Essen 2006: Italian Emotions Part II

Here I’m with the second part of this collection of Italian Emotions about the Essen 2006 fair.

In these Part II the feelings of one of the pioneers of designing games in Italy, Angelo Porazzi, together with the impressions of Acchitocca, at their first game, but which game! Also Alfredo Genovese (Bolide designer and producer) and Mario Sacchi (Post Scriptum).

I hope you enjoy this small window on Italian Emotions.

Angelo Porazzi
(Game Designer, Illustrator and Producer)

My third Essen Experience (first two were with great Andrea Ligabue:)) was a big, big satisfaction. My oldest game Warangel 10 Years Edition, sold out in two days.
The latest game WrestAngel was picked up by Nick Medinger of Funagain US and other retailers out of Italy.
The PhotoReport (I use to realize after each fair) of Essen 2006 is now published on my website, on SpielBox Online thanks to kind Knut MichaelWolf and on Hall 9000 thanks to friendly Frank Gartner.
Very happy for all Italian games I communicate in my PhotoReport thanks to Giro d’ Italia Ludico, excellent idea of Jost Schwi of Spielepizza.de, that was based and host at my booth, showing together lots of Italian games and authors. So...Wunderbar!;)
A Very HappyAngelo
(due HappyAnimals, is my next game with SilToys, presented at Essen06 as a prototype)!

Mario Sacchi
(Game Designer and Publisher)

Second year in Essen, for Post Scriptum, this time in stand together with Scribabs (co-producers of High Voltage).
For us it was absolutely a great experience: we got really a lot of contacts with distributors, retailers and press, and also the public liked the game very much. High Voltage was played by many people and everybody
seemed to enjoy it.
And then, this fair is always a great time to discover new games and see old friends.
At the end we were really tired, but satisfied!!

Flaminia – Acchittocca
(Game Designer)

To speak about the fair “in a generalized manner” is for me really difficult: for me it was a full immersion in “Leonardo da Vinci”! : My first game and to see it played in tens of tables at the same time was spectacular! And then was also spectacular to see as the Italian Game (for who does not live in Italy could be unnoticed the fact that in the last years many publishers and many authors have grown, and many good Italian games are been released and have been received with enthusiasm also to the foreign country… but for an Italian like me that fills up of pride!
And it was absolutely unforeseeable until few years ago. In fair I have had way to try a heap of new releases, some indeed really interesting: I have found some ideas absolutely new (like the timers of Space Dealer) and some small jewels (as it seems to me, from the only game that I have made, Notre Dame).

Virginio – Acchittocca
(Game Designer)

I think that for a player the first Essen seems like to be entered (how much appropriated) in the “Paese dei Balocchi”. See my own passion shared from many persons, above all living in Italy where when you speak about boardgames they watch to you like Martian, it is really nice; better see tens of persons at the same time and uninterruptedly play your game; the fact so many players has appreciated Leonardo, buying it, voting it, making us compliments quite and asking us to autograph their copies, has filled up us of joy and pride, having made us to swell the chests and repaying us of all the job made. We have then tried many interesting games of which some I liked a lot (Emira, Hermagor, Notre Dame), some pretty (Space Dealer, Arkadia, the pillars of the earth) and also others of which I could not speak well therefore I prefer to abstain. The only bad things was experience the little sport way in which Leonardo was pulled down from the first place in Fairplay where, without a sage operates of fake 5 and 6, widely would have been attested. We sadly discover that also the “Game World” is not safe by this kind of behaviours, but this is something else and doesn’t fit too much in this topic.

Stefano – Acchittocca
(Game Designer)

This have been my 5th time in Essen, so the “surprise effect” have been vanished a long time ago :)
However Essen is always a wonderful experience and this year I had the opportunity to see for the first time if people enjoy Leonardo. We worked hard on it for 4 years and seeing that every table available was full all the time was great!

Antonio – Acchittocca
(Game Designer)

This was my first Essen and after been there, a posteriori, I must admit that every player have to make this experience at least once in his life (better if more than once!). As all I was really happy from the result of our first published game and, altogether, for all the Italian games; to have 3 Italian’s games in the first 10 of Fairplay (Leonardo, Hermagor, Ur) was really an optimal result and index of the fact that the Italian authors are working well and with fruit. We hope to be able to continue in this way!

