The 39 Most Anticipated Games of Essen Spiel 2025

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In just under two weeks, Spiel 2024 kicks off. The largest board game convention in the world, Spiel (sometimes just called Essen, or Essen Spiel) is the mecca for board gamers of all stripes. Over 1,100 new games will debut in the European market at the event, many of which will make their way to the United States next year. The Meeple Mountain crew will be there in force, so let’s see what we recommend as we comb through the new releases and help you find the diamonds in the rough.

Essen SPIEL 2025 will be here in just over two weeks; the largest board game convention in the world, and a mecca for board gamers of all stripes. Over 1,100 games will make their debut into the European market; an overwhelming number. The Meeple Mountain team has spent their time sifting through the list to come up with our most anticipated games of Essen SPIEL.

Andy Matthews

Formidable Farm

When I hear about a new Friedemann Friese game, I’m all ears. And so when I saw Formidable Farm on the Essen SPIEL list, my attention was captured. Formidable Farm centers on cardplay and “trading”, in that you gather resources, then trade up for more valuable resources. It’s a short-term engine builder in that you build an engine, run it, then build another engine. The goal is to be the first player to fulfill all your trade cards. Also eye-catching is the artwork: 2F-Spiele went with a more whimsical artwork look that looks pretty nifty, with a sort of cozy vibe.

Publisher: 2F-Spiele
Designer: Friedemann Friese

2 Win

I love a light card game, and 2 Win seems to be firmly in that vein. The goal is to be the last player who can play a card, and you accomplish that by playing pairs of cards from your hand to form numbers. The highest number wins a card, the cards with the most stars wins a card, and playing cards of the same color earns a card, etc. And so you’re constantly trying to keep up your available deck in order to be the last person standing.

Publisher: Blue Orange Games
Designer: Florian Racky

Runes: The Game

Runes: The Game is from newish designer Clemens von Bank, and is a tile placement game in which players seek to play all their tokens to the board. Place a hex tile whose edges match existing tiles and you can add tokens to the board. Runes: The Game also includes specialty tiles and cards which allow you to add even more tokens to the board. Seems like a puzzly good time could be had by all players.

Publisher: CBGame
Designer: Clemens von Bank

Night Soil

How can you not love a game about poop? Night Soil refers to the time before indoor plumbing in which residents of London did their business in a chamber pot, then put it out to the curb in order to have it collected. Night Soil the game pits players against each as competing companies who each aim to earn the most money by collecting and processing this most fragrant of products: advertising, working with other businesses, and improving their own assets. What a job!

Publisher: Grail Games
Designer: Jon Moffat

Tropicalia

Phil! Walker! Harding! You might know him from such hits as Cities, Sushi-Go!, and Gizmos; a talented and prolific designer. In his newest game, Tropicalia, 2-4 players send their people out to collect fruit from tiles randomly placed on the board. Workers are placed around the edges, and then are able to collect from any tile in that row or column. But watch out, other players might choose your desired space, forcing you to play tactically. Earn points for completing objectives and be the winner.

Publisher: Mojito Studios
Designer: Phil Walker-Harding

Tower Up: Paradise Islands

2024’s Tower Up from Monolith Games has become a favorite of mine. I picked it up at Essen SPIEL 2024 and I’ve played with many people, all of whom have loved the blend of area control, goal achievement, and component quality. Tower Up: Paradise Islands adds bridges and statues, and what appears to be a new map. Bring it on, because this is the perfect sort of expansion. Minor variations on the base game that don’t require relearning the entire thing. Can I have it please?!

Publisher: Monolith Board Games
Designer: Frank Crittin, Grégoire Largey, Sébastien Pauchon

Kevin Brantley

Natera: New Beginning

This is one worker placement game that stood out in the sea of Euros this year. I’ve read that the mechanics draw inspiration from some of my personal favorites, like Lost Ruins of Arnak and Dune: Imperium. Natera looks like a game that rewards maximizing every turn, with a puzzle that continues to evolve as the game progresses. With over 420 test plays, it feels like this design has been honed with care and precision. Mix in some charming animal themes, and it easily lands as one of my top games on the watchlist.

