Every year, Essen Spiel represents a highlight for all board game enthusiasts. As a game translator, this 2024 edition was particularly rich in discoveries and professional exchanges.

An edition marked by diversity

Once again this year, Essen Spiel demonstrated the extraordinary vitality of the gaming sector. More than 1,000 exhibitors from around the world presented their new releases, confirming that the board game industry is thriving more than ever.

The rise of cooperative games continues to mark the market. I was able to discover numerous titles where players unite their forces against common challenges, a trend that translates into more narrative and immersive texts.

Rule simplification without loss of strategic depth remains a major concern for creators. An exciting challenge for us translators, who must preserve this accessibility in each language.

Enriching professional encounters

Exchanges with publishers

Discussions with European publishers highlighted the crucial importance of quality localization. Several emphasized that translation can make or break a game’s commercial success in a new market.

“A poorly translated game is a game that will never find its audience.” - A German publisher met at the convention

Networking with other translators

The community of game translators grows year after year. Our exchanges focused on:

  • New collaborative translation tools
  • Specific challenges of certain languages
  • Evolution of player expectations

My favorite discoveries

Among the many games tested, a few titles particularly caught my attention with their innovative mechanics and skillfully crafted texts:

  1. New narrative mechanisms: Games that integrate storytelling into the gameplay itself
  2. Component innovations: Double-sided cards, modular boards…
  3. Emerging themes: Ecology and sustainability are taking an increasing place

The future of game translation

This edition of Essen convinced me that our profession is evolving toward more specialization. Publishers are looking for translators who don’t just translate, but who deeply understand the gaming universe and can culturally adapt content.

Upcoming projects

Following these meetings, several translation projects are taking shape for 2025. Promising collaborations with European publishers who want to conquer the French and English-speaking markets.

See you next year in Essen for new discoveries! In the meantime, if you have a game translation project, don’t hesitate to contact me.