Alfredo Genovese
(Game Designer, Publisher & Distributor)

The first time of Ghenos games & Bolide at Essen!
Just a few words to describe our impressions:
1) Unforgettable! Essen fair gave us an impressive feeling regarding the games’ market: same level of professionalism as other markets (we came from other experiences before launching Ghenos games), but marked by a unique sense of friendship no other one has. Essen is an international fair and a relationships pot at the same time. People are focused on their own core business but they really love their products, they are not just interested in making money.
2) Sold out! We have finished the Bolide boxes. We were embaraced since we were not able to sell on Sunday...we did not believe in such a success…
3) Enthusiasm: Essen gave us an incredible push towards our targets. We are not tired, we are revitalized! See all of you next year with a new game!!!!!


Good play to all
Liga

Essen 2006: Italians Emotions Part I

Hi

still too much busy to conclude my Essen Experience (I miss only the sunday), I have just prepared a small article for BGN.

In these days I got a lot of feedback from Italians about the Essen Experience. I remember at my first Essen, years ago, there was not more than 2-3 Italian publishers/designers (Kidult, Leo Colovni, ...) and not many Italian games. Now also Italians (designers, gamers and publishers) look at Essen as a central moment in their activities.

I have tried to capture comments and feelings of the Italians and put together in this post: I’m still waiting an answer from others so it could be that some day a part II will be posted here.


Andrea Angiolino
(Game designer)

This year Essen went very well for me. As an author I can say that “Wings of War” sold a lot - some sets were sold out and several people joined the Yahoo Discussion Group and gave feedback on forums after the show. As an agent, good things on the horizon: hard to tell what will become real, but anyway in Nuremberg we’ll see something on the market for sure. As a player I finally managed to get Command & Strategies n. 5 with a game about the air battle of Arras.

My only regret is a really huge one:I have not been at Essen! All this happened from far away while I was at home among rulebook drafts, little models of biplanes, game books and magazine articles to be written sent around, prototypes to be tested ... That’s awful. I have to work even more in the next future. Before the next Essen, or even the next Modena, I want to be free and be there again. Everybody enjoying the fair while I am back home finishing my homeworks? No way! ;)

Giacomo Sottocasa
(Game Designer and Publisher)

Everytime I enter the Eingang Ost to the Internationale Spieltage I’m a child again It’s quite difficult to mantain a professional profile, trying to discuss international distribution for my company or to find a publisher for my games, while I’m surrounded with all those wonderful games, while I feel I must play everything in there, while I’d like to discover evry single tile or wooden piece hidden in the boxes the Essen Spiel is a multicoloured universe of fun where you can meet gamers from all over the world& the Essen Spiel is a unique chance to play games from companies and self-producers coming from everywhere.

Carlo A. Rossi
(Game Designer and Game Developer)
I attended the fair from Wednesday (yes, one day before) to Sunday and the only thing I can say is “hey there, is there someone who played tons of games and can suggest to me some to buy? because… I don’t!!!

Meetings, meetings, meetings nothing more; it’ s really the case to say “all work and no play makes Carlo a dull boy” (that is, btw, my actual screensaver).

Silvano Sorrentino
(Game Designer and Publisher)

Publishing a game about the Leonardo da Vinci (designed by Acchittocca and already sold out at half of the fair) was a good thing both to daVinci Games and other representative of Italian Genius.
Not only Leonardo was 3rd at Fairplay, but also other two Italians games was in the first 10: Hermagor (Emanuele Ornella) and UR (Paolo Mori) and the tables of others Italian0s games was always crowded (think about Nexus’ Marvel Heroes).
The Italian Game seems to be appreciated every year more. I was very happy both for the success of Leonardo and for the success of the other Italians: World Champion!

Alf
(Game Developer)

This is my second adventure in Essen, and my only regret is that this year my free time was just a couple of hours. But even when busy running from one meeting to another what can be seen around is always amazing and inspiring. Gamers, families, cos-players, game designers, and everyone likes games or has something to do with them can find someone else to play, work, or just exchange idea. It is just like a pilgrimage to “La Mecca” for a Muslim, it must be taken as a trip at least once in a lifetime.