Publisher: Horizon Games
Designer: Eric Fugere, Hugo Tremblay-Ledoux

Jisogi: Anime Studio Tycoon

I wouldn’t call myself full-on otaku, but I do mix in a fair amount of anime (shoutout to Dan Da Dan and To Be Hero X this season). In gaming, though, there aren’t really anime games—just games using anime IP, and let’s be honest, most of those aren’t great. I might not know how to run an anime studio, but this feels like a fun way to gamify that dream: crafting shows across genres like cyber horror, mecha flash, and period drama, all while trying to turn creativity into profit. The retro ’90s manga-style art is just the perfect finishing touch.

Publisher: Esper Game Studio
Designer: Rodrigo Esper

Railway Boom

Hisashi Hayashi is no stranger to trains or euros, with hits like Yokohama, Trains, and Railways of Nippon under his belt—and wait, the recent Spiel des Jahres winner Bomb Busters too? While I’m not into full 18XX games, I love the genre’s approachable middle ground with titles like Irish Gauge and Chicago Express, and Railway Boom feels right at home there. A remake of the 2022 original, it’s been refined with Simone Luciani’s development touch, adding smoother auctions and a tighter endgame. Wrapped in Ian O’Toole’s crisp, elegant art, Railway Boom combines pedigree, polish, and presentation, making it a strong contender for best in show.

Publisher: Arclight Games, Cranio Creations
Designer: Hisashi Hayashi

Stonesaga

Survival crafting games may have peaked a few years ago, but Stonesaga keeps that spirit alive through cooperative, campaign-based play. Each session represents a new generation, with the valley evolving based on player choices—no strict scheduling required thanks to its drop-in/drop-out design. Its discovery-driven crafting system lets you experiment by combining items (like a stick and a rock) to create new tools, all while fending off roaming beasts and uncovering secrets. Building a prehistoric legacy and exploring an ever-changing world? Count me in.

Publisher: Open Owl Studios
Designer: Luke Eddy, Max Brooke

Abroad

Fresh off a trip to Europe, this theme instantly hooked me. Much like Let’s Go to Japan, players travel across Europe collecting postcards from their adventures, but with a euro-style twist that demands smart resource management—spending money to fly or energy to take the train. With ten regions and over 240 postcards to discover, it offers more strategic depth as you aim to become the top travel guide publisher. I’m especially eager to retrace my own recent journey through Ireland, Germany, and Austria, all from the comfort of the table.

Publisher: 1 More Time Games
Designer: Danilo Valente, Rodrigo Rego

1975: White Christmas

I wasn’t around for the fall of Saigon, but that moment in history has always fascinated me. During a trip to Hanoi, I visited the “American War Museum,” which offered a striking look from the local perspective. I’ve always appreciated historical games that explore conflict beyond traditional combat, and this one fits that mold perfectly. Players step into the role of a U.S. commander during Operation Frequent Wind—the massive helicopter evacuation at the end of the Vietnam War, working to save as many civilians as possible. With its blend of card drafting, hand management, and bidding mechanics, I’m eager to see if this bird can really take flight.

Publisher: Looping Games
Designer: Albert Reyes

Synchro Horizon

This JRPG-inspired roguelite from Thai designer Zemaki was born out of his love for video games, and as someone currently deep into Persona 5 Royal, Dragon Quest XI, and Final Fantasy Tactics, that instantly caught my attention. Like Slay the Spire or Dead Cells, players team up to explore, battle, and level up before facing a big boss at the end of each run. With over thirty heroes to recruit and fifty skills to master, there’s no shortage of tactical depth. Choices persist between runs, giving each session lasting impact. Synchro Horizon just funded on Kickstarter, and I’m ready to dive into some turn-based glory.

