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Time for the second part of my Essen 2022 Preview! For those reading the posts in the wrong order, each year the Essen Spiel convention takes place in Essen, Germany, and they release a preview list of the games that will be available for people to buy.
Some of these have already made their way onto shelves or have been held back for one of the largest trade fairs in the hobby. In the last list, I looked at games which are completely new, released this year and have been doing the rounds as previewed content across the world. This time, I’m looking at the sequels and expansions which are here to give us another look at the games on our shelves. Now I have not yet played these games or expansions but for the most part, I have played the original or base game. Let’s start with the sequels.
Sequels
Great Western Trail: Argentina
The second edition of Great Western Trail brought new life to the game with bright new artwork and slightly simplified mechanisms. In Great Western Trail: Argentina, players have moved from the west coast of America to Argentina, where the goal is now to move your cows to the station at Buenos Aires to send the cows over seas to Europe. Much of the gameplay is the same as the original, but there are a few new features, such as a new worker (farmers) which you can use your cows to help for more resources but at the cost of an exhaustion card to clog up your deck. You can also unlock shortcuts to get to Buenos Aires faster and rush the end of the game to panic your opponents. This is the second game in the series, with GWT: New Zealand expected next year, so it’s interesting to see the changes designer Alexander Pfister has made in this game and wonder where they will go next.
Caldera Park – Pegasus Spiel
Caldera Park is the follow up to Savannah Park, where players are picking up an animal tile and placing it down to form herds of that same animal. In Caldera Park, players now have unpredictable weather to deal with as we move across the pond to North America. In addition, players will choose a species or watering hole and then declare a terrain type to place it on. This adds an extra layer to the original, potentially causing issues for your opponents as you place the tiles out. I liked the original game as a good puzzle and I think this seems to hit the right balance of being close to the original and adding something new.
Namiji – Funforge
Now the sequel to a game deeply dear to my hear. Tokaido was the game which brought me into the hobby, so when I found out that its sequel was available from Essen 2022 news, I leapt onto Zatu to preorder it. In Namiji, players are fishers in Japan, aiming to land a great catch to win the game. The gameplay is similar to Tokaido, with players moving along a linear track and taking actions, but there’s a new set of actions to complete, such as improving fishing equipment, catching colourful fish and giving offerings to the gods. I loved the original, so the sequel was a no-brainer for me, and it is finally going to make its way to me soon, which has me very excited.
Terra Nova – Capstone Games
For fans of Terra Mystica, Capstone Games are releasing Terra Nova, which is posited as the streamlined version Terra Mystica. Up to four players control one of ten factions with unique abilities and will compete to explore new territories. Not a huge amount is available at the moment, but I did enjoy my play of Terra Mystica earlier this year, and a streamlined version might be a good way to entice players into what is considered quite a heavy game with a lot of moving parts. The resources are slimmed down to just coins and power, and five landscapes instead of 7. The artwork is brighter than the original and a little easier to understand from what I can see. Interesting stuff.
Reimagining
Marvel: Rock Paper Heroes – Enter The Danger Room - WizKids
WizKids have brought a reimagining of a game which I really enjoy, Rock Paper Wizard, which is a game where players take on the role of wizards in the Dungeons & Dragons lore and effectively play Rock Paper Scissors, only they’re casting spells to get money (points.) This version, called Rock Paper Heroes, takes its inspiration from the Marvel world of the X-Men and their legendary training area, the Danger Room. The gestures are now themed towards eight mighty heroes, including Storm, Wolverine and Phoenix and looks like a good addition to the Marvel fans out there. This will definitely be one to look out for at Essen 2022.
Expansions
Sagrada: The Great Facades – Glory – Floodgate Games
The last of the three Great Facades expansions for Sagrada, Glory (which we're hoping will be played at Essen 2022) introduces even more modular expansions to include with the dice drafting and placement game about building a stained glass window. Three new modules can be included into your game, which can be bundled together with themselves or all the previous expansions. Grey Strife Dice are an option to the drafting pool, which have their own restrictions for placement; Pioneer Cards let players race to score specific objectives and the Flourish Module gives unique rewards for style. I love Sagrada and I’m enjoying exploring the expansions. I’m hoping that this will not be the last expansion, maybe Essen 2022 will announce even more? Wishful thinking. Along with Passion and Life, these expansions are deep and interesting to mix in.
Origins: Ancient Wonders – Board&Dice
An expansion for Origins: First Builders now, a game which answered the question of “did aliens build the pyramids” with an emphatic yes. In Ancient Wonders, players have two new modular expansions which they could add to the game, either together or separately, known as the Ancient Wonders and the Trials of the Builders. The Ancient Wonders module brings a new building type, giving more variety to the game, whereas the Trials of the Builders module gives end of round scoring objectives which you have to balance with your personal goals. In addition, this module brings a fixed game length, which changes things up from the original. I’ve been really interested in this game for a while and I’ve been meaning to play it for quite a while. The really nice artwork of the game carries onto the expansion and I think the theme is deeply intriguing.
Adventures Of Robin Hood: Brother Tuck In Danger - KOSMOS
One of my surprise loves of the last year or so, the Adventures of Robin Hood, is getting an expansion at Essen 2022– Brother Tuck in Danger! Or rather Bruder Tuck in Gefahr, as the only release so far is in German. Nevertheless, this bodes well for a future release in English as the game did gangbusters with its clever storytelling via an actual book and advent calendar-like map. Not much detail is in the BGG description yet, but it offers players who have finished the original game to delve into four more tasks in the world as Friar Tuck joins the heroes to support them in their endeavours. I haven’t finished the base game yet, but I’m really looking forward to this coming out.
Witchstone: Full Moon – HUCH!
Finally as the moon rises, we turn to the expansion for Witchstone – Full Moon. This modular expansion provides more powerful abilities for witches and wizards during the full moon and makes their cauldron even more effective. More cauldron tiles for bigger chain reactions, special cards with new abilities and 3D miniatures are set to be included, bringing a whole lot into one of my newly discovered favourite games. I love the action selection mechanism in this game, giving you a really thinky puzzle to maximise your actions whilst keeping your options open further down the line. When I played Witchstone for the first time, I wanted an expansion though because I thought something extra would just add to it. Now the Full Moon is coming, you know I’m getting that one preordered.
We hope you're super excited to go to Essen 2022!