game, and the box marks around 30 minutes per player.

The first thing that grabbed me was the big map of Europe. Then came the chance to really deploy your troops and go into battle. The actions feel realistic too: taxes, diplomacy, expansion, trade, revolution and more.

That big map of Europe that won us over

My boyfriend, who isn’t that much into board games, was completely won over. He prefers games with a real theme, and this one sounded like an actual civilisation coming to life. That says a lot! I’ll most likely be digging deeper into this one.

Ice Makes: Epochs: Course of Cultures

Designed by Jeffrey CCH · Published by Ice Makes · BGG page

At the Ice Makes booth, we discovered Epochs: Course of Cultures, another civilisation game that really appealed to me, especially its theme. It plays in around two hours at two players, which is really nice for me. I loved the look of it, with beautiful cards and a player board that reminded me a lot of Age of Civilization. And no wonder: both games are by the same designer, Jeffrey CCH!

Epochs: Course of Cultures

Devir: 7th Seal

Designed by Julio Falagán · Illustrated by Will Kirkby · Published by Devir · BGG page

I was expecting Gaudí to be the game that grabbed me at Devir, but no, it was 7th Seal! It’s a solo game where you fight several bosses and their minions using dice. I got to try it until I beat the first boss, Teskatlipoka, and I was completely hooked.

My first fight in 7th Seal. Teskatlipoka didn’t stand a chance!

The game was wonderfully explained by one of the demonstrators at the booth. I’d love to thank him by name, but I can’t remember it. (Note to self: start writing down names tomorrow!) Either way, thank you so much, I had a great time.

Pektis Studio: Battle of the Knollen and Fintastic Sea

Published by Pektis Studio · Battle of the Knollen on BGG · Fintastic Sea on BGG

At Pektis Studio, we met Echo and Julian, two of the three people behind this indie studio.

Echo presented Battle of the Knollen, a trick-taking game about potatoes designed by Julian. 😛 She showed it with so much passion, along with the beautiful illustrations she created, that it was hard not to fall in love with it. I’ll be following the Gamefound campaign closely and waiting impatiently for its release.

Battle of the Knollen, potatoes have never looked so epic

Echo also showed us Fintastic Sea, a game she co-designed with Mahmoud Abdelwahab and illustrated. You set off on a scientific voyage to explore the depths, collect marine life and build lush, diverse ecosystems. I found it beautiful and I’ll probably give it a try.

Fintastic Sea, collecting marine life to build thriving ecosystems

And thank you to Julian for presenting the print and play roll and write based on Battle of the Knollen. I’ll print it at home and test it, and I promise I’ll be back with a review soon!

InterHuman: Badgers and Fear of the Dark

Published by InterHuman

Last but not least, InterHuman. It was a pleasure to discover Badgers, designed by Boris Malvic and Davor Vizintin, a lovely game for one or two players with gorgeous illustrations by Mihaela Prizmic. Thank you for the explanation and for making me want to play it!

Badgers and its gorgeous illustrations

I’m also curious to learn more about Fear of the Dark, designed by Damir Debanic, so I’ll probably come back tomorrow.

Thank you to Endi Oblak for showing us your fantastic work. The map cards on display are wonderful, and what a surprise to spot Santa Tecla on your Iberian maps! It’s so close to my home and so unexpected. It was a real pleasure talking with you.

My favourite of the day

Without hesitation: Moustache. It was so light and fun, and it gave me so much happiness. Sometimes the best moment of a giant fair is simply sitting at a table with strangers and laughing together.

End of Day 1

All in all, it was a great day. I’m tired, but I wanted so much to share it with you that I just couldn’t wait.

Tomorrow I’ll be back for more adventures: Fear of the Dark is on my list, along with more demos, and hopefully a notebook full of names this time!

And a small confession: if you noticed that some games in this post are shown with pictures from BGG instead of my own photos, it’s because I got so carried away talking and playing that I completely forgot to take pictures. Lesson learnt: tomorrow, phone in hand! 📸

Have you ever been to SPIEL Essen? And if you’re here this year, which game has caught your eye so far?

Come share your comments on Mastodon, Facebook, and BoardGameGeek.

SPIEL Essen on Marta's BG Corner

Chopstick Tightrope: Steady Hands Not Included

Game Overview

Theme

How to Win

Components

Gameplay

Solo Mode

My Experience

My Rating

Final Thoughts

Your Turn

Related Links

October 2026 Plays

Favourite Game of the Month

Moustache

My SPIEL Essen Haul

Karnivorous

Chopstick Tightrope

Light in the Dark

Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs

Played at SPIEL Essen

Mayor of Chicago

More Essen Discoveries

Other Games Played

Dune: Imperium

Planta Nubo

Quick Notes

Final Thoughts

Looking Ahead

Your Turn

SPIEL Essen 2026: Day 3

Going solo

Synapses Games: Chimerium

inPatience: Karnivorous, Mazing and Mayor of Chicago

A signature from Owen Davey

ICE Makes: Age of Legend

From my wishlist: Queen Alice

A familiar face

Kinson Key Games: Excursions

Thistroy Games: Micro Architects

KYF Edition: Behind

Quick looks

Lucky Duck Games: Accidental Heroes and Oakspire

My favourites of the day

Goodbye, SPIEL Essen

SPIEL Essen 2026: Day 2

Getting there

Esper Games: 99x1 and Dream Hoppers

Vesuvius Media: the Dwar7s saga

Into the crowds

A tougher stretch: Gaudí and Oniro

Archona Games: Light in the Dark

Cephalofair Games: Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs

Lovemore Games: Jewel Box

XOLLOX Games: The Fog: Escape from Paradise

My favourite of the day

What I take away from Day 2

End of Day 2

SPIEL Essen 2026: Day 1

Getting there

First impressions

Moustache

Gorilla Games: Chopstick Tightrope

Black Beacon Games: Era of Tribes

Ice Makes: Epochs: Course of Cultures

Devir: 7th Seal

Pektis Studio: Battle of the Knollen and Fintastic Sea

InterHuman: Badgers and Fear of the Dark

My favourite of the day

End of Day 1