Walter Obert
(Game Designer)

Great time for me, nice to meet so many people from different countries in the name of Game. Without voice after have shouted and laughed with so many “hytericoaches”. A special thanks to our special german friend, Jost from www.spielepizza.de. Ciao! To next year, with next games!

Paolo Vallerga
(Game Designer and Publisher)

I went back from Essen really happy. This year I have presented a game by Walter Obert (HisteryCoach) that has had a great popularity both for gamers and distributors. I have also had a lot of contact for my fantasy series “Saghe di ConQuest”, Spain and Canada over all. This refund me of the great effort put in the production. This year the budget was fully positive. So, “Arrivederci a Norimberga”

Piero Cioni
(Game Designer)

Tenkigames at Essen 2006
The big event has ended. As usual it was a wonderful experience! We met a lot of people: gamers from all around the world, journalists, designers and other publishers.
Our Essen was very good! Our tables was full of people trying our new games. This year we show games for families and we was happy to see families having fun with our snakes or our collapsing aztec ruins.
We met also a lot of distributors from several countries and we signed agreements to see our products distributed in several countries we doesn’t reach before. All in all, we are extremely tired… and extremely happy!
HTPWYS
(Hope To Play With You Soon)


Good play to all
Liga

Essen Experience: Sunday

Here I'm reporting the last Essen day. Four days seems a lot of time to see and play but it is enough just only to have an idea of what was happening in Essen: there are booths and part of the fair that I never seen in my 4 days of continuous walking and playing: many games in my list I hadn't time to try ... anyway

Sunday morning we have an appointment at 2F demo booth with Ele to try the two new 2F games: Fiji and Formidable Foes.

We started with Fiji and I liked it: it was a nice auction game with a sort of "I think that you think that I think" mechanism, but is quite nice: I bought it!

After we go for Formidable Foes: Eve was really great (and funny) explaining us the rules but we didn't like the game too much. There was good ideas and some clever mechanic (and, as usual, a really nice graphics and materials) but the game is a bit boring and repetitive. It was on my to buy list but I decided to preserve my money for something better: I must admit that this year I was quite disappointed by Mr. FF releases ... I hope for the next year since I think he is one of the most talented designers.

Sunday morning was just gone and we end walking around in the "Little Italy" area: Mind the Move, Zugames, Post Scriptum, Angelo Porazzi Games, Scribabs, What's your Game ?, Manor House and Sil Toys was all located close each other in the same corridor at hall 9. We got catched by Cocktail Game publisher who show us a small jewel: Zigomar, a funny game (for kids, I suppose).

The game is quite easy: the clown face is made of 6 tiles (2 hairs and eyebrows tiles, two eyes tiles and two mouth tiles). Every tile has two different faces (eye open or close, eyebrow up or down, ...).

You got a card displaying the clown face and quick you have to arrange the tiles to show exactly the same face. you can play with different rules (using only one hands, building the opposite face) and also in pairs (on assembling the clown's face and the other looking the card and giving hints). We was so pleased that we bought two copy of Zigomar and one copy of Rapidcroco.

After we was so luck to meet Mik Svellov at the fair and so we finally have time to travel and play together: Monty and Viki also liked Mik a lot and so the poor Danish Man had to babysit 3 Italians around the fair.

We all also had still to buy some games so we shared our time playing and buying.

The idea was to play some games we still have in our list but also stopping where we can find seat (Sunday was not an easy playing day!).

We start playing Genesis at Face2face booth. The game is not bad: every turn you have to play one or two tiles in the map according to the result of throwing a pair of dices (every dice could show one of the 4 colours or a jolly). You try to be the one with the most connected tiles of the same color in each group. At the end of the game every group (with 3 or more tiles) of connected (orthogonally) tiles of the same colour score 4 points for the first (the player with the highest number of connected tiles in the group) and 2 points for the 2nd. If a group is mad only by tiles of one players he score 6 points. the largest group in each colour score double and the largest of all the groups score triple.

If you don't like the results of the dices you can just place a single tile of the colour you like.


The game plays well and it is nice but, for me, too much abstract: i won the game, anyway.

