The best games presented at the Spiel.digital 2020 fair 2024

MicroMacro: Crime City is a unique detective game that immerses players into a detailed and expansive cityscape to solve intriguing crimes. The game centers around a large, detailed map of a city where various crimes have occurred. Players become detectives tasked with unraveling these mysteries using the clues scattered across the city.

Wingspan: Oceania Expansion is an expansion to the popular bird-themed board game Wingspan, focusing on the diverse and unique birdlife of Australia and New Zealand.

Orchard: A 9 card solitaire game is an engaging and compact solitaire tile-laying game that has captured the hearts of players with its simplicity, strategic depth, and quick playtime. Garnering acclaim by winning the 2018 9-Card Nanogame Print and Play Design Contest, Orchard challenges players to skillfully manage a limited set of resources — in this case, nine double-sided cards — to create a flourishing orchard.

Fantasy Realms immerses players in the role of rulers striving to build the most powerful realm. This card game is all about strategic combinations and choices, with every decision shaping the strength and nature of your realm.

PARKS: Nightfall expansion enriches the base game of PARKS with a collection of captivating new features and gameplay mechanics, inviting players back into the serene and picturesque landscapes of America's national parks under the enchanting cover of night. This expansion not only broadens the game's visual appeal with new park cards but also deepens the strategic possibilities available to players through additional year cards, bonus scoring opportunities, and an innovative camping mechanic.

Nidavellir is a strategic bidding and set collection game set in a mythical dwarf kingdom. Players take on the roles of Elvalands, noble leaders tasked with assembling a powerful army to defend the kingdom against the dragon Fafnir.

7 Wonders (Second Edition) is an acclaimed board game known for its widespread recognition and numerous international awards. This new version rejuvenates the classic 7 Wonders game, maintaining its status as a cornerstone in the world of modern board gaming. The game is celebrated for its elegant drafting mechanics, allowing up to 7 players to participate simultaneously without downtime.

Embark on a delightful rescue mission in The Isle of Cats, a captivating competitive board game designed for 1-4 players (expandable to 6 with expansions). This medium-weight game combines card-drafting, polyomino cat-placement, and resource management, offering an engaging and strategic gameplay experience.

It's a Wonderful World is a strategic card drafting and engine-building game, where players take on the role of leaders of expanding empires. The game is designed for 1 to 5 players and offers a compelling blend of careful planning and resource management.

Lost Ruins of Arnak is an adventurous board game that blends deck-building with worker placement, set on an unexplored island filled with remnants of an ancient civilization.

Hansa Teutonica: Big Box is an expansive edition of the acclaimed strategy game "Hansa Teutonica," renowned for its deep strategic gameplay and interactive mechanics. This edition not only includes the base game but also all its expansions, offering an enriched experience of the historical Hanseatic League trading theme.

In the concealed underground city of Gravehold, survivors of a distant invasion find solace. Here, amidst the remnants of a desperate society, they unearth a revelation: the energy emanating from breaches, the very conduits exploited by hostile beings, can be harnessed. Various gems allow them to transmute malevolent energies into beneficial spells and weapons, becoming the last bastion of defense—the breach mages.

My First Carcassonne, also known as Carcassonne Junior, introduces the iconic tile-laying gameplay of the classic Carcassonne to a younger audience. This game captures the essence of the original while simplifying the mechanics to make it accessible for children, making it a wonderful entry point into the world of board games.

Cubitos presents a thrilling and colorful dice-racing game where players engage in the annual Cube Cup race, balancing strategy and luck to emerge as the champion.

Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers is a standalone game in the Carcassonne series, transporting players to the Stone Age. This version maintains the essence of the original Carcassonne game but introduces new thematic elements and rules suitable for this prehistoric setting.

Brass: Birmingham is an economic strategy game and a sequel to the 2007 game Brass. It immerses players in the world of industrial revolution entrepreneurs in Birmingham between 1770-1870.

Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a standalone adventure game that serves as a prequel to the highly acclaimed Gloomhaven. It's designed to be more accessible to a broader audience, with streamlined rules and an integrated tutorial.

Paleo is a cooperative adventure game set in the Stone Age, where players work together to ensure the survival of their human characters while completing various missions. The ultimate goal? To paint a woolly mammoth on a wall, leaving a mark of your existence (or just because it looks cool).

Endeavor: Age of Sail invites players to navigate the high seas and earn glory for their empires. Set during the age of exploration, players sail from Europe and the Mediterranean, establishing shipping routes and occupying cities across the globe, all while building their industrial, cultural, financial, and influential power.

Paris: La Cité de la Lumière is a two-player board game designed by José Antonio Abascal, beautifully illustrated by Oriol Hernández. Set in the enchanting city of Paris during the 1889 "Exposition Universelle," the game captures the era when electricity began illuminating the city, leading to its nickname "La Cité de la Lumière" or the City of Light.

