Our Full Essen Wargame Report
Essen Spiel is a massive event. It’s a sea of new board games, RPGs, and, most importantly, new wargames. It’s the place to find the “next big thing” that everyone at your club will be talking about in six months.
This year, our CEO Bart went with a mission: to cut through the noise and get the full report on the best Essen Spiel new game announcements for wargamers. He sat down with the creators, designers, and developers behind 12 different games – from narrative-driven WWII ops to diceless combat and customizable mechs.
Here is our full report, with links to every interview.
Our Full Report: 12 New Wargames from the Essen Floor
Butcher and Bolt
We love a game that lets you recreate your favorite war movie. At Essen, Bart sat down with the team behind Butcher and Bolt, a new WWII “Commando Skirmish” game built to be a total narrative sandbox. Want to use ropes, hooks, and diving gear for a 6-man stealth op? You can. Want to have a 40-man battle with vehicles and exploding barrels? You can do that, too.
It’s model-agnostic, so your existing 28mm collection is ready for deployment. We really dug into its clever activation system. It’s not a simple “you go, I go;” it uses a dice bag and pre-set activation dials to create a flowing, simultaneous-feeling game. The team also confirmed they have long-term plans for “Operation Packs,” so it’s a fully supported system.
Bloodfields
Titan Forge is well-known for their huge library of 3D printable models, and Bloodfields is their fast-paced game built for that “print and play” community. Bart had a great chat with the team about how it acts as a “bridge” to get board gamers into wargaming.
The big news is the upcoming 3rd Edition. They’re introducing a really smart, low-cost core box that uses standees so new players can try the game easily. Then, you can grab the new, easy-to-build plastic model packs for your faction once you’re hooked. It’s a very clever way to get people to the table.
The Drowned Earth
This game might win the award for the best pitch at Essen: “Parkour and Dinosaurs.” This is a skirmish game that’s all about high-flying, 3D movement. Jumping, climbing, and leaping are core to the rules, not just an afterthought. Bart had a great chat with the team about its very clever action-reaction system (you have to pay action points to react, which creates some tough choices).
We also got the inside scoop on their production. They 3D print all their models in-house in London with a special flexible resin (you can drop them!) and they come as single-piece casts, so there’s no gluing. It’s a really impressive setup for a game that also features AI dinos that can eat both players.
Shroudfall
Here’s a game with a fascinating twist for all the tacticians out there. What if the terrain on the board was a key part of your army list? That’s the core idea behind Shroudfall. Bart spoke with the developers, and their whole company, “Gamebreakers,” is built around competitive play. Their motto is “Break the game, not your opponent,” and they take balance very seriously.
We got the full scoop on how you strategically place terrain to block objectives or create a shooting gallery for your troops. We also chatted about their four unique factions (including giant pandas!) and their smart approach to 3D printing with a durable, kid-tested resin. This is one to watch for tournament players.
Eldfall Chronicles
What if your skirmish warband could pull double duty? Eldfall Chronicles is built around this idea. Bart had a great chat with the team about how their tactical fantasy skirmish is 100% cross-compatible with their new Dungeon Crawler. Once you learn one, you know the other.
We got a deep dive into its “high-ceiling” action-reaction system, where you have to pay action points to react, making you think twice before leaving your mage in the open. We also talked about their models, which are made from a very durable “Unicool” resin that holds great detail without being brittle. Best of all, the community gets to vote on which story endings become canon.
Malediction
What if Magic: The Gathering was a wargame? That’s the fascinating idea behind Malediction. Bart sat down with the team to find out how this true TCG-wargame hybrid works. You build a 30-card deck and summon your units to the field, led by a “Seeker” (who functions a lot like an MTG Commander).
It’s an STL-based game, but the business model is really smart: you buy a faction box and you get all the cards for that faction (no card chasing!) and a code for all the STLs. They also have a co-op 2v1 mode and confirmed they’re planning for big competitive events.
Rapture
Hate waiting 15 minutes for your opponent to finish their turn? Rapture is a game built to solve that. Bart chatted with the developers about their “zero downtime” action-reaction system that keeps you constantly engaged.
