The time went by faster when we had fun, and that happened during SPIEL Messe. It was the third day of the convention already, and we had only one day left before waiting for another year. There were a lot more visitors today, just like we predicted. SPIEL 2021 Day Three would be the busiest day for all parties.
Overall, the event went fine, just like the previous two days. The surge of visitors did not make things complicated with the safety and health procedure. I think the organizer has already prepared for this, and they did an excellent job.
New game haul
We didn’t plan to acquire new games today. The initial objective for today was to take some games we have pre-ordered or assigned for reviews. But just like I told you before, I am not good at planning and budgeting. Some booths were having good offers with discounted price, so how could I say no?
RACE FOR THE CHINESE ZODIAC — CAPSTONE GAMES
With a lot more visitors coming into the hall, all the hot items left were guaranteed sold-out today. We have seen how the queue built up around the Capstone Games' register. Eavesdropping from the distance, we found out that there were less than 30 copies for Boonlake. Did we miss it? Unfortunately, yes. We were unlucky this time.
However, we couldn't pass up the chance to take the Race for the Chinese Zodiac, a game from Singaporean publisher, Starting Player.
MINI EXPRESS — MOAIDEAS GAME DESIGN
For those who don't know yet, Moaideas Game Design is a publisher from Taiwan. Their titles are good and cannot be underestimated. It was a pity that I couldn't meet David & Frank this year. I really love their games. Despite their absence this year, they surprised me with a copy of Mini Express, a game from their Kickstarter project.
Mini Express is described as a more family-friendly 18xx game. Nevertheless, they promised that it would keep the strategy and tactical aspect intact. Time to jump on the review train.
eriantys — cranio creations
Cranio Creations' Golem was also one of the hot items this year. Just like the other most-wanted items, it was sold-out on SPIEL 2021 Day three. We then got Eriantys to cheer up ourselves.
Eriantys, in contrary to Golem's more serious and gloomy appearance, is more cheerful and full of colours. Please do not underestimate its appearance. The game is quite tight and competitive.
The game revolves around the magical floating island. We want to raise the fame of our own magic school.
LOOKING AT THE SHOWCASES ONCE MORE
Now that we were done with all the new hauls and purchases, we had more time to explore the halls. Of course, we didn't forget to visit some halls from our old friends once again.
pegasus spiele's future releases
Two titles were planned to be out in the future: Raccoon Robbers and First Rat. The first one mentioned was meant to be more family-friendly. Some research I did in Board Game Geek (BGG) entry informed me that it will use the push-your-luck mechanic. The latter game mentioned above is mentioned to have more strategy and tactical aspect. It would be more complicated than the other one.
I noticed that the illustrations from both games are quite similar. Further research on BGG showed that they are from the hands of Dennis Lohausen.
DRAGON DAWN PRODUCTIONs
Their latest Kickstarter, Maeshowe, was a success. The game was showcased and sold well during the convention. Still bringing up the horror background, it is a cooperative game where both players need to survive and flee the tomb.
The second table showed their euro game, Factory 42. All players become the dwarfs in a steampunk industrial setting. It received positive responses from the visitors, and sold pretty well, Timo said. We have tried their games before, and we are eager to try their new releases, too.
I somehow missed taking pictures for Maeshowe. I am deeply sorry about this. When I opened my copy, I will have some more pictures, I promise.
COSMODROME GAMES & ARCANE WONDERS
Do you guys remember Smartphone Inc. from Kickstarter? It got a new reimplementation this year. Mobile Markets has the same core and theme, players become a CEO of an electronic company and compete to be the best one in the world.
There are some additional implementations and tweaks on the rules. Mobile Market guarantees a shorter duration but with a more complex game. Now the company can customize the smartphones they produce depending on the market and consumers.
DV GIOCHI
The pop-up book from Italy (German localization by Abacus Spiele) was a sight for the sore eyes. Aesthetically, it was pleasing, and the gameplay was excellent. We didn't try the real campaign (to prevent spoilers).
As far as we know, Wonder Book contains six campaigns. Each lasts for approximately 90 minutes. There are seven different endings, so players can always replay to reach another epilogue after the gameplay.
CARCASSONNE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Did you know that a world championship of Carcassonne is held annually? The final was today in the Europa Hall of the Congress Center.
The game from Hans im Glück has been an eternal classic, becoming a must-have for most board gamers globally. They released the 20th Anniversary Edition this year.
One last day tomorrow
SPIEL 2021 Day Three was full of eager visitors. We witnessed how the hot items left were sold-out just a few hours after they opened the gate today. Saturday is the most favourite day to attend SPIEL Messe, so I am not surprised. Tomorrow will be the last day to enjoy this great board game convention. Our last report tomorrow would be pretty brief because we didn't intend to do much except wandering around. Stay tuned.
I am a full-time food technologist during weekdays. However, when the calendar hits weekends, I transform into an avid board gamer. I am a hardcore Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) LCG player from Fantasy Flight Games (FFG). Current hobby: buying board games. My shelf of shame’s list is getting longer, thanks to you, Kickstarter.
