Simba Toys Handels GmbH & Co. KG
Simba Toys Handels GmbH & Co. KG
SPIEL Essen 2023 - new games from Noris and Zoch
At the world's largest public fair for board games, the new products from Noris and Zoch were shown.
From 5 to 8 October 2023, the world's largest public fair for board games was held for the 40th time in Essen. The organiser was Merz Verlag, which has been part of Spielwarenmesse eG since 2022. In its anniversary year, the fair featured a completely new exhibition hall concept with many special areas. Around 850 exhibitors from over 50 different nations presented their new products on an area of around 60,000m2.
The brands Noris-Spiele and Zoch, which belong to the Simba Dickie Group, showed their new products on 400m². Visitors young and old could test the games on site and buy them in the new fair shop.
The theme of the extraordinary new products from Zoch and Noris-Spiele is, in line with the current trend, travelling and distant countries.
New games from Zoch
In the family game "Maldivia" from Zoch, two to four players aged eight and up navigate their boats across the sea. On the coast, market ships are waiting to be supplied with fish. But the ocean consists of a cloth that is folded up and makes the playing surface disappear. The idea comes from the pen of Frenchman Roberto Fraga, whose Zoch game "Spinderella" was already awarded "Children's Game of the Year" in 2015.
Two to four players aged ten and up can also expect a lot of depth on the high seas in "Volles Fass voraus", a game by the Italian Giansimone Migoni. With their ship, the sailors set out on a trading voyage, collect barrels and sell them, provided they can be unloaded. The board game by Zoch with a modular game board is full of strategies and unpredictable twists.
With "Die Patin" (The Godmother) from Zoch, the Swede Pim Thunborg has come up with a connoisseur's game that takes two to five players aged twelve and up into the dark alleys of Beasty Town. On the hunt for prestige and influence, they slip into the role of mafia bosses. With the help of strategy, henchmen and loot, they have to bring city districts under control and complete missions.
The thriller card game "Stich für Stich" (Stitch by Stitch) from Zoch promises crackling suspense. The author is the Austrian Markus W. Leon. Three to four sleuths aged ten and up collect information and draw conclusions from each stitch in order to unmask the trump cards that convict the perpetrator and the murder weapon. But one of them is a confidant and tries to hide the truth from the other players for as long as possible.
Novelties from Noris-Spiele
And Noris-Spiele is also travel themed. In the Escape Room Puzzle Adventure "Mission Mayday", one or more players aged 14 and over find themselves in a spaceship in the galaxy. The task is to solve puzzles to find out what happened in the exciting story by the Dutch think tank Identity Games International BV.
A special highlight at the Zoch and Noris-Spiele stand were two autograph sessions with the game authors Markus W. Leon and Reiner Knizia, known among others for the "Heckmeck" series by Zoch.