After that we play, always at face2face booth, and old game: I'm the Boss. Monty, after discussing for a lot of time about the absurdity of some rules, won the game because me and Viki was so idiot (that was the world Mik used!) to let him score really a lot of money: anyway, was a nice game and Monty bought it.


After that we gone walking around and we was so luckily to find a free seat for Notre Dame. I think it was one of the best game played in Essen and I think I'll buy it as soon as it will be released.

The game is played in round. Every round is made of three turn. In every round all the player have 9 cards, displaying the actions they could make. In every turn you get 3 random cards: keep one and pass the other two to the player on your left. Than, again, keep one of the two you get and pass one to the player on your left. Now you have three cards but you play only two. Every card display an action: usually putting one token in one of the city areas you control. Every token you put in the map usually give you something according to the place and to the number of token already there. You can get money, victory points, tokens or just fight the rats.

With the money you can buy a special power (at the end of each turn) or victory points at the cathedral (playing the right card).

The powers usually permits you to get something more.

After the three full rounds (nine turns) the game is over and the winner is the player with the highest amount of victory points. It works really well and you have to think ahead and look what the other players are doing trying to argue which cards you can get and which card you can give. For me a great game.

I won the game scoring 73 points: one of the highest score, according to the designer.

After that we say hallo to Mik and we ran for the last buying.

Just the time to optimize the space occupied by the game boxes in the car and we start for our long night driving. We drive until Switzerland than we stop 1 hour sleeping and we drive again.

Was a really, really, really great experience!

good play
Liga

Essen Experience: Saturday

Saturday was for me the day devoted to the Dungeon Twister European Tournament. Since the tournament start only at 12:00 I had a free morning of playing.

Monty and Viki book also for me a seat at King of Chicago booth to try the new game from Denmark. I was not happy because friends told me that the game was buggy but I would like to give it a chance.

I must admit that graphics and materials are really nice and the theme quite charming. You are the boss of a gangster family trying to develop your buisness and fighting the other families.

At the beginning of every turn you collect money from your buisness and from your gangsters; after there is set-up phase where cards are drawn. You take a card and it could be a special card (and you keep), a resource card (and you refill some resources on the board and draw a new card) or a man (and you have to put it for auction). If you are unlucky you could draw only men while other players acquire important event cards (first big bug in the game, easy to fix I think, but not fixed!).

Now is the action round when you can acquire new men. After that you have to organize your men letting them in defence of your shops or carrying in the car and go around making your business.

The first action round start: you throw the dice, move your car and make your buisness. Then is the turn of the second player and so on for 4 times.

To get resources you have to move your car where resources are. To open a new shop you have to go in the right place and have the right amount of resources. To fight other players you have to move over theyr shop and/or cars. If you finish your move close to an empty building you can place there one tokens (gangster) that will give you extra money in the beginning of the next round.

It easy to see that if you are unlucky and throw a lot of 1s and 2s you are out of the game without any possibility to change it (second bug, also easy to fix but not fixed!).

There is also a special rule concerning the car fights: if you loose a fight you go to the mechanics and wait until the beginning of the next turn before having the possibility to move again: if that happens in the 1st or 2nd action phase you can loose 2-3 action phases ... and be killed again in the beginning of the next round and loose 3-4 action phases again (another bug! terrible bug!).


I really didn't like the game: I think the materials and graphics are good but the rules must be rewritten from the beginning. Monty liked the game very much instead and bought it!

Just finished the game I have time for a quick visit to a new french company, Atomic Mix: the game they show, Ls Hache et le Feu, seems really nice (a sort of Diablo, the told) but it is still all in French and too much language dependent for me to try.



I just passed close to Amigo booth and I took a picture of Walhalla (from Alessandro Zucchini, my countryman).


After this I have to run at the Dungeon Twister Tournament. I was there all the afternoon. My first game was against one of the pro-ludo staff. I was an easy game and I won 7-0.

The second game was against a German player: he was really better than me (I wasn't expert in using Paladins & Dragons new characters) and beat me 5-2.


The 3rd game was against a nice french: it was a really hard game and finally I won 5-4.


