Internationale Spieltage SPIEL is an annual four-day boardgame trade fair which is also open to the public and held in October (Thursday to the following Sunday) at the Messe Essen exhibition centre in Essen, Germany. Also often called the Essen Game Fair, it is the worldwide biggest fair for board games. The SPIEL started in 1983, and since then has gained a worldwide fame as an occasion where passionate board gamers can meet and chat with game designers, illustrators, and famous game reviewers.

A board game is a tabletop game that involves counters or piece moved or placed on a pre-marked surface or “board”, according to a set of rules. Some games are based on pure strategy, but many contain an element of chance; and some are purely chance, with no element of skill.

At SPIEL, international and small exhibitors present their board games that are otherwise hard to find in retail. Those board games are typically available sooner than in regular board game shops, and come with promotional materials such as extra cards or tokens with a few more game mechanics, T-shirts and other similar merchandise. And during SPIEL, board gamers can also test the board games with other players from around the world. There are also numerous competitions that can be joined.

How about you? Will you go to this year’s SPIEL? Adora is certainly joining the fair and will be bringing empty suitcases with her to carry all those board games back home! Maybe you can meet her there!