Huge board game expo Spiel Essen attracted more than 200,000 attendees, sold out for the first time in its history

Spiel Essen, the world’s biggest board gaming expo that takes place annually in Essen, Germany, has wrapped up for another year. This year, the convention saw more than 204,000 people attend over the four days. The figure represents the largest number of attendees in the post-Covid era, although it falls just short of the 209,000 record set in 2019. That figure is unlikely to ever be matched, though, as organizers have now set a daily limit on the number of attendees in the hall.

2024 is the first time in the event’s 41 years that it has fully sold out. The sellout was helped by the fact the event coincided with a public holiday in Germany but also goes some way to show the rise in board gaming’s popularity.

More than 1,200 new games were showcased at the event, as well as expansions and add-ons for some of the biggest games in the industry.

This year, four-day tickets sold out well in advance of the first day. Tickets for Saturday, which is the most popular day of the long weekend, sold out on the day they went on sale, while Thursday and Friday tickets had sold out before the expo started. Sunday tickets sold out before the end of the weekend.

In previous years, attendees have been able to buy tickets at the door, but due to restrictions on the number of visitors and this year’s incredible popularity, hopeful punters were left disappointed. Despite organizers warning on their Facebook page that tickets might sell out, there have still been complaints from disgruntled visitors.

This year’s expo did look a little bit different. Following complaints from attendees in previous years, the aisles were widened to allow easier access and to enable smoother queueing. This led to a 50,000 ticket capacity, per day.

There were a total of 923 exhibitors this year, down from the 935 that showed up last year. These figures are significantly down from the 1,200 who had exhibited at previous events. The drop has been put down to an increase in exhibitor costs which have come into force over the past two years. New organizers, Spielwarenmesse, put the increased costs down to inflationary pressures, but some critics question the motives.

The prices saw major names like Asmodee and Ravensburger take over Hall 6 with massive exhibition areas, while smaller publishers grouped together to share exhibition space and stands.

Spiel Essen was first held in 1983 and has been hosted in the Messe Essen exhibition center every year since then, except in 2020 when it was held digitally. It is considered the most prestigious and biggest event in the European board gaming industry and sees the launch of many new games each year. A lot of these games are available before they hit retail shelves, and may come at a slight discount direct from the publisher.

There are also dedicated gaming areas set up where players can try new games and play against others from around the world. Although it is the largest of its kind, Essen is just one of a growing number of board gaming exhibitions to take place during the year. And, the increasing popularity of the hobby is further shown by the prevalence of board gaming cafes and stores popping up on high streets around the world.