Every October, the city of Essen in Germany transforms into the beating heart of the board gaming world. SPIEL Essen is more than just a convention—it’s equal parts playground, trade fair, and cultural festival, where thousands of gamers gather to explore new worlds one tabletop at a time.
With SPIEL 2025 already on the horizon, whispers of what’s to come are starting to surface, and two titles in particular are catching the community’s attention. One invites players to chart their course high above the clouds, while the other dares them to plunge into the deep sea in search of treasure. It’s the perfect reminder of why Essen matters so much: the big publishers bring their blockbusters, indie designers unveil their passion projects, and together they map out the direction of the hobby.
A Journey Through the Skies
One of the most talked‑about games on the Essen radar is all about flight. Here, clouds aren’t just background decoration—they’re the board itself, the currency of travel, and the obstacles to overcome.
The design leans on the classic “pick up and deliver” style of gameplay, but twists it with a constantly shifting modular board. Each session creates new routes, new problems, and new discoveries. Players must decide when to risk venturing further and when to return home, the whole thing wrapped in dreamy art that blends steampunk edges with soft watercolor skies.
For anyone who fell in love with discovery‑driven titles like *Aerion* or *Forbidden Sky*, this feels like a modern descendant—playful, strategic, and full of wonder.
Treasures Beneath the Waves
The second big reveal takes us to an entirely different frontier: the unknown dark beneath the ocean’s surface. This game is all about diving for riches—glistening rubies, long‑lost artifacts, maybe even a bit of betrayal.
Mechanically, it’s a push‑your‑luck adventure. Do you risk swimming deeper for greater prizes, or head back up before your resources run dry? Add to that a social wrinkle: sometimes helping your fellow divers makes sense… but sometimes letting them flounder means more loot for you.
The production leans into atmosphere, with an ocean board that feels heavy and pressing, contrasted by bright ruby tokens that sparkle like real treasure. It channels some of the tension of classics like *Deep Sea Adventure*, but aims to broaden the experience—to be accessible enough for families, while still giving veteran players plenty to chew on.
Why These Two Stand Out
What’s fascinating about these upcoming titles is how they almost serve as opposites. One urges players upward, toward exploration, flight, and freedom. The other drags them downward, into darkness and greed, chasing reward at great personal risk.
Both showcase a trend in modern board game design: marrying mechanics with powerful thematic metaphors, so the choices you make aren’t just moves on a board, but emotional beats in a story you’re telling together.
Essen 2025: More Than Just Releases
Of course, these are only two of the first gems revealed. SPIEL Essen has become a stage not only for new game launches, but also for community panels, design discussions, and cultural exchange. Each year, representation grows, with more international publishers and smaller studios claiming their space alongside the giants.
If you want to peek into the future of the hobby, Essen is the place. And in 2025, whether it’s soaring through the skies or dredging treasure from the depths, there’s already plenty to be excited about.
So… Which Way Would You Go?
When faced with these two worlds, where would you rather place your bets: floating above the clouds on shifting pathways of air, or slipping into the deep, lungs burning, for one more ruby no one else dared to grab?
Either way, SPIEL Essen 2025 is shaping up to be a treasure chest of possibilities—and these two adventures are just the beginning.
👉 Would you like me to punch this up even further with scene‑setting detail—like bringing readers into the halls of Essen—or keep it focused strictly on the new games?