I wasn’t able to go to UKGE this year, though I kind of wished I had after seeing multiple people posting about it. I’ve never been there, but it looked like a lot of fun! Going to conventions—especially those in another country—is expansive though. Which made me think: what remains of SPIEL Essen 2024? Was …
It’s been a month since Essen and I thought it might be fun to quickly write about what things look like now that the dust has settled and some of the hype has normalised. While SPIEL is going on, everybody – me included – is of course excited about all the new releases and getting …
I guess I’m inventing a new-for-me format here: “Table Talk” 😀 While my usual interview format Origin Stories is based on 90-120 min conversations that are well researched and in-depth on a single game or topic, Table Talk will be shorter 20-30 min conversations to catch up with interesting people in the hobby. While being …
With SPIEL over and me on a long train ride, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the whole trip and answer a number of frequently asked questions. What Did It Cost? For trips like this, that’s always the big one. Well, it depends on various factors: How expansive is it for you to travel …
And here we are already: the final day of SPIEL Essen 2024. It’s the first time in a while that I’ve attended SPIEL on a Sunday. I would usually just do my shopping/gaming Thursday and Friday and avoid the weekend in favour of playing my new acquisitions. But this year there were more people to …
Saturday at SPIEL Essen started lovely for me: with a cloudless sky and the sun shining. The weather this year is a bit unusually chilly for SPIEL as most years the convention somehow manages to have good luck and nice weather. I can’t really remember a single SPIEL where there was rain going on … …
Read more “SPIEL Essen 2024 – Day 3: Tea Garden, Roads & Boats, and Meeting Lovely People”
It’s a good day if you unexpectedly meet people you don’t really know and they are happy to see you! Welcome to day 2 of SPIEL Essen 2024. The doors of SPIEL have closed and I’m back at the laptop before doing a little bit more gaming in the hotel. Having booked a hotel room …
Read more “SPIEL Essen 2024 – Day 2: Steam Power, Raas, and a Big Surprise”
And we’re back! Hello everyone to the first official day of SPIEL. I was a bit anxious what would await me with tickets being sold out and the German unification day coinciding with the first day of SPIEL, but it turned out to become a pretty great day. When I reached the Messe at around …
Read more “SPIEL Essen 2024 – Day 1: World Order, Landmarks, and a Sold Out Show”
Well, if you want to meet people you know from YouTube, let me tell you: the press conference for SPIEL Essen is the place to be! 😀 Hi everyone and welcome to Day 0 of my Essen 2024 coverage! Things kicked off today with the press conference and new games show. This was the first …
Read more “SPIEL Essen 2024 – Day 0: Press Conference, Novelty Show, and Making New Acquittances”
Another year, another Essen season is upon us! I just thought I’d make the most of my train ride to Essen by once again sharing what my approach for this year will be. A lot seems to be different this year, so should be fun! 😀 Pre-Fair Coverage, Pre-Orders & Demo-Only It’s quite noticeable how …