Pics from the Press Room at SPIEL '21

The BoardGameGeek team isn't at SPIEL '21 as we bowed out of running a booth and broadcasting livestreams at external conventions early in 2021 when it was unclear what the world might be like by the time those conventions arrived.

As a result, only Beth Heile is on hand at SPIEL '21, and she and partner John K are gathering games for BGG.CON 2021 in November, meeting with publishers to talk about GeekUp bits, and taking pics of what's on display at the show. Here's a sampling of what she saw in the media showcase room:

• Lost Ruins of Arnak: Expedition Leaders was still being worked on only three weeks ago, according to a representative from Czech Games Edition, but CGE prints in the Czech Republic, so shipping was not an issue regarding get copies to SPIEL '21.

Board Game: Lost Ruins of Arnak: Expedition Leaders

• Golem, from Flaminia Brasini, Virginio Gigli, Simone Luciani, and Cranio Creations

• SCOUT, from Kei Kajino and Oink Games, with this new version featuring circus-themed icons on the suits as a visual aid, with each card being named to represent an individual performer.

• It's a Wonderful Kingdom, from Frédéric Guérard and Le Boîte de Jeu

• Lisbon Tram 28, from Pedro Santos Silva and MEBO Games, includes a completely superfluous, yet thematic bell. The publisher noted that playtesters loved ringing it as they took actions, so the bell made it into the final game for ambiance...

• One of the 100 copies of Hippocrates from Alain Orban and Game Brewer shipped to SPIEL '21 in advance of the full production run.

• Moon Adventure from Jun Sasaki and Oink Games, with the publisher describing this title (which features elements of 2014's Deep Sea Adventure) as a "hard co-operative game".

• Garden Nation, from Rémi Saunier, Nathalie Saunier, and Bombyx

• ECO: Coral Reef from Unique Board Games, with designer Izik Nevo saying he was inspired by his time as a diver, his love of chess, and his desire to bring attention to the issue of pollution on the sea turtle population.

• EXIT: Das Spiel – Die Rückkehr in die verlassene Hütte, from Inka Brand, Markus Brand, and KOSMOS introduces 3D elements to this best-selling line of escape room-inspired games. Updated: Image now spoiler-proof due to reader request.

Spoiler (click to reveal)

Board Game: Exit: The Game – The Return to the Abandoned Cabin

• Components in Paleo: Ein neuer Anfang, an expansion for the 2021 Kennerspiel-winning game Paleo from Peter Rustemeyer and Hans im Glück.

• Living Forest, from Aske Christiansen and Ludonaute

• Dreadful Circus, from Bruno Faidutti and Portal Games

• CATAN: Logik Rätsel, a solitaire logic puzzle that I previously wrote about here

• Mille Fiori, from Reiner Knizia and Schmidt Spiele, which I described in detail here

• 1923 Cotton Club, from Pau Carles and Looping Games

• Wer lacht, verliert! is a party game aimed at folks who (at a minimum) would not object to the NSFW image posted below. I'm fairly certain you will not find a copy of this game at BGG.CON 2021, so you'll have to buy one for yourself should you want to play.

Spoiler (click to reveal)

• Beth took a break from shooting pics to take aim at a shifty character from Spiel des Jahres-winning MicroMacro: Crime City. (Note Beth's "golden ratio" earrings, which are awesome.)

I greatly appreciate her efforts to sample the SPIEL '21 offerings on top of everything else she's doing!