Essen Spiel, officially known as SPIEL, is one of the largest board game conventions in the world, held annually in Essen, Germany. It typically takes place in October and attracts thousands of visitors from around the globe, including game publishers, designers, and enthusiasts. For me it will be already the fourth fair attended.

At the event, attendees can discover and play a wide variety of board games, take part in workshops, and participate in tournaments. Publishers often use the convention to launch new games and showcase upcoming releases. It is a vibrant hub for networking and celebrating the board gaming community, making it a must-visit for anyone passionate about tabletop gaming.

One thing which this fair is not know for are definitely the conflict games – historical, political or simply wargames. Still, there are some – especially Europe-based – publishers who will be present there. In below article I would like to draw attention of my Dear Readers to those several interesting titles which you will be able to see (and maybe play!) during the Spiel 2024!

1) NAC Wargames (Hall 3, Booth 3Q311)

The Other Side of the Hill

The Other Side of the Hill is a boardgame that simulates the effects that this struggle for power within the German High Command had on the development of the Second World War. Up to four players represent military leaders cooperating and competing as they manage Germany’s wartime strategy. To win, they must vie for Prestige by advancing the careers of their favored Army and Army Group commanders, grabbing their share of victories while the early-war pickings are easy, then avoiding responsibility for battlefield disasters as the Soviets and the Western Allies solidify and push back.

Players will pursue hidden objectives to dominate the German Officer Corps on behalf of Interest Groups such as the technically-minded Professionals, a traditionalist Old Guard, or anti-Nazi Dissidents—all while Allied aircraft bombard Germany’s war industry and Allied armies press in on every front. As in history, players must reconcile contradictory roles. The German General Staff’s job is to hold the Allies off, but each clique’s priorities can subvert any collective strategy. And beware: a player may in secret be sabotaging the war effort!

I admit, this is one of my Top Anticipated Wargames of 2024. Can’t wait to see the final product and delve into the incredibly interesting, complex and important to understand mechanisms of the organised crime – in this case, on the state level in Nazi Germany. As Volko Ruhnke wrote in hist essay, that development is signaling our readiness in the wargaming hobby to delve deeper into the nature of not only wartime organization but also human affairs generally. Can’t wait to see it!

The Republic´s Struggle – Golpe a la Republica

The Republic’s Struggle is a thematic game with card engine for 2 players, set during the historical events that took place in Spain after the resignation to the throne of King Alfonso XIII, and the proclamation of the II Spanish Republic, in 1931. With the creation of the new regime, the struggle for power between the different social, political and ideological sectors increased, which gave rise to continuous changes of political power, alterations of the public order, armed uprisings and violent acts, carried out by the numerous ideological factions of the moment; which culminated in 1936, in a failed military uprising. The failure of this coup d’état originated the Spanish Civil War.

This seems like a super thematic and still quick to play game on the Spanish Civil War – a conflict which was used by conflicted ideology blocks as a proxy war. Will definitely be glad to try it!

Berlin 1945 (La Caida del Reichstag)

Berlin 1945 (Fall of the Reichstag) is a two-person card-driven wargame that recreates the Battle of Berlin April 24 – May 2 1945, the last great battle and the end of World War II. One player represents the German army and the other the Soviet army. The final chapter in the destruction of Third Reich began on April when Stalin unleashed the brutal power of 20 armies, 6,300 tanks and 8,500 aircraft with the objective of crushing German resistance and capturing Berlin.

The depleted German forces put up a stiff defense, initially repelling the attacking Russians, but ultimately succumbing to overwhelming force. The Soviet army surrounded the city slowly tightening its stranglehold on the remaining defenders. Fighting street-to-street and house-to-house, Russian troops blasted their way towards the city’s center.

The Soviet army must reach the Reichstag and defeat the defending German troops at that area by outnumbering them by at least 2 to 1. The German player must defend the city and prevent the arriving Soviet troops from taking over the Reichstag (German Headquarters).

