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This year’s Essen Spiel board game exhibition is centered around the theme of “crowds.”

I was astonished right from the first day on Thursday, as some aisles were so congested that they were nearly impassable, with a multitude of people filling the space.

Anticipating a smooth subway ride in the morning, I was surprised to find the subway station crowded, with the queue extending to the stairs. People around me quickly took out their phones to capture this unusual and memorable sight.

Over the past three years, all the emotions are encapsulated in the “finally” of the title.

DICE CON board game exhibition, from August 25th to August 27th, 2023, at the Beijing Agricultural Exhibition Center.

Schüler  at A58.

The organizers of DICE CON this year are still following the trend of 2021, creating a dedicated children’s activity area, for kids and parents to play together (images from 2021 deeply engraved in our minds from the year we couldn’t be there in person).

This year, we have also prepared fun and visually appealing large-scale ground games (yes, ground!), and this time, we finally get to experience it together with everyone – online friends unite!

 

After two year we will finally present ourselves at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 2023!

The toy fair in Nuremberg is the key meeting point for the toy industry. As the largest and most important event of the year, the toy fair brings together all international desicison-makers. About 3000 exhibitors from more than 70 countries and regions will show their newest products and innovative ideas there.

In this year SCHÜLER will also present new board games and innovative toys. We are looking forword to meeting you at our booth at H10.1 B05!

As the world’s largest trade fair for board games, the “Spiel” in Essen is a major attraction for international and German visitors. From October 14th to 17th, the fair took place in Essen for the first time even during Corona-pandemie.

After a long Corona break, the game fair in Essen is coming back onto the boards of the world: 600 exhibitors from 43 nations are showing more than 1,000 new products from October 14th to 17^th.

It is the tables that make the exibition a special fair. Different people come together and play the games together. Whether young couples, families or board game experts, they have one thing in common: the fun of throwing the dice, laying cards and moving game figurs.

Under Corona requirements – 3G and full masking requirements, manufacturers can present their latest games and visitors can try them directly. Up to 30,000 people are expected every day. “It feels so nice that it makes you cry sometimes,” says Dominique Metzler, organizer of SPIEL ’21. “People associate so much emotion with their hobby and are so happy to be here again now.”

All of our employees were at the fair and tried out a lot of games (not just children’s games). We were really happy when it became clear that SPIEL ’21 would again take place as usual in the exhibition halls in Essen.

An event with real people at real gaming tables, game material you can touch, holding real game boxes in your hand and having great conversations with like-minded people, that’s something completely different. In consideration of special circumstances, the SPIEL ’21 was very well received by the exhibitors and visitors.

These are some impressions of the fair captured in photos. Unfortunately, we had to wear the masks all the time. But under the mask we smiled a lot because we were all looking forward to a better future.

Nobody can yet estimate what the trade fair will look like in 2022 and whether or how the pandemic-related restrictions will have an impact by then. At the moment everyone is assuming that there will be a physical fair again next year.

And there is already a date: SPIEL’22 will take place from October 6th – October 9th, 2022 in the halls of Messe Essen.

Will we see you at SPIEL’22?

The DICE CON ‘21 game fair took place on Oct 23 – Oct 24, 2021 in Beijing.

Due to Corona, everything is not easy, both for the organizers and exhibitors, as well as for the visitors.

Despite all the difficulties, the fair was very successful. You can already feel the joy through the photos.

Play, one of the oldest leisure activities, is being revived, has connected people in reality.

Play kids games at home, connect with loved ones; play kids games outside, connect with friends. That is the meaning of the game that will also be recognized in China at some point.

Our employees in China reported that they had completely different experiences at the trade fair than through the Internet. Yes, real life is just different from Internet life. It shows that the “ancient” game plays an important role these days.

This seems to be the reality of life.

The giant board games were popular with many children.

Our employees always spoke to the children at eye level.

The huge Geistertreppe aroused great interest from visitors.

Der geheimnisvolle Zaubersee und Kugelgeister were loved by many visitors.

Nobody can yet estimate what the trade fair will look like in 2022 and whether or how the pandemic-related restrictions will have an impact by then. At the moment everyone is assuming that there will be a physical fair again next year.

Will we see you again at DICE CON 2022? 

Kinderspiel des Jahres 2021

Dragomino by Bruno Cathala, Marie Fort and Wilfried Fort
Pegasus Spiele and Blue Orange
Illustration: Maëva da Silva and Christine Deschamps
2 to 4 players aged 5 and up

Also nominated:

Fabelwelten (Storytailors) by Wilfried Fort and Marie Fort
Lifestyle Boardgames
Illustration: Eugene Smolenceva and Irina Pechenkina
2 to 6 players aged 5 and up

Mia London by Antoine Bauza and Corentin Lebrat
Scorpion Masqué
Illustration: Nikao
2 to 4 players aged 5 and up

Recommendation list Kinderspiel

Hipp Hopp Hippo by Anna Oppolzer and Stefan Kloß (Schmidt)
Inspektor Nase (Inspector Nose) by Reinhard Staupe (NSV)
Käpt’n Kuller by Kirsten Hiese (Schmidt)
Memo Friends (Goula/Jumbo)
Swip’Sheep by Yann Dupont (Djeco)
Tapikékoi? by Romaric Galonnier and Laurent Toulouse (Djeco)
Traumfänger (Dream Catcher) by David Franck and Laurent Escoffier (Space Cow)