10 Essen games everyone seems to be talking about

This year, Rules of Play's Ian & Dyfed are going to Essen! We're counting down some of the best and most-anticipated games of the entire fair.

Ahhh, pre-Essen buzz. Twitter is all a-twitter, the game blogs are full of chatter, and our pre-order lists are looking b-e-a-uuutiful!

Below are 10 Essen games everyone seems to be talking about with anticipation. We can't wait to try them! 

Want some good news? All these games are available to pre-order with us right now!

More Essen posts:

• 10 Essen games we think will be massive hits
• 10 Essen games we'll definitely be playing when we're there

Photosynthesis

Welcome to the world of Photosynthesis, the green strategy board game! Sow your crops wisely and the shadows of your growing trees could slow your opponents down, but don't forget that the sun revolves around the forest. 

View the game

Alien Artifacts

In Alien Artifacts you play as an interplanetary faction, sending your research vessels into uncharted space using your own deck of cards to expand your knowledge and power.

Build powerful ships, develop new technologies, and explore distant planets for anything — or anyone — you can exploit. 

Queendomino

In Queendomino build up the most prestigious kingdom by claiming wheat fields, forests, lakes, grazing grounds, marshes, and mountains.

Your knights will bring you riches in the form of coins — and if you make sure to expand the towns on your lands, you will make new buildings appear, giving you opportunities for new strategies.

You may win the Queen's favors ... but always be aware of the dragon!

Gaia Project

In Gaia Project, you must terraform neighboring planets in order to expand your faction. Compete with others players for the best land and research new and exciting technologies!

First Martians

Built on the core of the award-winning Robinson Crusoe: Adventures on the Cursed Island, First Martians: Adventures on the Red Planet pits players against the hostile Martian environment and a whole host of new adventures and challenges.

The immersion experience is further enhanced with an integrated app that maintains the balance and challenge throughout. 

Charterstone

In Charterstone, a competitive legacy game, you construct buildings and populate a shared village. Building stickers are permanently added to the game board and become action spaces for any player to use. Thus, you start off with simple choices and few workers, but soon you have a bustling village with dozens of possible actions.

Your journey through Charterstone’s many secrets will last 12 games, but it doesn’t end there. Your completed village will be a one-of-a-kind worker-placement game with plenty of variability.

Pandemic Legacy Season 2

Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 is an epic cooperative game for 2 to 4 players. Unlike most other games, this one is working against you. What's more, some of the actions you take in Pandemic Legacy will carry over to future games. No two worlds will ever be alike!

Mountains of Madness

Based on the novel by H. P. Lovecraft, Mountains of Madness is a fully cooperative game with a pinch of real-time gameplay.

The survival of your team will depend on your ability to communicate with each other and to coordinate your efforts to overcome each obstacle — but what you discover on the way to the highest peak will strongly test your mental health.

Will you even be able to understand yourself despite the madness that gradually insinuates itself into your mind?

Bunny Kingdom

Peace has come at last to the great Bunny Kingdom! Lead your clan of rabbits to glory by gathering resources and building new cities across the land!

Draft cards and pick the right ones to position your warrens on the 100 squares of the board, provide resources to your colonies, build new cities to increase your influence, and plan your strategy to score big at the end of the game.

Ex Libris

In Ex Libris, you are a collector of rare and valuable books in a thriving gnomish village. Recently, the Mayor and Village Council have announced an opening for a Grand Librarian: a prestigious (and lucrative) position they intend to award to the most qualified villager!

Unfortunately, several of your book collector colleagues (more like acquaintances, really) are also candidates... 

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