It may not be the most well known trade show, but Spiel Essen 2017 is a Sporting Goods, Toys, and Games fair in Essen, Germany. It’s also where digital board game publisher Asmodee Digital chose to reveal new trailers for some of their upcoming games.
Catan Stories: The Legend of the Sea Robbers is an all new text adventure based on the Settlers of Catan scenario extension Legend of the Sea Robbers. The game is anticipated to be released before the end of 2017, and is being developed by Catan GmbH/Catan Studio for iOS and Android mobile operating systems.
Catan VR represents a whole new way to play a digital game. Currently being developed for the Oculus Rift and Samsung Gear VR, it’s a virtual reality rendering of the classic Settlers of Catan gameplay that remains true to the boardgame classic, but incorporates enhancements only possible with a virtual board. It too is being developed by Catan GmbH/Catan Studio and is expected to be released before the end of 2017.
Scythe is an engine building game set in an alternate-history version of the 1920s. Currently under development by Stonemaier Games and targeting PCs via Steam, iOS, and Android mobile devices, Scythe challenges players to earn their fortune and claim their faction’s stake in the land around a mysterious factory. The game does not currently have a release date.
Other digital board games slated for a 2017 release from Asmodee Digital included Carcassonne (Hans im Glück), Abalone (Asmodee Edition), and classic French racing card game Mille Bornes (TF1 Games). Other games announced as under development with no particular release date were Bananagrams (Bananagrams), Zombicide (CMON), Terraforming Mars (FryxGames), and Onitama (Arcane Wonders). Most games are targeted for Steam, iOS, and Android, although a few are aimed only at mobile devices.
Virtual board game implementations can be a little hit or miss, but given the popularity of Catan and some of the others in this list, we’ll be eager to see how the finished product turns out!
