Now, I really regret not looking at Gateway Island while at VRG. looks like a great concept. I really wanna try it for some of my friends and family who are not that big into the hobby.
Thank you so much for this series of videos. I missed this years Essen for the first time in 3 years and was gutted. Your brilliant videos made up for it and gave me the Essen vibe, thank you so so much.
@shanefrancis34 it's comments like this that make it all worthwhile. We are so pleased we could bring the experience to you and hopefully you can make it next year!
Thats a difficult question to sum up. I guess its just the whole vibe of being in the halls surrounded by people from different backgrounds who all love the hobby, plus Essen is just an amazing place. I’ll be back next year with my gaming group, we make full on road trip of the weekend.
That’s why we drive, we went by train the first year and it was a nightmare trying to carry back Hopplomachus Victorum. This way we just get to play car boot tetris trying to fit all our games it, 🤔a roof box may be a good investment.
@@BoxedMeeples both; but think the fake Meeps just wins overall. I'm a sucker for that type of humour. Could the lanyard be stock they had left over from last year?
The math trade/2nd hand auction is very doable. People are getting better at giving descriptions, their planned position in the room and exchange contact info to find one another. And I discovered last year that if you get people to meet you on Sunday you can find each other surprisingly fast (Friday is the busiest trade day, I think)
@@BoxedMeeples You essentially have two different things that utilize that same space for second hand games. There's the huge math trade, which has its own thread (if you have ever looked at the geeklist for geeklists for Essen that's done every year, it will be one of the geeklist listed, most likely one of the top ones since it will be one of the more active ones), and it usually spins off a leftover math-trade for people who want to try again with games that didn't get traded in the first one. Then there's the 2nd Hand Auction thread, which is for simply buying and selling 2nd hand games. The math trade is all a one big trade. You put in the games you are looking to trade, then when the time comes you put in which games you are interested in the math trade and which of your games you'd be willing to trade for it. Then it generates the most amount of possible trades and people are informed which of their games got traded, which games they will receive and what BGG users to contact for either (as you are most likely receiving games from different people than those you are handing off games to - since that is essentially the whole point of a math trade, person A wants a game person B has, who in term wants a game person C has, etc.) For the 2nd hand action it's much more straight forward. People list the games they are looking to sell, the specifics in terms of version, language, what level of language dependency the game has, condition of specific game. And then they put in a few values. There's the starting bid value, the soft/hard reserve value to indicate what threshold you are willing to sell and if there's wiggle room on that (soft reserve being you may be willing to sell for lower, though you aren't committing to it) and some people also list a BIN- amount (a buy it now price, which guarantees the person who bids that amount the game). I'm personally a big fan of the BIN-option, so much so that I often scroll past listings in the auction that does not have a BIN-price. I don't like the stress of not knowing if I get to buy the game I want, so if I can BIN and it's within a reasonable price range, I don't mind paying a little bit extra to guarantee myself a game I'm looking for. Regardless of which you participate in, you will directly chat with the users you are buying from/selling to/trading with to arrange handover. The majority will use the official math trade location for their handovers as it's much easier to gather everyone in the same place and get it all done (repeat traders are increasingly good at giving descriptions, contact information as well as more specific location within the room they intend to be at), but you are free to make other arrangements, like pick-up at the booth they are working (this year I actually wound up going to the same booth on two different days to pick up games, which was an amusing coincidence). This was my 4th Essen and I have participated on this every time. The first two times I did both the math trade as well as the auction, but the last two I have stuck to the auction as I prefer not to bring games down to Essen myself just in case I have someone backs out of a trade (it was my fault that time as the game wound up at the bottom of my backpack and the weight of the other games wound up poking a hole in the lid - I did offer to lower the price to accommodate for the damage, but unfortunately for me the buyer wasn't interested, so that game took up valuable luggage space for me back home).
@@BoxedMeeples Tea Gardens for sure, also Ganymede. I was too worried that I had gone over the weight allowance but I had loads left. I could of got it :(
Hope you're not feeling too bad. We came back from Essen with COVID so have been feeling pretty rough since getting home. Barely even been up to playing any of the board games we bought so far.
