Essen Game Fair 2006

Going or right now, on the balmy banks of the Ruhr river, gamers from all over the world have gathered for one of the most prestigious, but little heard of gaming festivals in the world: The Essen Game Fair—or Spiel. German for “play,” Spiel is all about board and designer games, with game makers flocking to the convention to debut and pitch their creations. And where better for the convention to take place than in Germany, a country that has become known for its board games and even created a distinctive genre, German-style board games, with titles like Settlers of Catan and Puerto Rico.

This really is the E3 of board games, and a positive or negative reception at Spiel can make or break a game.

The Essen Game Fair started yesterday and runs until this Sunday. The gentlemen over at Boardgamegeek.com have put together a list of new board games releasing this Fall, several of which are debuting at Essen. While you can check out Speil’s English page here, the globe-trotting gentlemen over at Boardgamenews.com put together the following report straight from the halls of the game fair.