Publisher: New Game Entertainment Pte Ltd.
Designer: Zemaki

Punica: Rome vs Carthage

PHALANX has a knack for turning grand historical conflicts into quick, accessible experiences, and as a history buff, the Punic Wars (with Carthage’s legendary war elephants) are right up my alley. This two-player game boils the struggle down to a brisk 20 minutes of area control and hand management, with asymmetric factions that reward clever counterplay. No dense rulebook or setup marathon here, just a streamlined, portable wargame perfect for travel or as a warm-up before a larger battlefield showdown.

Publisher: PHALANX
Designer: Mariusz Rosik

23 Knives

A game described as a “political party game about the assassination of Julius Caesar on the Ides of March” definitely turns heads, and 23 Knives embraces that chaos. Players take on secret roles and allegiances, using bribery, deduction, and voting to decide Caesar’s fate. The title nods to the 23 wounds he suffered, which also serve as the game’s scoring system: reach 23 knives and Caesar falls; fall short, and he lives. Each role offers unique abilities that fuel backroom deals and shifting loyalties. I’m not usually into social deduction, but this one sounds like a killer.

Publisher: Play to Z
Designer: Tyler J. Brown

The Presence

Perfect for spooky season, this game drops you into a Victorian-era ghost story where things aren’t always what they seem. Like Betrayal at House on the Hill, it can unfold as a cooperative experience or twist into a one-vs-all showdown—but you won’t know which until the story develops. One player starts as the ghost with a secret agenda, while the others explore the mansion, uncover clues, and decide whether to trust their spectral companion. It all builds to a tense finale that tests every alliance. It sounds like a darker, moodier Betrayal, and I can’t wait to get my spook on.

Publisher: Purple Lantern Games
Designer: Sam Gullman

Thesauros

I’ve always loved the idea of embarking on treasure-hunting expeditions straight out of a History Channel special, and this game lets you do just that by running your own deep-sea salvage company. It mixes euro-style mechanics with tech upgrades, ad campaigns, and crew management, all in the name of uncovering hidden riches (while dodging the occasional shark, of course). What really stands out is its 3.75 BGG complexity rating for a game that looks deceptively light. Turns out the strategy here runs deeper than it appears—perfect for a game about diving beneath the surface.

Publisher: Super Meeple
Designer: Cédric Millet

Shall We Dance

I’ve always had a soft spot for Saashi & Saashi games. They might not all be instant classics, but their art style is second to none. Shall We Dance is a charming card game about pairing off dancers at a grand ball, blending set collection with color majority in an easy-to-learn format. It keeps everyone on their toes, since the perfect partner can be stolen away at any moment. After all, no one said romance on the dance floor was fair.

Publisher: Saashi & Saashi
Designer: Saashi

Under Our Sun

Post-apocalyptic worlds are one of my favorite settings, and having just finished Wool from the Silo series, I’m fully in that survival mindset. Under the Sun leans into that theme, offering cooperative or semi-cooperative play centered on exploration and endurance. Like Dead of Winter, players might have hidden motives but still need to work together to keep the community alive. With modular scenarios that change the game’s length, tone, and strategy, it promises plenty of replayability for the long trek across the wasteland.

Publisher: tabletopper games
Designer: David Poluda, Maximilian Lichtner

Batam

If you missed the 1998 classic Tonga Bonga, you’re in luck—it’s back and refreshed as Batam. Players place coins on their ships, roll dice, and assign them to others’ vessels to earn money and sail farther across the Batam archipelago. The catch is that money also counts as points, so spending too freely can sink your chances. This new edition brings a redesigned map and new cards, adding fresh layers for Tonga Bonga veterans. I can’t wait to roll the dice and set sail again.

Publisher: Playte
Designer: Stefan Dorra

Pulitzer

Watergate was one of the first two-player games I played with my wife, so it’ll always have a special place in my heart. As a board game journalist, the theme alone pulls me in—chasing the biggest stories of the ’70s like Vietnam, Watergate, Roe v. Wade, and the Civil Rights Movement. Unlike Watergate, though, this game expands to five players, each secretly placing workers to uncover leads before the competition. Area control determines who gets the evidence needed to advance their investigation, all while vying for Pulitzer-worthy reporting. Even scoring is judged by the Pulitzer committee. I’m genuinely excited for this one.

