Racing

The old dragon Drakon has captured a brave band of adventurers who have sneaked into her lair to steal her gold. But rather than eat them immediately, Drakon has decided to make it a game: Greed shall set one of the adventurers free. She sends the frightened adventurers into her magical, mad vaulted chambers, and the first one to collect ten gold from Drakon’s maze gets to go free. The rest get to be lunch.

Each turn, players must choose one of two options: (1) place a tile from their hand onto the board, expanding the dungeon; or (2) move their Hero to an adjacent tile. Many of the dungeon tiles have an icon that allows players entering that space to take a special action (for example, taking a piece of gold from the dragon's hoard, stealing gold from another player, or destroying a tile that is already in play).

This is the third edition of Drakon, and includes the following updates:

plastic miniatures are used for the heroes and the Drakon
new tiles are larger (measuring 2.5 by 2.5 inches) and have all new artwork
tiles include a combination of rooms from Drakon (second edition) and Drakon Expansion 1
new rules, variants, and player aids are provided
each gold piece now has a value between 1 and 3

In the basic game, the first player to earn 10 gold wins the game. Some variants provide different winning conditions.

Game last between 20 and 60 minutes.

On November 30, 1803, the United States purchased Louisiana from Napoleon. U.S. President Thomas Jefferson decided to send two explorers – Meriwether Lewis and William Clark – to discover this huge terra incognita.

Lewis & Clark is a board game in which the players manage an expedition intended to cross the North American continent. Their goal is to be the first to reach the Pacific. Each one has his own Corps of Discovery that will be completed by the Native Americans and the trappers met during the journey. He has to cleverly manage his characters and also the resources he finds along the way. Beware, sometimes frugality is better than abundance.

Lewis & Clark features dual use cards. To be activated, one card must be combined with another one, which becomes unavailable for a while. Thus, players are faced with a constant dilemma: play a card or sacrifice it. During the game, each player acquires character cards that enlarge his hand, building a crew that gives him more options but it needs to be optimized as he will recycle his cards more slowly. This new "handbuilding" mechanism fits strongly the historical background.

Since the aim of the game is to be the first on the Pacific coast, the timing and the opportunistic use of the other players' positions are crucial.

Every year, thousands of salmon are compelled to leave the ocean and return to the river of their birth. This perilous journey can span hundreds of miles and is fraught with danger. Strong rapids, waterfalls, hungry bears, and eagles all await the salmon on their quest to spawn. Only the most fit will complete the salmon run!

Salmon Run is a fast-paced racing game in which you'll maneuver your salmon upriver, avoiding obstacles and jumping over waterfalls. Behold the immense power of the river's currents! Avoid ferocious bears! Beware of stealthy eagles, waiting to snatch victory from your hand! Most of all, pace yourself to avoid debilitating fatigue. Salmon Run features:

Deck-building: The path you choose upriver will determine which cards you may add to your swimming deck. Enhance your swimming ability by gaining powerful swim cards!
Player Interaction: Acquire cards to unleash hungry bears and eagles on your opponent's salmon! Unlock the power of the river's raging rapids and strong currents!
Fatigue: Overexertion leads to the build-up of fatigue which will slow you down!
Modular boards: Experience a new river each game! The river's difficulty and length can be customized to your liking!

8 track cards (from a total of 48 cards) are used to build a track.
Each player gets 5 tempo cards.
All players play tempo cards simultaneously and try to get in front of the field.
6 cars are NON-player cars - these are called "Alte Hasen" (old pros) and are controlled by a rule mechanism - the same rules are used when playing this race alone - there are always seven cars in the race (one old pro for example when 6 players are playing)
The chips are earned for good maneuvering and may be used in bluffing when attacking other cars.

Welcome to Savannah Tails (Fragor's Essen 2009 release) the game of fast and furious ostrich racing. Play as either Albrecht, Alexandra, Enzo, Nnelg or Mathilda as you race for glory through the African savannah. However, winning the race is the least of your worries. Cheetahs will try to eat you. Crocodiles will try to eat you. Warthogs will probably try to ignore you. Elephants are just in the way. The less said about porcupines the better.

The game will include 25 track sections allowing players to once again design their own races. Some of these feature “unhelpful” animals. Special tracks involving a rope bridge, quicksand and a sand dune are also included.

A limited edition of 1,000 games will be produced for Essen 2009. The game is fast paced and easy to learn.