@James-Sutherland oh no, we have been under the weather too. Ots very exausting all that walking. Hope you're on the mend now though. What were your best pick ups ?
Yeah, it's exhausting. More so than UKGE somehow - seem to be less places to just go and relax for a bit at Essen. I'm looking forward to playing Men Nefer when I feel up to understanding the rules. Also Seti and Unconscious Mind, which we got at the show. We also got the new Tokyo Highway, and have played that, seems really fun and looks great. Be interested to hear what Tea Garden is like, as that's one of the big releases we didn't get. Also Fox, which we decided against, but it does look nice. I'm annoyed I missed Until Proven Guilty - I meant to get it but then completely forgot. I'm a big fan of the Phoenix Wright games too. Definitely want to know more about that.
@James-Sutherland after only going to UK based conventions I was surprised there wasn't areas dedicated to playing games. Of course people were playing demos but for the majority youbhad to book slots in advanced. Late night gaming was also taking place in the hotels but certainly not the scale that it does at UKGE and Airecon. With that many people it's busy everywhere, but there's a beautiful park near by for a bit of an escape if needed
@James-Sutherland Until Proven Guillty I did go straight to. I wanted to make sure I had all the games that may not got a global release while I could. Trying to think about how best to show it off.on the channel, as it's a play once style game and avoiding spoilers in a playthrough would be impossible.
Nice haul. Ganymede has been on my 'want to play' list and also its "successor" Galileo Project. I would have also bought it if it was 10 euro I hope you enjoy it, and all the other games you've gotten
Thanks, yes we hope it's going to be one of our best bargain pick ups, quite a few friends have now said to us that they really enjoy it, so it sounds like it's it should be a great addition to the collection 🤞
Yes we got the Christmasy one, Northpole Nightmare. Bit like you we grab the individual films that interest us the most typically when they are on sale
I didn't hear it mentioned from VRG, but would there ever be anything more for Detective? (I too am a big fan of the game... in fact, I think it's how I first came across the channel)
Oh lovely to hear how you found us! Keep your eyes peeled for another video coming from us, as we did a second interview specifically about Detective whilst at the show 👀
At first, I didn't know how you survived three days of Essen! I'd be dead on my feet by the end. But going by that final outro, it looks like you were dead on your feet too! Hope you got some rest! Great video. Love Gateway Island, by the way.
Hahaha! Yep totally dead on our feet by the end of every day, not even the end of the con haha! Glad you enjoyed watching. We have a haul video coming tomorrow and then several interviews with designers/ publishers that we recorded at the show on the way (no wonder we were tired 🤣) We are hoping to play Gateway Island with family this weekend
I think so too! He was so polite and friendly too, especially since I very much fan boy'ed the second i saw him! I had a weird double take, couldn't believe he was there!
We had planned to go back and have another close look, but one of our regrets is not picking up many 'arty' bits this year. With a new gaming room /studio being planned, I am sure we will make up for that in the near future though 😀
I'm just waiting for the call for the next Tomb Raider movie now ! I was stunned Ryan would do that for me, and so few people even seemed to know he was there!
Having been to Gen Con and overwhelmed by those crowds, I can only imagine what it is like at a con that is twice as large. Looking forward to the next installment so I can get a peek without having to brave the crowds myself.
The second part is live now, and you can see the crazy crowds much more in that one. It can definitely be overwhelming at times. In fact, I think our favourite time is the last hour or so when many have started to make their way home. Do you have your eye on any of the new releases?
That's so kind of you. They're always quite a lot of work to do them in this style, but we do try to get the fun and craziness of the convention across. Two more parts to come too!
