SPIEL ESSEN 2026 TOP 10 LIST

It's that time of year again...leaves are falling from the trees, clocks are going back one hour, and the world's largest trade fair for board games has just taken place!

Yes, we are obviously talking about Spiel Essen, this year at its 43rd edition!

As per tradition, Essen is the event for new releases, where a lot of the hottest and biggest games are either released or featured.
And this year was no different: with almost 1,300 new games released, there really is something for everybody!

With such a high number of new releases, it's easy feeling lost or risking to lose track of games.
This is why we've decided to create a list of the top 10 hottest and most looked forward to games, based on what we saw ourselves at the Messe, and scouring the web.

Drumroll please...

10. Greylune

Greylune is a strategic game combining worker placement and adventure, set in a rich and captivating medieval fantasy world. Skillfully manage your villagers by placing them between the cards that form the city of Greylune, then remove them at the right moment to gather resources, recruit companions, acquire items, and visit important locations. But the adventure doesn't stop there: embark on quests, experience unexpected encounters, and accomplish heroic feats that you can proudly recount in the lively taverns of the city!

9. Windmill Valley Duel

The sun rises over the tulip fields in the valley, where tall windmills stand against the horizon and ships wait to carry your blooms across the sea. In Windmill Valley Duel, two rival horticulturists compete for prestige, wealth, and victory by cultivating the finest tulips, investing in powerful enhancements, and claiming the most strategic ports in this vibrant and picturesque land. In this valley, you are not alone. Your windmill's gears interlock with your opponent's, forcing every decision you make to send ripples through the land while setting your rival's plans in motion. Will you offer them an advantage to gain the edge you need, or will you wait for the perfect move?

8. Shugendo

In this strategy game, you will guide the expansion of your family's farm beyond the known boundaries of the forest. As your settlement grows, more people will gather under your banner. You will cultivate the land, build new communities, and shape the future. However, you must proceed with caution. Your expansion may unsettle the spirits that still dwell in the wilderness. The yokai are vigilant, and their mischief can hinder your plans if you fail to recognize their presence. Increase your influence, adapt your strategies, and attract the right people to your settlement to gain victory points.

7. Medico

In medieval Europe, trained physicians were a rarity. Traveling barbers did their best to care for the health of the people, and more than one of them may have dreamed of one day attaining the knowledge and reputation of a learned Medicus. In this game, you take on the role of such barbers, striving over the course of your journeys to acquire the knowledge needed to be worthy of the title of Medicus.

6. Braided Skies

In Braided Skies Board Games, you take on the role of an airship captain in the Shallows, seeking to build the greatest magical travel company in the Northlands. Your mission involves exploring land and sky for new wonders, upgrading your travel company operations, and picking up tourists - all while maintaining a steady supply of tapstones, the magical gems that fuel the Northlands. Accumulate fame to become the Commodore of the Clouds!

5. The Great Harbor

Are you ready to set sail to Glory? Embark on a glorious journey with The Great Harbor Board Game and create a Roman legacy for ages to come!
Build your Roman colony in the Mediterranean, trade and engage with the Great Harbor of Carthage, and construct mighty ships to fight the Cilician pirates in this dice-drafting, worker-placement game.

4. Gaudi

Step into a world where art defies gravity and stone becomes dream. Shape forms, balance light and nature, and bring to life the visionary style that redefined architecture. The game unfolds over three rounds. In each round, players take turns moving around the central Chandelier on the main board, carefully choosing where to stop in order to perform key actions-drawing cards and collecting various types of Trencadís tiles. These resources are then used to play cards and progress up the Chimneys on their personal boards. Each round concludes once all players have completed a full circuit around the Chandelier. At the end of the third round, the player with the highest and most balanced combination of VP will be declared the winner!

3. Avalon The Riven Veil

Arthur and Mordred fell at Camlann field, Arthur's body has been taken to Avalon, and unknown to the fey, Mordred followed... for the shattered son of King Arthur is not dead. By way of forbidden lore, his body endured the wounds of Excalibur and followed along the hidden ways to Avalon. Now the veil between the magical and the mundane has been pierced, and the wound calls like a beacon. The way is open, and all those with the sight now see it, so they come - some to defile the land, some to defend it.
In Avalon: The Riven Veil, an Arthurian-based area-control and exploration game, you lead mighty factions through the misty veil to discover what awaits on the mystical isle of Avalon. Explore the mists, discover legendary items of power, bond mythic beasts, hunt for the grail, and prepare for war. The game ends when you reach the end of the final season (season 2 or 3 depending on your selected game length). Each player gains the Victory Points from the revealed settlement slots of their Faction Board then whoever has the most Victory Points at the end of that Season, wins the game.

2. Entropy

Entropy plays out over a variable number of rounds. Each turn, you must move your Scientist between 1 to 3 spaces clockwise around the Main board. You must end your movement on either an inner Action space on the Main board or an outer space of an Action tile, and resolve it. You will build Solar Systems with Stars, Planets, and Asteroids, then fill them with Life, by playing cards. You may also gain various special abilities by adding Biomes and upgrading your Console. The end game is triggered when any 2 out of 6 Main Objectives are Completed. The player with the most Victory Points at the end of the game is the winner.

1. Kingdom Come Deliverance

Clothed in homespun garb, with naught but a simple dagger to hand, you have lived your whole life as a commoner, in the village where you were born. But must things remain that way?
Embark on an adventure filled with peril, but also opportunity. Deal with unpredictable locals, train to become a skilled archer, a silver-tongued orator, or even a cunning thief. Whatever path you choose, let it be your own.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance – The Board Game is an epic adventure game mixed with euro elements, set in 15th-century Medieval Bohemia.
Over the course of several in-game days and nights, players will try to leave their mark, whether by helping the local nobility, making important connections,
fighting enemies, or stealing everything from tiny items to horses.
While the game is competitive, it doesn't pit players against one another, but instead allows them to succeed through their own achievements. It uses a deck-building system and emphasizes player freedom, creating narratives through its mechanics.
The starting setup may provide some direction, but the game's open-world nature encourages players to pursue their own goals and shape their stories as they wish.
In Kingdom Come: Deliverance – The Board Game, no two playthroughs will be the same. The choices you make, the people you meet, and the opportunities you pursue will always create a unique and unforgettable adventure.