ESSEN (2014)

About this game

In ESSEN, players are exhibitors who are trying to sell their games at a large board game fair in the well-known western German city of Essen. By placing their sellers, creating buzz, and managing their promotional efforts correctly, they can turn a profit and get board game geeks excited about their games. Each player board is themed as a certain type of game publisher (eurogames, ameritrash, war games, RPGs) with the reverse side showing other possibilities (abstract, children's games, party games, LARP). ESSEN is a game for 2-4 players, and by combining two copies of the game up to 8 players can play at the same time.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 4.
• Rules load. At 2.4/5 this is a mid-weight game — expect a proper rules explanation before you start.
• Age. The publisher suggests 12 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.