Like I said elsewhere, the Friday evening was kind of my highlight not only of Essen but of 2024 in general. As always it's great to see more of your adventures during the weekend. I'm lying in bed at the moment since I got really sick after my return, so I hope you're doing better 😊
Hope you feel better very soon! Thank you so much for teaching us ito, it was a really fun game. We enjoyed the evening too, and will hopefully see you at another convention sometime soon
So great to meet you too - and to finally put a face to the name. Thanks so much for supporting our channel. Next year we plan on not organising meetings during the meet and greet, so hopefully, we can catch up again and play something 😀
We just picked up our first Villainous set, Evil Comes Prepared. Thoroughly enjoyed the game play, and how thematic each character felt to play. I’m definitely interested in trying out more and mixing up the different characters now
Oh that's great. Scar is quite a tricky character but when it comes together it's glorious ! I do like how you make a line of Succession with him! Who do you think you'd want to get next and who do you want to see in the future ?
@@BoxedMeeples definitely a satisfying win if you can pull it off! I think King Candy or Pete sound the most intriguing, and also anything Star Wars, cause you can never have too much Star Wars.
@@BoxedMeeples There's a really cute one with cats coming out called Cat and the Tower. I don't know if it'll be released outside of Japan, though. The cats are really cute, even though they aren't all screen printed.
There are some fantastic ones on the way aren't there! Bonsai and Nucleum I think we will likely check out too. Starting to think we need the convention to stay on for another day as our list grows longer and longer 🤣
Santorini is great! Never played Stardew Valley, for the same reasons you said why you weren’t drawn to it Libby, but I spotted a daffodil card in your video which has made think again!! For me every GMT Phil convinces me to play is a surprise as they are always really really good! I just always feel a bit intimidated by the rules, and the themes always seem very heavy. But wow when we play they always turn out to be great! But every one is still a surprise and I have to be coaxed to give it a go. Charioteers is my current favourite and will now play it at every opportunity I get!
We should play Stardew together sometime 😀 GMT is an area of gaming that we really need to explore more, slippery slope for our shelves though, there are quite a few!!
It's really great isn't it, we are both so pleased Julian agreed to revisit it. It might be thanks to Boop that he began to like 2 player games with those types of tactics, and he has not looked back since!
sorry Julian, but I like Libby's list more than yours :D about the crossroads games: I hope you get the chance to play one of them! I've had soooo much fun with forgotten waters! it's a really easy to play game, but the story it's sooo funny! really loved their humor! hope the other games are like this as well!
Was it the Crossroads games that cinched it? Or something else that grabbed your interest too? Great to hear they have humour within the story of the games, that's right up our street 😀
@@BoxedMeeples saltfjord is my number 1! But I'm also hyped about the other euros you mentioned, except for speakeasy as i really hate lacerda's games😅 And kudos on using the tabletop together tool! I'm always sponsoring it as well! 🤣
@KurtF11984 Yes, Saltfjord looks fantastic from what we have seen. We have not played Santa Maria which we hear some of the dice element has been taken from. Have you?
Great picks. I'm trying to do a month and a half of solo horror games and I just picked up Final Girl and a couple of packs, haven't played a full game yet but nice to see it's well considered.
Its really superb. Julian also really like Hostage Negotiator. More of a thriller, than a horror and VERY dark theme but you may like it. Quicker to play than Final Girl, but much less forgiving.
I love the theme and I abolutely adore the character artwork. So this should be a game for me. The gameplay sounds interesting as well. Thanks for showing this game. Another one I probably wouldn't have found on my own.
Great picks! I haven't played Septima or Final Girl yet but I definitely want to try both. I think I prefer Final Girl a bit because that's one I can see myself playing solo. I think my favorite spooky game is Terrorscape. I plan on getting that one in Essen but I'll have to see... it's not by any means a cheap game 😂 And I'm getting so excited for Essen... I say "I might get it there" about SO many games. I should really start thinking about which ones I REALLY want to get.