New York Zoo invites players into a world where they can unleash their creativity while managing a unique animal park. Designed by the acclaimed Uwe Rosenberg, this game combines the joy of puzzling with the challenges of animal breeding. As a player, you'll embark on a journey to construct captivating animal enclosures, introduce diverse animal species, and nurture their offspring. Your choices are simple: strategically fit new enclosure tiles into your zoo or acquire new animals to enrich your exhibits. Timing is key, as you aim to maximize animal breedings and create a thriving and harmonious zoo.

Eclipse: Second Dawn for the Galaxy is an enhanced version of the original Eclipse game, first released in 2011. It's a grand strategy game set in the depths of space, where players lead their own interstellar civilizations to explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate.

7 Wonders Duel: Agora introduces a new dimension to the critically acclaimed 2-player game, 7 Wonders Duel, by adding the Senate board, a battleground for political dominance. In this expansion, players vie for control of Senate chambers, leveraging senator cards to gain special benefits. Dominating the Senate offers a path to victory outside the traditional routes of military might, scientific advancement, and civilian development.

Disney Villainous: Evil Comes Prepared is a unique board game that offers a fresh and engaging experience for players. With its distinctive gameplay and innovative mechanics, it stands out in the world of board games.

In Carpe Diem, players step into the roles of wealthy patricians in ancient Rome, striving to build prosperous city districts and accumulate prestigious points. Designed by the accomplished game designer Stefan Feld, this board game offers a unique and engaging gaming experience.

Fleet: The Dice Game offers a strategic and immersive experience as players return to the bustling Ridback Bay to engage in the competitive fishing industry. Unlike typical roll and write games, Fleet: The Dice Game introduces complex decision-making and strategy, accommodating 1-4 players and including a robust solo mode.

Puerto Rico is a strategy game where players become colonial governors in Puerto Rico, aiming to earn victory points through trade and construction.

JAWS is a suspenseful and strategic board game that captures the essence of the classic film. In this game, players are immersed in the iconic struggle between the monstrous great white shark and the determined crew of the Orca. The game is designed for 2 to 4 players, where one player assumes the role of the shark, while the others take on the characters of Brody, Hooper, and Quint.

Spirit Island: Jagged Earth is an expansive expansion for the cooperative, strategic board game Spirit Island. This addition significantly enriches the game's universe by introducing a vast array of new content aimed at increasing the depth, complexity, and replayability of the game.

The Castles of Tuscany is set in the picturesque region of Tuscany during the 15th century, where you, as an influential prince, aim to expand your domain during the Italian Renaissance. Through strategic card play, you'll support the growth of towns, villages, and monasteries, extract marble, and transport goods, all to see your lands prosper and score victory points.

Dominion: Menagerie is the 13th expansion to the celebrated deck-building game Dominion, introducing a vibrant and whimsical animal theme to the strategic gameplay. This expansion delves into the diverse world of the animal kingdom, offering players new mechanisms and card interactions inspired by the traits and behaviors of various creatures. With 400 cards and thirty new Kingdom cards, Menagerie adds a layer of complexity and fun, encouraging players to adapt their strategies and explore new ways to achieve dominion over their rivals.

Brass: Lancashire is a compelling economic strategy game set during the industrial revolution in Lancashire. The game chronicles the story of competing cotton entrepreneurs and requires players to develop, build, and expand their industries and networks to capitalize on the growing demand for iron, coal, and cotton.

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle – The Monster Box of Monsters Expansion introduces players to new challenges and adventures, expanding the universe of the beloved cooperative deck-building game. By venturing into the Forbidden Forest, players encounter new creatures and overcome perilous encounters, adding depth and complexity to the gameplay.

Anno 1800: The Board Game is an immersive game that captures the essence of the popular Ubisoft PC game, Anno 1800. Players are tasked with developing their home island by building a robust industry, engaging in trade, and meeting the evolving needs of their population. The game emphasizes strategic planning and resource management, set against the backdrop of the 19th-century industrial revolution.

Viscounts of the West Kingdom is set in the turbulent era around 980 AD, a time when the once powerful monarchy begins to falter. Players, as viscounts, navigate this uncertain period, striving to maintain loyalty to the weakening king while also gaining favor with the people, preparing for any sudden shifts in power.

Power Grid: Brazil/Spain & Portugal introduces two distinct and challenging maps, each offering unique twists on the standard Power Grid gameplay. Here's a summary of what each map brings to the game:

Small World of Warcraft is a strategy board game that combines the mechanics of the beloved Small World game with the rich fantasy universe of Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft. This fusion creates a dynamic game of area control and conflict, where players lead various iconic races from the Warcraft universe to expand their empires across the fantastical world of Azeroth. With a mix of strategy, luck, and diplomacy, players vie for dominance in a land where there's not enough room for everyone.

Caylus 1303 revitalizes a cornerstone of the worker placement genre, delivering a modernized and streamlined experience that honors its roots while introducing fresh mechanics and variability. This new edition ensures that the game remains a challenging and engaging experience for both veterans of the original Caylus and newcomers to the genre.