I definitely appreciate siege-themed boardgames and always try them with pleasure. It is not easy to simulate the static nature of such warfare but as with Von Manstein’s Triumph, I really hope and expect that the publisher did a great job here too! Will check!

El Rey Planeta

You are Philip IV, the King of Spain and Portugal since 1621. Your empire has reached approximately 12.2 million square kilometers, and you are the “Planet King”. The Planet King takes 1 to 2 players into the economic, military, and diplomatic actions of the biggest European empire. But each European powers has its own agenda and a series of events will try to undermine the empire.

Player(s) recruit “Tercios” (armies), fleets, improve colonial defenses, use the ambassadors, tries to improve the economy while defending the empire from the attack of other European powers. While Philip runs his empire, he must employ his nobles to lead the armies and rule the kingdom’s territories. But the king must not only run an empire, he must also “live life”: have an heir for the kingdom, find a concubine, and of course fill the court with the best artists of the century.

This seems like a truly fun game – components wise it is beautiful; theme and history wise – very interesting; on top of this has a solo mode to play too. One of the titles I am going to devote my time to during the Spiel!

2) Sound of Drums (Hall 5, Booth 5G100)

1793: Patriots & Traitors

Patriots & Traitors recreates the chaos that tore up France from the fall of the monarchy in August 1792 until July 1794. Each of the players belong to a different political faction (moderate, conservative, radical, etc.) each with their own agenda. Although they are rivals, they will have to work together to prevent the armies of Austria, Prussia and Sardinia-Piedmont from reaching Paris, thereby crushing the Revolution and ending the game prematurely!

I am big fan of the Sound of Drums games. That small Europe-based company publishes interesting, astonishingly beautiful and perfected to the smallest detail games (see: First look at History of the Ancient Seas). This year we should get 1793 – Patriots & Traitors. I had a chance to play that title during the Essen 2023, and would love to see much more (almost finished) version during the 2024 fair.

Battles of Napoleon: Volume I – EYLAU 1807

Battles of Napoleon is an epic game series that simulates the most famous battles of Napoleon on a tactical scale sharing the same basic rules. The series portrays the most important aspects of battles of the Napoleonic era with easy to learn and remember rules, intuitive mechanics and procedures. Players may focus on taking decisions and playing rather than consulting rules.

The bloody winter battle of EYLAU 1807 will be the first volume in this series. Special rules like the possibility to launch a massive cavalry charge and features like snow storms, Russian Cossacks and the French Guard add distinctive flavor of the battle.

I had a pleasure to see early copies of this title, and although it was published several month ago, it is still a very fresh product which is worth checking. Beautiful components, pre-rounded chits, thematic maps, various strategic dilemmas on both side – you will find it all here. Make sure to check!

3) Assault Games (Hall 5, Booth 5G100)

Assault Sicily 43

Assault Sicily 43 is the second volume in a planned series of tactical level wargames in which players lead historical units into battle during the landing and airborne operations around Gela Beachhead in July 1943. Americans, Italians and Germans fight bitterly for the backdoor Sicily as a launchpad for the invasion of the continent.

During the Essen 2023 fair I had a pleasure to meet Wolfgang Klein and familiarize myself with the Assault games. That is such an innovative Tactical Combat System – and believe me, after so many years and playing so many types of such titles in that genre, I am fully aware how that sounds. When you add the beautiful components, random scenario generator as well as thematic campaigns – you had receipt for a success. We should have already some final copies available on Spiel!

4) PHALANX (Hall 3, Booth 3J512)

Purple Haze

Purple Haze is an immersive story-creation Tactical level Campaign wargame for 1 to 4 players that drops you into the heart of darkness: Vietnam, 1967. You lead a squad of U.S. Marines through the dense jungles, flooded rice paddies, and straw-thatched villages of a war-torn country. Gut-wrenching choices will determine the fate of you and your mission, showing if you have what it takes to survive.

