Nostheide Verlag beat its attendance forecast for Spiel doch! 2025 in Dortmund, albeit only slightly. Around 17.000 fans flocked to North Rhine-Westphalia's third-largest city from March 28 to 30. And the date for next year has already been set.
The growth of Spiel doch! in Dortmund is unabated, according to the delight of Nostheide Verlag, which has organized the games fair since 2018. It all began in Duisburg, where the public fair attracted thousands of fans to the Landschaftspark at its inaugural event. Even with the move to Dortmund's Westfalenhallen, the event hasn't lost any of its appeal: Around 17.000 visitors attended this year. According to Nostheide Verlag, due to "strong advance sales," they had expected well over 16.000 visitors. This forecast was ultimately slightly exceeded. Last year, around 15.800 fans attended the board and card games fair.
Relaxed play on around 8.000 square meters
The organizers' idea: to facilitate relaxed play and appeal particularly to families. This has proven successful, according to the organizer. "This is one of the reasons why almost 190 exhibitors and brands were represented at the fair, including large and small publishers, authors, flea markets, artists, and clubs." Spiel doch! closes the gap between game meetings organized by private individuals or clubs and the popular leading events in Germany, namely the Nuremberg Toy Fair and the GAME in EssenBy comparison, at the world's leading trade fair for board games, which takes place annually in Essen, the number of visitors was recently just over 200.000.
In Hall 4 of the Westphalian Halls, both large and small publishers were presenting the season's new releases and popular games from previous months. Industry giants such as Kosmos, Asmodee and Ravensburger mixed between small publishers such as Board Game Circus, Strohmann Games or Skellig Games, in addition there were sales and flea market stalls, Roleplaying games and pen & paper, artists, and occasionally merchandise vendors and clubs presented themselves and their offerings. Over 8.000 square meters were ultimately occupied – a large portion of which was reserved by the organizers as a "play area."
Visitors were able to borrow board games and bring them to the table on their own, allowing them to try out the new releases at their leisure. This was particularly well received on Saturday – almost too well. The organizers reported that the rush to the hall was extreme. Despite expanding the gaming area, capacity was exhausted at peak times. The organizer created around 750 additional seats at the rear of the hall, where board and card games could be borrowed and tested. The publishers themselves presented the season's new releases in their own gaming areas – here too, the tables were well attended, especially on Saturday. There was a wide variety of titles: beginners got their money's worth as did seasoned scene connoisseurs. For the latter, there was ample opportunity to delve into complex games or try out board games intended for localization.
Large and small publishers present
However, according to Nostheide Verlag, it is already clear that something must be thought of for 2026 to ease the congestion. This is especially true because families are increasingly attending Spiel doch! (Games!). They said they took advantage of the fair's offerings, especially on Saturday and Sunday. Those who attend such events as occasional visitors, who are not familiar with or used to the influx of people from similar events, for example, could be put off if there is hardly any space or time for a game session at a public fair. This is set to change in 2026: "It is already clear that the area will have to be expanded again next year," says the publisher. They are pleased with the positive response: Visitors praised the relaxed atmosphere with wide aisles without major congestion and ample playing space, as well as the variety of exhibitors, they summarized.
And indeed, even on a busy Saturday, there was plenty of space in the aisles, making strolling through the hall a relaxing experience. Here and there, the sales and flea market stalls were crowded, as bargain hunters browsed the displays. It was certainly possible to snag a bargain or two at the stalls at Spiel doch! Anyone looking to buy new releases, classics, or out-of-print games had a good chance in Dortmund.
To attract young people to the hobby, the organizers deliberately focus on appropriate promotions: For example, on the Friday of the fair, students from Dortmund and the surrounding area will receive free admission to the fair after prior registration. "This is also a deliberate way to inspire young people to get excited about board games," says Nostheide Verlag.
Play! in Dortmund 2026: The date is set
This year, tickets on-site cost twelve euros. Students received a two-euro discount upon presentation of appropriate ID. Next year, the seventh Spiel doch! will take place in Dortmund from April 24 to 26, 2026.
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