The final game was against Sherinford, a Belgian player (the one in the picture below) that I discover was the person in charge of running the DTL. He beat me easily 5-2 but was a good game and it could be ended 5-4 (for him, of course) with a bit more attention!



The premiation ceremony was nice and I got a special character as reward: I was 12 on 28, the first of non-french speaking!


Here the two winners ... pereaphs the next year!



Just the time to a quick look at Khronos, the game with the highest bought/played ratio


and than at a dinner with the Italians.

During the dinner there is time for a quick play-test of a new card game from Walter Obert.

Back at the hotel I joined Mik and other firends for a Bolide race,


than Pyramids (card game) and than, finally, bed!

good play
Liga

Essen Experience: Friday

Friday morning I was at the fair really early and I take a seat at Days of Wonder booth to try BatlleLore: just a few minutes and SdP reach me.

A short introduction and we are ready to play.

I really enjoyed he game (I won 6-0), but I'm a Memoir'44 fanatic and also I really like the fantasy setting.


I think that is just a bit more lucky dependent than Memoir'44 but it could be just an impression. In the first scenario (the one you can try in Essen) there was no leader rules and simple units: footmans, bowmans and knights. The game plays like Memoir'44: first you have to play a card and activate the units according to it; than move the units and finally resolve the combats. Bowmans could fire at 4 hex and they can also move and so the game is more deep than the usual memoir'44 scenario.

The morale rule (you get the possibility to battle back with an unit if you are adjacent to two or more units of your side) make the formations an important aspecto to keep in mind.

At the end of the turn you get the possibility to draw 2 magic cards (and keep one) or just to take one and some Lore or just Lore. Lore is the fuel for magic using and you get it also when you get a lore symbol throwing attack dices (a sort of compensation for the unluckly event of getting an useless result).

The graphics and materials are great and I hope to get my copy soon!

Our next stop was at Super Ape Games booth to play Evolution.

Despite the fact that it is really not a gamers game, we get a funny time: the designer and the girl at the booth was really nice. The aim of the game is to be the first to diplay and complete 6 evolution cards. The card must be displayed in chronological order starting from early ages until the era close to human ages. The era are 8 and since you need 6 cards to win you can skip only 2 era. During your turn you take a card and play, unless it has an usefull site on it. You can play cards on your evolution track or on another player track only if it has not yet a card with the same era (number): otherwise you have to replace the card. You are not allowed to replace a usefull card. If you (or someonelese) play a card with a number lower than the one your pawn is, you have to go back: so playing card on other player track could be a way to move them back. After playing the card you can move your pawn one step forward or sideway. when you reach the last step of the 6th card in your track and you survive for a full turn you win.

Of course the game has a lot more: volcanos, safe sites, events and a lot more.

I won the game, but was an hard fight and I was just saved from loosing by the arrive of the meteorite.



This first picture show Viki discovering a Volcano is jus erupting close to him: he has to go back at the beginning.



Here the designer, Monty and the nice girl.

Just a short visit to Pokemon stand to try the boardgame against Monty: I was totally destroyed! The game, obviously, is for kid but the pieces are really good!



Monty is thinking about the move that will kill me!



Here the Hardcore Gamer Team!

Now was the time for Haba games! We all three was looking for games for kids: daughters and nephews.

We try Monza and Happy Farmer.

It was great and we got really a lot of fun! We played it twice: Viki won the first game and I won the second one.



You can see Viki and Monty playing with big attention. You can also see Viki before making the shoot give him the victory!



Than we move to try something deeper and we approde at Roads & Boats stand.



I was really curious to try this game and I enjoyed it quite a lot (Monty and Viki dislike it, indeed): obviously we didn't finish our game.

I was interested in buying the game but it was really too much expensive.

Waiting for the IGA celebration we get the time to try Silk Road at Z-Man Games booth.



I think the game is quite good, not really the kind of game I would like to play often but not bad.

I run away from the game before the end (but I was in a good position for winning) to be in time at Caylus booth for the IGAs.

It was really nice to be there so I have the possibility to meet Mik, Gregg, Rick and to know new people like Ben Baldanza.





After the IGA celebration I grab Gregg for an interview for Radio Impronta Digitale: he explains to Italian people what is IGA.



