Geek Overload…

A critical mass of gaming geeks descended on Essen for the annual game fair over four days in October with around 150,000 people in attendance to look at, play and purchase a variety of gaming items that include board games, card games, miniature table top games, live-action-role-play (LARP) clothing and equipment, role play games (RPG), comics, collectables, puzzles, outdoor games and all manner of gamer related paraphernalia.

I travelled to Dusseldorf airport and met Marc there who had flown in from Sweden. We then took the efficient and cheep train to Mulheim where we checked into the Handelshof Hotel where many regular visitors to Essen stay and the hotel accommodates them by providing a room for late night after show gaming.

The hotel is comfortable and reasonably appointed with its own bar and restaurant that provides good food and drink. The staff are very helpful and even remembered us from last year as we registered. Prior to leaving we became aware that there was a rail strike on and I was concerned about how I would get to the airport but the receptionist made several calls and surfed the internet and found out the some trains were still running and provided me with the details along with a taxi number and price should there be a problem.

Several serious gamers are regular visitors to the show and we were invited to join them in their games. To qualify for a serious gamer you should visit on the Thursday and Friday to ensure you find the latest releases and buy them by the sack-barrow load sometimes without even knowing anything about the game. Some of the UK visitors drive over so that they can fill their car up with games (admittedly some run online shops but not all of them). Visitors come in from all over the world further afield than us (USA, South Africa, and New Zealand included).

Marc and I visited the show on Friday and Saturday. I left to return home early Sunday and Marc went back to the show before leaving later in the evening. The weekend visitors tend to include more children and women than the earlier days changing the dynamic of the show a little.

We managed to play a few games that we enjoyed though there weren’t as many standout games as the previous year for us. I bought a couple of games, both suited for casual gamers rather than serious tactical gamers.

Om Nom Nom (Brain Games), the objective is simple – eat more than your competitors, do you go for the high value food and risk being eaten by predators? It is a simple and quick game that kids would love.

Ifrito (Zvezda), here you need to capture three of your opponents flying carpets or nine of his Ifrito to win. It is a tactical game of strategy that balances aggression against defence and can be played with 2, to 4 players in 3 dimensions.

There were many other interesting games but I had to balance what I would like to play and those games I thought I could interest others in playing (many who do not regularly play games – I know, why would I be friends with these type of people?).