Yes, final girl is definitely a great pick for adding to a solo playing collection. Also good for a cheaper entry point then just adding the 'films' you are interested in as and when you need to add new combinations into your plays. We do this segment along with other creators on Roy Canaday's new channel since it moved from The Dice Tower and this week Our Family Plays Games picked Terrorscape too! We really must try to play it this Spooky Season
Excellent choices! I'm a huge fan of Last Friday which allows you to play Friday the 13th while being legally distinct. I recently picked up Last Night on Earth which is a campy take on zombie films
Last year Libby had a mission to get the first Map Pack, mainly as they only accepted cash and there were two queues for different languages ! Hoping to come back with as much Final Girl curios as possible ! Maybe even the frustration dice for Hostage Negotiator too?
@eVanDiesel no I haven't got any official minatures for Final Girl. But have you seen the painted minatures I use for Hostage Negotiator? I may have made the game a bit too dark!
First of all... I just LOVE your t-shirt, Julian! One of my childhood favorites. I only own one expansion so far - the North Africa expansion for Distilled - but I plan on getting some in Essen as well. The Let's Go! To Japan expansions for example. Or the Distilled one they bring to Essen according to the Preview List.
Glad you like it! It's one of those tshirts that's aged to look like it's 30 years old when really it's new! I loved a Rescue Rangers game on the NES and the TV show of course (not so much the terrible film that came out a few years back though!) If you play Distilled a lot the Cask Strength expansion is good as it does alot to the market , which has since been carried over to Luthier
@@BoxedMeeples oh there is a point we disagree on. I did and do love the nes game and the original TV Show BUT I also liked the terrible film you are talking about. It was the topic of an earlier of my podcast episodes and I think it was... solid. Not great. But entertaining ^^ Well everyone has a different taste, I guess 😊
@Skyrodin I really enjoyed seeing Sanic but some of the acting was so very bad. But I was watching on a plane so maybe it lost its magic on the tiny plane screen
Thanks so much, we did try to have a good look at the exhibitors lists and pick games that really caught our eye. Are you going to Essen, anything you are excited about?
Glad you like them! Anything on your radar that's not made our list? - we have sooo many more games highlighted that could easily have made the list and are sure there are more still that we have not noticed yet
Great list! Sky Team is top of my to get list. Matcha looks great and definitely something I’m going to check out. And the Abyss expansion! Lorcana is always on our radar. The others I’m excited about are the Faraway expansion, the La Famiglia expansion that makes it playable at 2, and the new Ticket to Ride Map Pack! That’s probably what I’m most excited for as it seems like forever since there was a map pack for Ticket to Ride. Soooo excited to be at Essen and to see you both ❤
We have now pre ordered Sky Team Turbulence to make sure we don't miss it as it's bound to be in HIGH demand! Faraway almost made the list, I think we will most likely take that home as its one of our favourite smaller boxed games that we have played so far this year.... oooh that sounds like a good video there!!
So. Interesting. I love your list. Many of those almost made my list I posted on Julian's video. There were however a few games I didn't include because they are demo-only in Essen. Those were Nature, Behemoth: Rise of Shadow, Luthier, Cats and Dragons, and - most importantly - Wandering Galaxy and Speakeasy with the latter one being one of my most anticipated games of 2025 already.
As you can tell I did not filter out the demo only. I hope to be able to sit and play at the expo, it will be interesting to see how many of those demos do make it to our 2025 anticipated list!
We did not include Luthier in the list as we have already covered the game on the channel and Julian will be at the Paverson stand on the Friday of the show. As we mentioned in Julian's video games like Shackleton Base and Andromedas Edge are also not on these lists as we have copies of those too, so will do content on those when we can.
@@BoxedMeeples To be honest... I don't know much myself 😂 I only know it's by Randy Flynn with art by Edu Valls and the cover art is really pretty 😂 I think there is some fighting between cats and dragons going on with secret troup deployment. And you can ask some "big cats" for help. And I think I read something about tile laying as well.
@@BoxedMeeples Ah yes it was Paverson. For some reason - I really don't know why - I thought it was Van Ryder. By the way I should get my work schedule next week so we could like talk about some possible times to meet if you'd still like to 😊 Maybe we could include Phil in that talk as well but I would also meet you seperately if we can't figure out a time that fits everyone. I'm getting SO excited for Essen. I am literally counting the hours now.
