Best games released at SPIEL 1987 in Essen 2026

Bausack is a unique and engaging game that combines elements of strategy, dexterity, and auctioning. Players challenge each other to build precarious structures using a variety of uniquely shaped wooden blocks. The game tests your architectural skills and your ability to make strategic decisions under pressure. Players must balance the risk and reward of accepting or refusing blocks, using 'beans' as currency in auctions to influence decisions. The game ends when a player's structure collapses, leaving the last player standing as the winner.

Players move their chariots by playing cards from their hand and then using corresponding miniatures to advance. They can draw movement cards from a standard stack or from a high-risk, high-reward pile. Players can also engage in dirty tricks to distract their opponents, such as whipping them. The first player to complete a full lap wins.

The objective is to be the first player to reach Kansas City with your train. The game starts with the Mississippi card placed in the center, and hidden hex tiles are used to create the play area. Players begin in Chicago, and the player who excels at building tracks will reach Kansas City first and win the game.

Players must collect as many valuable treasures from Aladdin's legacy as possible by the end of the game. They start by mixing small treasure cards and placing them on specific spaces on the board. Players roll four dice to move two of their figures, aiming to acquire treasure cards by positioning their figures strategically.