After Gregg was time for Rick to explain what is BoardGame News. Tinuz and Paoletta do really a great work and you can hear the interviews here (Look for "Frequenza Ludica").



After the IGAs there was still time for some games with SdP and two friends.

Our first stop was for Section X. I was really disappointed by this game that I found without anything really new and with rules not clear (after both the explanation and readings). We was so bored that we didn't finish our game.





After that we have a real great meeting: the Ninja Master himself explain us Ninja Galaxy.



The game was nice and funny: enough interaction, enough randomness, nice graphics and simple rules. It is too much on the simple/easy side for me but I have a good time playing it and SdP bought a copy (and I regret to not get a copy myself too).





And now was 19:00 and the closing time. I just go to catch Monty e Viki and we run for the Digers dinner at Istra.

We arrived really early and the only one there was Benjamin but we start soon to drink and laugh. Then was the time for Geoffry to be there and both, drinks and laughs, start to dramatically increase! We got really a good time and we was able to eat twice the normal amount of food a single person could eat!





















The dinner was really good, how can you see from that picture: the Hardcore Gamer Team in front and Geoff in the back!



When I was back to Jung it was quite late but there was still time foe 1-2 games before going sleep.

Essen Experience: Thursday

Hi all

here I'm in trying to describe the Essen Experience. It is difficult for a non-gamer to understand what really Essen means: thousands and thousands of gamers, more than 500 expositors, tons of new games and friends from anywhere in the world!

This year my Essen Team, the hardcore gamers, was really well suited: me (Liga), Monty and Viki. Monty and Viki are gamers from my gaming club: TreEmme.

We start Wednesday evening at 8:30 PM with my kangoo, some food, a lot of expectations and more than 1000 km of road ahead. We arrived at Essen at 7:30 AM!

Just the time to rest a bit, grab a press pass from SdP (was great to have the car just in front the fai exit ready to be loaded with tons of games!) and some expositor passes from Lorenzo "ManiacHouse" and Claudio "Esagek" and we are in, in the WonderLand!

Monty and Viki was at thet first Essen and got blasted by the huge dimension of the fair: at the end of the Essen Experience Monty decleared " I don't know how I have could lieved without".

The Thursday was devoted to shoppings. I got almost the 90% of the game in the first day! But we have had also some good game:

At lunch time we played Space Dealer and was a real blast! We bought 4 copy: one each and one for club TreEmme!

Here in the pictures you can see Tobias Stapelfeldt, the designer, explaining us the game and we was already getting fun thinking about how it could be evolve.

Here we are close to finishing the game.

The game was nice but I got last since one of my timer was really slower than anyother ones!

After a short visit to the Italian's booth I run at R&D where Richard was waiting my team ("the hardcore gamer") for a session of playtest of his new Keymarket.



I don't know how much I can say about it but the game was good and I think with small fixes could be ready for publishing. At the R&D booth I was also pleased to meet Cynthia from MeeplePeople: we decide to donate here and her website the Hardcore Gamer logo: I think you could find it soon on MeeplePeople.

We finished our first day in Essen just walking around and looking booths and games.

Here you can see me getting my copy of Esagek signed by Claudio, the designer.


We have a dinner at Draco together with SdP, Racca and Genma from Tana dei Goblin, the Acchitocca team and some other Italian friends. I just passed quickly to the Istra's Hall to say hallo to some friends and then go to bed early!

Essen Days

Hi all

from Wednesday 18 evening to Monday 24 morning I was involved, together with Viki and Monty (The Hardcore Gamer Team) in the Essen 2006 Fair Experience! It was great and I hope soon to be able to post a detailed report. Here is my list of buying:

- Dungeon Twister Collector Box
- Esagek
- Factory Fun
- Fiji
- Graenland
- Hermagor
- HisteryCoach
- Imperial
- Legio
- Marvel Heroes
- Perikle
- Saint Anno
- Space Dealer
- Tempus
- Through the Ages
- Thunder's Edge + Exp
- UR
- Yspanha
- Zigomar

plus some other small things (like the Expansion for Power Grid, Command and colors: ancients dices, Knizia Almanac, subscribe to counter and so on ...)

good play
Liga