The best games presented at the Spiel 1995 game fair in Essen, Germany 2025

El Grande is a classic strategy board game set in medieval Spain, where players, as powerful lords or "Grandes," vie for control over various regions in a declining kingdom. The game is known for its blend of tactical depth and strategic planning.

Originally released in 1995 as an abstract speed game featuring general symbols like flags, dragons, plus signs, and houses, a themed version was launched in 2006 to coincide with the World Cup in Germany. Players aim to discard their cards as quickly as possible, placing each card higher than the previous one. According to the publisher, the record for getting rid of a hand of cards is 21 seconds.

The goal of this simple card game is to get rid of all your cards. The deck consists of four colors, with two having cards numbered one to twelve and the other two ranging from one to fifteen. Players must play a card that matches the color or is a higher number than the last card played; failing to do so results in a penalty. The first player to empty their hand ends the round, and the other players receive points based on the cards left in their hands. In subsequent rounds, the player with the highest score can choose to reverse the color order to improve their chances.

Players navigate moving camels through the desert. Each player has a number of camels and aims to bring them to the opposite corner of the board, while ensuring that no camel stands alone. The game board features a desert with a starting area, a destination, two oasis regions, and a canyon that splits the desert.

The objective is to collect points by consuming duckweed. Each meal increases the strength of the animal of the corresponding color, while reducing the strength of the animal of the opposite color. Players aim to reach the best feeding spots and avoid stronger opponent animals on each turn.

An unusual trick-taking card game based on points and bluffing. The goal is to collect egg cards while avoiding cards with mirror eggs to score as many points as possible.

Try to catch the most fish with your fishing crew, but be careful. Other players will try to steal your fish or swap the fishing nets. Sometimes, your crew may fall overboard, or all the fish may disappear because a flood card is drawn.