Publisher: Tranjis Games
Designer: David Vaquero

Durian Smuggler

As someone born in Singapore, I know the durian all too well—how it smells (awful), how it tastes (also awful), and how many signs ban it on public transit (countless). My uncles love it, but during family gatherings, they’d be exiled to the kitchen to keep that pungent scent contained. Across Southeast Asia, the fruit is notorious enough to be banned outright. In this game, you play as a security agent trying to sniff out which suitcases hide the smelly contraband. Even if the gameplay doesn’t blow me away, I’m eager to try it for the stinky family connection alone. And if you ever get the chance to try durian—do it once, just for the story.

Publisher: Self-Published
Designer: Simon Schmieder

Justin Bell

Almost Every Expansion Title at the Show

My friend John and I were recently talking about SPIEL Essen; we were surprised to admit that many of our most anticipated titles were not original IP…they were expansions! 2025’s expansion lineup is rich. I’m getting additional expansions to two of my favorite game systems of the last couple years, Pirates of Maracaibo and Nucleum. I’m getting an expansion to Federation, a good game that I thought could use some rounding near the edges to really make it shine, including at lower player counts. The big kahuna for expansions this year is undoubtedly the first SETI expansion, SETI: Space Agencies (and yes, this is confirmed as the “first”, which certainly means we are getting a “second” eventually). During a conversation with the publisher, I learned that Space Agencies addresses almost everything I thought was a gap in the base game: a speedier start (think Terraforming Mars: Prelude), asymmetrical factions, more aliens, and even more cards. For those who thought that the “dry Euro” supposedly had a rough period recently, I can assure you the world is in great shape!

Publishers: Board&Dice, Capstone Games, Czech Games Edition, Eagle-Gryphon Games
Designers: Too many to count!!

Baghdad: The City of Peace

Shackleton Base: A Journey to the Moon was my favorite Euro in a year chock full of great ones; it is still hitting the table once a month or so across my groups. The designers of that game have mostly shot fire over the last two years, so expectations are high that Baghdad: The City of Peace can keep their collective streaks going. Even though I don’t know much about the actual gameplay here, I noted the words “hand management” and “mega rondel” in the publisher’s description. Added bonus: art from the guy who illustrates the Undaunted series. Sold!

Publisher: Alley Cat Games
Designer: Fabio Lopiano, Nestore Mangone

Pax Porfiriana (Ultimate Edition)

If there’s one Pax series game everyone seems to love in my circles, that title is Pax Porfiriana, the 2012 hand management game from Ion Game Design and Sierra Madre Games. Here’s the trick—it has been out of print for years…until now! Ion’s new “Ultimate Edition” will be available for demo and pre-order at the show, and it’s a game I have always wanted to cover. Here’s hoping we get that chance in the weeks ahead!

Publisher: Ion Game Design
Designer: Matt Eklund, Phil Eklund

ANTS

I thought Rats of Wistar was good, but repeated plays on Board Game Arena have brought out the game’s subtle genius. It’s an exceptionally tight worker placement game with some of my favorite cardplay in gaming. ANTS appears to be a game set in the world of Rats of Wistar, but not a direct sequel. Cards are still vital, many of the same icons are used, and Simone Luciani—who co-designed Rats of Wistar—is still involved, here as the lead developer. ANTS appears to be different enough to be a different game, and the pre-release buzz is strong. One of my first meetings at the fair is with the Cranio marketing team, and I’m already excited to pick this one up.

Publisher: Cranio Creations
Designer: Andrea Robbiani, Renato Ciervo

Recall

I didn’t discover Revive until last year (thanks again, BGA!!), but then I became semi-obsessed with it for about six months, bought the base game, then bought the expansion, Revive: Call of the Abyss. This time, I want in on the front end…the designers of Revive have a new title, Recall, and it looks dope. The board gives me Revive vibes, but the designers insist this is a very different game. I’ll be in line to find out. (While I’m in line, I’m hoping to score a copy of Alion’s other big release this year, Tax the Rich…because it is called “Tax the Rich.”)

