{{short description|Boardgame trade fair in Essen, Germany}} {{other uses}} {{Infobox recurring event | logo = SPIEL logo.svg | logo_caption = | image = Essen 2008 50120.jpg | caption = Spiel 2008 | genre = Board game trade fair | frequency = Annual | venue = Messe Essen | country = Germany | first = {{start date|1983}} | attendance = 220,000 (2025) | URL = {{official url}} }} '''Internationale Spieltage SPIEL''', often called the '''Essen Game Fair''' after the city where it is held, is an annual four-day public boardgame trade fair held in October<ref name="Economist2015">{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/news/business/21669930-table-top-games-are-booming-video-game-age-not-twilight-sunrise |title=Not twilight, but sunrise. Table-top games are booming in the video-game age |newspaper=The Economist |date=2015-10-03 |accessdate=2015-10-29}}</ref> (Thursday to the following Sunday) at the Messe Essen exhibition centre in Essen, Germany. It began in 1983.<ref name="Woods2012">{{cite book |author=Stewart Woods |title=Eurogames: The Design, Culture and Play of Modern European Board Games |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GPdRVOl8fU0C&pg=PA64 |date=2012-08-16 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-6797-6 |page=64}}</ref> With 220,000 people attending, 948 exhibitors from 50 nations presenting more than 1700 new board games in 2025, SPIEL is the biggest fair for board games in the world - a title it had for over a decade. <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/best-new-board-games-spiel-essen-2025/ |title=The 10 best board games we played at Spiel Essen 2025 |last=Samantha |first=Nelson |date=2025-11-04 |website=polygon.com/ |language=en |access-date=2025-11-05}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/oct/31/board-gamers-germany-essen-spiel-exhibition |title=For board gamers, heaven is a place on earth – located in Germany |last=Duffy |first=Owen |date=2015-10-31 |newspaper=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |access-date=2016-11-11}}</ref> Many new games are released at the fair each year, especially (but not exclusively) European-style board games.
thumb|Messe Essen, the event venueAt SPIEL, board games that are often hard to find in retail are offered by international and small exhibitors. While the prices for buying these games at the fair do not tend to be significantly lower than in retail, games are typically available sooner than in regular board game shops and may come with promotional materials (mostly extra cards or tokens with a few more game mechanics, but also T-shirts and similar merchandise). SPIEL also provides an environment for board gamers to meet and chat with game designers, illustrators, and game reviewers.{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}}
== Years and attendance == {| class="wikitable" |- !Year !style="text-align:right;"|Attendance !Source |- |2011 |style="text-align:right;"|147 000 |<ref name="besucher2011">{{cite web |title=147 000 Besucher bei der Spielemesse in Essen |url=https://www.waz.de/staedte/essen/147-000-besucher-bei-der-spielemesse-in-essen-id5190519.html |work=WAZ |date=2011-10-23 |accessdate=2019-06-04}}</ref> |- |2012 |style="text-align:right;"|149 000 |<ref name="besucher2012">{{cite web |title=149 000 Besucher kamen zur Spielemesse Spiel 12 nach Essen |url=https://www.derwesten.de/staedte/essen/149-000-besucher-kamen-zur-spielemesse-spiel-12-nach-essen-id7215090.html |work=WAZ |date=2012-10-21 |accessdate=2013-09-18}}</ref> |- |2013 |style="text-align:right;"|156 000 |<ref name="visitors2013">{{cite web |title=Spiel '13: Con Report |url=http://www.bigshinyrobot.com/56462/spiel-2013-con-report/ |work=Big Shiny Robot |date=2013-11-01 |accessdate=2015-10-29}}</ref> |- |2014 |style="text-align:right;"|158 000 |<ref name="visitors2014">{{cite web |title=Exhibitor information |url=http://www.merz-verlag-en.com/exhibitors.html |last1=Friedhelm |first1=Merz Verlag |access-date=2015-07-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150708114633/http://www.merz-verlag-en.com/exhibitors.html |archive-date=2015-07-08}}</ref> |- |2015 |style="text-align:right;"|162 000 |<ref name="Böhm2015">{{cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/games/spiel15-in-essen-neuheiten-von-der-spielemesse-a-1056720.html |title=Spiel 15: Das sind die Neuheiten der Spielemesse |last1=Markus |first1=Böhm |work=Spiegel online |date=8 October 2015 |language=de |accessdate=2015-10-29}}</ref> |- |2016 |style="text-align:right;"|174 000 |<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/10/best-board-games-of-essen-2016/ |title=Essen 2016: Best board games from the biggest board game convention |last=Mendelsohn |first=Tom |date=2016-10-22 |newspaper=Ars Technica |access-date=2016-11-11}}</ref> |- |2017 |style="text-align:right;"|182 000 |<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.waz.de/staedte/essen/spielemesse-spiel-17-endet-mit-besucherrekord-id212384747.html |title=Spielemesse Spiel'17 endet mit Besucherrekord |date=2017-10-29 |newspaper=WAZ |access-date=2017-10-30}}</ref> |- |2018 |style="text-align:right;"|190 000 |<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.kreiszeitung.de/laeuft/190000-besucher-spiel-2018-messe-essen-neuheiten-kulturgut-debatte-rekorde-10381895.html |title="Spiel 2018" bricht Besucherrekord: 190.000 Gäste kommen nach Essen |newspaper=WAZ |access-date=2018-10-29}}</ref> |- |2019 |style="text-align:right;"|209 000 |<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.rtl.de/cms/spielemesse-in-essen-endet-mit-mehr-als-200-000-besuchern-4427372.html |title=Spielemesse in Essen endet mit mehr als 200 000 Besuchern |newspaper=RTL |access-date=2019-10-28}}</ref> |- |2020 |style="text-align:right;"|{{efn|Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and replaced by a digital convention.<ref name="dicebreaker2020-05-19"/>}}0 |<ref name="dicebreaker2020-05-19">{{Cite web |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/topics/essen-spiel/news/spiel-digital-announced |title=Cancelled Essen Spiel 2020 board game convention replaced by online event Spiel.Digital |last1=Jarvis |first1=Matt |date=2020-05-19 |work=Dicebreaker |publisher=Gamer Network Limited, ReedPop |language=English |accessdate=2021-10-09}}</ref> |- |2021 |style="text-align:right;"|93 600 |<ref name="toynews-online2021-07-12">{{Cite web |url=https://www.toynews-online.biz/2021/07/12/face-masks-will-be-mandatory-at-essen-spiel-21-along-with-vaccination-or-negative-covid-tests/ |title=Face masks will be mandatory at Essen Spiel '21 along with vaccination or negative Covid tests |last1=Hutchins |first1=Robert |date=2021-07-12 |work=ToyNews |language=English |accessdate=2021-10-09}}</ref> |- |2022 |style="text-align:right;"|147 000 |<ref name="supertipp-online.de-2022-10-09">{{Cite web |url=https://supertipp-online.de/2022/10/09/spielemesse-neuheitenrekord-lockt-spielefans-nach-essen/ |title=Spielemesse: Neuheitenrekord lockt Spielefans nach Essen |last1=Volkmann |first1=Andre |date=2022-10-10 |work=Supertipp |language=German |accessdate=2022-10-10}}</ref> |- |2023 |style="text-align:right;"|193 000 |<ref name="spielpunkt-net-2023-10-09">{{Cite web |url=https://spielpunkt.net/en/spiel-essen-kein-rekord-bei-besucherzahlen/ |title=SPIEL Essen: No record number of visitors |last1=Volkmann |first1=Andre |date=2023-10-09 |work=Spielpunkt |language=English |accessdate=2023-10-09}}</ref> |- |2024 |style="text-align:right;"|204 000 |<ref name="toybook-2024">{{Cite web |url=https://toybook.com/spiel-essen-2024/ |title=Spiel Essen 2024 breaking records |last1=Slater |first1=Ellen |date=2024-10-07 |work=Toybook |language=English |accessdate=2024-10-08}}</ref> |- |2025 |style="text-align:right;"|220 000 |<ref name="spielbox-2025">{{Cite web |url=https://www.spielbox.de/veranstaltungen/1310-spiel-essen-ausverkauf-und-besucherrekord-sold-out-with-visitor-record |title=SPIEL Essen: Ausverkauf und Besucherrekord / sold out with visitor record |date=2025-10-27 |work=Spielbox |language=de,en |accessdate=2025-10-28}}</ref> |}
__NOTOC__
==See also== *''Going Cardboard'' (documentary) *Spiel des Jahres (award) *Gen Con
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== <references />
==External links== {{Wiktionary|Spiel|spiel}} *[https://www.spiel-essen.de/en/ Official website] *{{bgg par|thread|120409|Essen FAQ}}
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Category:Annual fairs Category:Fairs in Germany Category:Gaming conventions Category:Trade fairs in Germany Category:1983 establishments in West Germany Category:Recurring events established in 1983