It’s a tactical game of 4-10 models where the missions are asymmetrical, meaning just killing your opponent’s models won’t guarantee a win. You have to disrupt their objectives. We also got a look at the wild lore (it’s a mix of angels, aliens, and human history like Atlantis) and their cool “Creature Expansion” that adds AI-controlled neutral or hostile units for three-way PvPvE battles.
Ascending Fate
In a hobby that lives and dies by the dice, what happens when a game gets rid of them completely? That’s the bold and fascinating idea behind Ascending Fate. This was so unique that Bart had to sit down with the developers to find out how it even works.
It’s a diceless skirmish that uses a very clever, card-based “called shot” system, where you have to out-think your opponent by picking attack locations while they try to guess where to defend. We also talked about their smart “PC-style” tutorial campaign that teaches you the rules one mission at a time, their durable Unicool plastic models, and, of course, the “Viking Cyberpunk” Arvinger faction.
Godsgloom
This was one of the cleverest designs we saw at Essen. Godsgloom isn’t a miniature company; it’s a “ruleset company” with a brilliant “use any mini” philosophy. It’s a mass-battle game designed to be played in under 90 minutes on a small, hex-based kitchen table mat. Bart spoke with the team and was really impressed by their solutions. The game is driven by a powerful web app with all the rules, and armies are built on “archetypes” (like “Horde” or “Unliving Host”), so you can finally use your models from Blood Rage, D&D, and other wargames all in one army.
The most ingenious part? Their custom “Gloom Base,” which holds your model and also has built-in dials to track health, morale, and all your tokens, completely eliminating table clutter.
Summoners
This skirmish game has a hook that TCG players will love. What if you started the game with only your hero? Bart sat down with the Summoners team to learn about their game, which is heavily inspired by Magic: The Gathering. You start with just your Summoner and have to spend Mana (which you get by controlling crystals on the map) to summon your creatures.
There is a nice mechanic, to get your big, Level 3 monsters. You have to sacrifice your smaller elementals, just like in a card game. We also talked about their seven Cthulhu-and-elemental-inspired factions and how they use a durable, flexible resin for their 8-model warbands.
Ember Obsidian Protocol
If you’re a fan of the Armored Core or Gundam, this is the game you’ve been waiting for.
Ember Obsidian Protocol is all about building your own custom mech from the chassis up. Bart’s interview with the team confirms you can swap all the magnetic parts, including arms, torsos, and backpacks, to create your own designs. This choice also defines your playstyle, from a “cheap and chunky” 6-mech squad to an elite 2-mech team. It’s a fast-paced game (under 2 hours), and they’ve got a proper two-player starter box planned for next year, making it even easier to jump in.
Arena Battles One
What’s more dangerous in a “Weird-WWII” zombie apocalypse: the zombies or the other survivors? Arena Battles One is a skirmish game built around that exact question. It’s a PvPvE expansion for the solo/co-op game Escape from Project Riese.
Bart had a great chat with the team about how you and an opponent fight each other while also being hunted by AI-controlled zombies on a small 2×2 foot board. Sometimes you’ll even have to team up to survive the horde before you can go back to fighting each other. It’s model-agnostic, so you can finally use your 28mm Bolt Action minis (or any other 1/48 scale models) to build your 5-10 model survivor crew.
Found Your Next Obsession?
That’s a lot of new projects to be excited about. Seeing all this innovation and passion is what makes the hobby great. It’s easy to get inspired and imagine your own elite Ember squad or a fast-moving Rapture warband.
But that’s where the excitement often hits a wall: time.
You’ve got the vision for your new army. You know the exact color scheme for your Shroudfall faction or the most accurate uniforms for your Butcher and Bolt commandos. You just don’t have the hours it will take to get them all painted.
That’s why we are here.
Your job is to get hyped about the latest Essen Spiel new game announcements and dream up the army you’ve always wanted. Our job is to get it painted, assembled, and battle-ready, so you can start playing.
Book a commission here.