Publisher: Alion—by Dr. Ø
Designer: Anna Wermland, Kristian Amundsen Østby, Helge Meissner, Kjetil Svendsen

Echoes of Time

I don’t have too many examples of games where Simone Luciani has done me wrong, so despite the strange title and cover art for Echoes of Time, I still think we’re going to be in great shape here. (I had the same doubts about MESOS…then I played MESOS.) The playtime on the publisher’s website indicates a very breezy time at the table, the rules confirm that there are multi-use cards, and this has the look of a very fast, uniquely powered tableau builder. Who doesn’t love a good long filler?

Publisher: Cranio Creations
Designer: Simone Luciani, Roberto Pellei

Perseverance: Castaway Chronicles–Episodes 3 & 4

During my visit to the Mindclash headquarters, I spent some time chatting with the team about the back half of the Perseverance: Castaway Chronicles saga. I’ll just say that Mindclash is very excited to see what people think about the final two games. Mindclash’s track record with their heavier titles has been pretty consistent, and while the Trickerion: Anniversary Edition will be a big hit at the show, I’m laser-focused on Perseverance. (Well, at least until we get Voidfall expansion content!) I’m also a sucker for rideable dinosaurs…how many other games out there this year will feature that?

Publisher: Mindclash Games
Designer: Richard Ámann, Thomas Vande Ginste, Viktor Péter, Dávid Turczi

Thebai

Another day, another “T” game from…wait a minute, this is NOT a game by Daniele Tascini. This is a game by Dávid Turczi! Turczi has done me right quite a bit over the last few years; Vengeance: Roll & Fight was brilliant, Nucleum was great, and Voidfall was a classic. This is a solo design, and during the walkthrough of this title at Gen Con 2025, I had a good feeling based on its action system. I’ve still never played a bad Board&Dice game…now, let’s see if this ends up being their best work of the year.

Publisher: Board&Dice
Designer: Dávid Turczi

Red North

By now, you’ve probably noticed a theme with my picks for this year: I rely heavily on publishers that produce the steadiest quality of games, I love hand management games, and I love covering titles that play in less than an hour, to help balance my coverage of heavier titles. Mighty Boards has been so steady that I always make their booth one of my first stops, and while Pinched! is also one of their “hot” titles, I’m going with Red North, a reprint of the game Sӕr released just last year with updates that tell me Mighty Boards has offered development assistance to make the game really shine. Red North features art by Giacomo Vichi, the same illustrator who provided images for two other stellar Mighty Boards titles: Art Society, and Fateforge: Chronicles of Kaan. I’m excited for these titles…and, of course, the Mighty Boards booth party!!

Publisher: Mighty Boards
Designer: James Dickinson

Shikoku/Kyūshū

I had the game Honshū in my game bag for years, a reliable, map-building short filler card game designed by Kalle Malmioja. The second game in the so-called “Nippon” series, Hokkaido, had similar vibes. Now, Nordic publisher Lautapelit.fi is releasing games three and four in the Nippon series at the same time, Kyūshū and Shikoku. Just one look at the cover art told me I was home, so I’m going to try and grab these games during the show. Malmioja designed both of these new titles, so I’m hopeful that these titles capture the same magic as the first two games.

Publisher: Lautapelit.fi
Designer: Kalle Malmoija

WunderWaffen

I would play more wargames if I could find the right people in Chicago; as it is, I’ve had the chance to try a few games in the Ares catalog, and I’ve liked them all. The leadership team from Ares walked me through Wunderwaffen during my time at Gen Con 2025, and the action system looks juicy. This game plays exactly two or four players, as one player takes on the Axis side and all other players take on various Allied superpowers (the US, the UK, and the USSR). Some of the board layout reminded me of games I’ve enjoyed in the past, and knocking out a game like this in two hours feels like a system I can get behind.

