Best games released at SPIEL 1997 in Essen 2026

This expansion adds several new types of beans and allows the game to be played with up to 7 players. It includes a reference card that specifies which types of beans should be included for different player counts. This expansion is essential for an optimal Bohnanza experience with more than 4 players.

The Rose King (originally published as Texas) is a strategic board game that pits two players—or two teams in a four-player partnership variant—against each other in an abstract battle for territory. Set against the historical backdrop of the Wars of the Roses, players assume the roles of the Lancaster and York factions, striving to dominate the board by forming contiguous regions of their markers.

Metro is a strategic tile-placement board game where players build rail lines to score points. It shares similarities with games like "Streetcar," "Tsuro," "Tantrix," and "Spaghetti Junction," but distinguishes itself with unique gameplay elements.

In Caesar & Cleopatra, a two-player card game, participants step into the roles of these iconic historical figures, with Caesar advocating for Rome's invasion of Egypt and Cleopatra fighting for its independence. The core of the game revolves around influencing Roman officials - Aedils, Quaestors, Senators, Pretorians, and Censors - using agent cards numbered 1 to 5. Players must strategically decide whether to play these agents face-down for secrecy or face-up for greater influence. Additionally, action cards like Assassins and Scouts add layers of strategy, allowing players to remove opposing agents or reveal hidden ones. The game progresses by revealing votes from the Roman officials, with the player having the most influence winning their support. The game concludes once all officials have chosen sides, with victory going to the player who has garnered the most support, factoring in bonus points for majorities in specific groups and certain hidden objectives.

GIPF is a highly strategic two-player game that elevates the traditional concept of achieving four-in-a-row into a deeper tactical battle. The game stands out for its simplicity in rules but complexity in strategy, providing a rich tactical experience where players not only aim to create rows of four of their own pieces but also strategically capture their opponent's pieces, thereby altering the game state.

Players collect, process, and sell recycled components for profit. Each turn, a player rolls a pair of colored dice and selects one die's color to perform an action related to a specific type of recyclable material. The market grid accommodates five rows for different materials, and when selling goods, players must follow placement rules, with game end triggered once four rows are completely filled.

The game includes a wooden board and wooden chips. Each player has a different objective; one must place the chips chaotically while the other does so systematically. The player who best achieves their goal wins.

This underwater game is designed for two to six players, each with their own deck consisting of sea creatures and a fisherman. Players create a board using food (prey) cards that provide either positive or negative points, drawing eight cards for their hand.

Die Macher is a political strategy game for 3 to 5 players. You lead a national party through seven regional elections across Germany, and the party with the most victory points wins.