Source: Korea Boardgames
Korea Boardgames is delighted to announce the upcoming outdoor board game festival ‘Paju Spiel 2026’, set to take place on May 9 and 10 at the Gyeonggi Future Education Paju Campus in Gyeonggi-do.
Now in its fourth year, this year’s festival promises to be the biggest yet, featuring the debut of over 10 new board games and expanding retail operations to two separate locations. The event caters to families and seasoned gamers alike, offering a range of activities such as free board game giveaways for middle school students and younger, the ‘B-Camp’ professional training program, and a thrilling speed cubing championship.
One of the highlights of ‘Paju Spiel’ will be the simultaneous unveiling of several new board games on a large scale. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience these pre-release titles firsthand at various booths set up in the experience zone. Some of the featured releases include ‘Running Wild’, ‘Abraca…What?’, ‘Please Release It’, ‘Everyone Gather: Pokémon’, ‘Yogi’, ‘Down Up’, ‘Hitster K-POP’, ‘Chemi-Artist’, ‘Condensation Game’, ‘Pinball Battle Dome’, ‘Dobble K-Pop Demon Hunters’, ‘Animal Crossing’, and ‘Super Mario’.
Among the anticipated games is ‘Pandemonium Run’, a thrilling racing game where players recruit athletes to compete in races. ‘Abraca-Who?’ serves as the sequel to the popular ‘Abraca-What?’, while ‘Gather Together Pokémon’ introduces the 2024 Essen hit ‘Lore Pets’ with a Pokémon twist. ‘Hitster K-POP’ offers a Korean music edition featuring 308 popular K-pop songs. Attendees can enjoy playing these and other games on-site and purchase their favorites on the spot.
The retail space has been expanded this year to include two locations: ‘Happy Store Main Branch’ and ‘Happy Store Branch 2’. The main branch boasts a wide selection of hundreds of titles, catering to both casual family gamers and experienced strategists. Branch 2 focuses on popular bestsellers that appeal to a broader audience. Visitors can choose the store that best suits their gaming preferences.
Special family events are also on the agenda, including a ‘Children’s Gift Booth’ offering free board games to children and middle school students from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This initiative aligns with the festival’s goal of providing children, who are often glued to screens, with an opportunity to bond with their parents through board games.
The ‘B-Camp’ will host a premium training program for classic board games, featuring titles like ‘Catan,’ ‘Pandemic,’ ‘Carcassonne,’ ‘Acquire,’ ‘Puerto Rico 1897,’ and ‘Cascadia.’ With expert instructors guiding participants through the rules, this workshop is ideal for those looking to learn these timeless classics properly.
The Speed Cubing Championship, featuring Asian champion Choi Gyeong-min as a judge, is scheduled to take place. The elementary division will be held on May 9, followed by the general and elementary divisions on May 10.
In addition, global partner booths and a map of partner board game cafes nationwide will be unveiled during the event. Hong Kong’s Broadway Toys will showcase three new titles not yet available in Korea, while Germany’s Amigo will offer an experience booth for flagship titles like ‘Halli Galli’, ‘6 Nimmt!’, and ‘The Great Dalmuti’. Visitors can also access a map of Korea Boardgames’ partner cafes at the venue, enabling them to easily locate partner cafes across the country via QR code.
[Read Original]