Publisher: Ares Games
Designer: Walter Obert

Andrew Holmes

The Hobbit: There and Back Again

As a fan of dice, Lord of the Rings, Reiner Knizia and drawing on things badly, I can’t help but be excited by this game. It helps that the early reviews are positive.

Knizia has form with campaign dice games, with the excellent My City: Roll & Build and he has a long proven track record with treating Tolkien’s world with respect (see our discussion of the Letter L in our Knizia Alphabet). So all the signs are good before you even look at the gorgeous production.

Publisher: Office Dog, Rebel Sp. z.o.o.
Designer: Reiner Knizia

Junk Art Revolution

Widely considered to be one of the best dexterity games ever assembled, Junk Art has become harder to track down of late and was due a reprint. Except that former publisher Pretzel Games is no more. Instead of just replicating the original, new publisher Ludonova has completely revised and updated the game.

With revised scoring, new cities (games to play) and other tweaks, Junk Art Revolution promises an improved experience for existing players and an ideal starting point for those new to the game.

Publisher: Ludonova
Designer: Jay Cormier, Sen-Foong Lim

Oh My Socks!

What do you get when you combine the small-box cuteness of publisher Helvetiq with the brains behind admired games such as 7 Wonders (including 7 Wonders Duel and 7 Wonders: Architects), Tokaido, Draftosaurus, Takenoko, Sea Salt & Paper, and more? Hopefully something cleverly delightful!

Co-designer Théo Rivière already has Helvetiq-form with Tucano, and Oh My Socks! sees players trying to collect sock cards whilst making sure they have even numbers of each pattern in order to score them at the end. Given I already own Reiner Knizia’s Odd Socks, adding this will create an odd hosiery sub-niche with a pair of pairing sock games.

Publisher: Helvetiq
Designer: Antoine Bauza, Théo Rivière

Galaxolotl

I don’t know much about this game aside from its name but I don’t need to. It’s on my radar for that superb pun alone. Looks like it a family push-your-luck game that encourages some minor maths, but im mainly here for all the space-going axolotl.

Publisher: HABA
Designer: Stefano Negro

Labyrinth: Chronicles

The sliding puzzle of Labyrinth is a game that’s been entertaining families for almost 40 years in various formats (including Super Mario). I loved it as a child and I’ve introduced it to my own kids (starting with the Spidey and friends junior version).

Labyrinth: Chronicles is a cooperative campaign version, where you can gain skills, discover new treasures, rebuild your village and avoid ‘grasping goblins’. I definitely don’t need the overpriced plastic (or sky-high prices) that publisher Awaken Realms is known for but I’m excited for the gameplay.

Publisher: Awaken Realms, Ravensburger
Designer: Jan Truchanowicz, Max J. Kobbert

Furnace Duel

2020’s Furnace has one of the best auction mechanisms from the past decade and its a great game (see Bob’s review of Furnace here). It doesn’t work badly with two players – there’s a dummy player that helps stand in to create more competition – but it’s a game few would buy just for two players, since the game’s highlight is those auctions.

Furnace Duel looks to keep parts of the auctions intact, but changes the way compensation works, with a map that players expand across (with trains, what else!) to access different rewards when they lose auctions. With a campaign and six maps with different rule tweaks, it looks like there’s plenty to explore whilst keeping much of what made the original so good.

Publisher: Hobby World, Kobold Spieleverlag
Designer: Andrey Kolupaev, Ivan Lashin

Previously Reviewed

In addition to the games we’re looking forward to, we’ve already covered a number of titles that will make their first appearances to the European market at Essen Spiel 2025.

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Check out our previous most anticipated lists for Essen Spiel and find out if we picked some winners!

• The 35 Most Anticipated Games of Essen Spiel 2024
• The 40 Most Anticipated Games of Essen Spiel 2023
• The 43 Most Anticipated Games of Essen Spiel 2022
• The 29 Most Anticipated Games of Essen Spiel 2021
• The 34 Most Anticipated Games of Essen Spiel 2020
• The 48 Most Anticipated Games of Essen Spiel 2019