It is in part a story-creation game, in part a Tactical level wargame, and in part a Campaign game. Your decisions determine the story. Your tactics decide the outcome of life and death firefights. Your men will suffer. Some won’t make it home. Those that do will get wiser, get tougher. The goal: Complete the mission, and get out alive.

I am so glad to see this game presented on the fair; it is still before the final publication but very close to it. We will first-hand experience the brutal fight in the Vietnam jungle – all of this with astonishingly beautiful set of components.

Unhappy King Charles

The year is 1642 and England is torn apart by a civil war between King Charles I and his supporters, the Royalists, and the Parliamentarians. In Unhappy King Charles, a two-player card-driven game, you must choose your side and fight for the control of England’s regions and economic centres. You will use cards to play historic events, recruit troops, influence politics, raid enemies, and activate your generals – including King Charles and Oliver Cromwell – to move, battle and siege fortresses on the map.

And here we have just recently published title – a new edition of great classic, Unhappy King Charles. That game is highly acclaimed for the way in which it captures the unique aspects of the English Civil War like desertions or difficulties in controlling regional troops. It brings a lot of novelties to the original, making it an even more exciting position!

5) CCC Games (Hall 3, Booth 3P411)

Total War: ROME – The Board Game

Total War: ROME – The Board Game captures the essence of the video game and allows up to four players to play as the leaders of Rome, Carthage, Greece, and Gallo-Germania, covering the time period from 250 BCE to 50 BCE. The base game can be played in under three hours, with planned expansions that will allow players to dive deeper into managing battles emulating the video game further.

I love Total War Video Games franchise – played extensively Shogun, Rome, Imperial or Napoleon. So when I learned about the project – while suspicious at first as with every Digital to Analog transformation there is a huge risk of “overdoing” the game – I went through materials and decided this is really promising title.

There is a good balance of what can be presented on board and calculated / coped with by players as in comparison to the computer game. When I am writing this post, the game already went through pretty tumultuous period but now is on track to be finally published. I am sure it is worth waiting – and would love to see it at Essen fair!

6) Osprey Games (Hall 2, Booth 2B111)

Undaunted 2200: Callisto

Undaunted 2200: Callisto is a standalone game in the Undaunted series that adapts the core gameplay of previous games to a new science-fiction setting. Play across an illustrated map in two-player, four-player, and solo game modes. Navigate the barren lunar landscape, maneuver to seize dominant high-ground positions, and utilize your formidable mechs to gain control of Callisto and its precious resources.

Well, honestly, that title already reached me 🙂 But still, it is very, very fresh publication which on Essen will be 3 week’s old 🙂 All fans of the David Thompson and Undaunted series will have a possibility (and a great pleasure, I am sure!) to try this game during the Spiel 2024. Also, on my blog you might find the constant flow of materials pertaining to this title.

7) Salt & Pepper Games (Hall 3, Booth 3A411)

Operation Barclay

With the Axis powers ejected from North Africa, there was debate as to where the Allies might strike next. At Casablanca (January 14-24, 1943), Roosevelt and Churchill agreed the next target: Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, would begin July 9 1943 — but there was a problem. The Axis powers suspected Sicily would be the target, and knew there were deception activities in motion to attempt to mislead them about what they already knew.

Operation Barclay puts players in the shoes of competing military intelligence directors who are attempting to mask or learn the truth about the Allied invasion plans for 1943. The Abwehr must attempt to learn where the Allies intend to land next. The London Controlling Section (LCS), the core intelligence agency responsible for Allied intelligence, must prevent the Abwehr from discovering the truth.

I have a weakness for the small and neat titles from Salt & Pepper Games. Look at The Hunt for example – so much replayability in relatively small footprint game. I am expecting similar great experience from Operation Barclay, which seems a perfect asymmetric title of spies and deception. Will try to test it during the Spiel!

Summary

This is only a brief selection of conflict-based games – be it pure wargames, political or historical titles. I am sure there will be more and when I attend SPIEL 2024 I am going to report on them. I also hope that above selection will be kind of inspiration for you and brief intro into some of the newest, fresh and intriguing designs. Enjoy!