Press Release: FryxGames Unveils New Products at SPIEL Essen 2026

7 days ago

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FryxGames Celebrates 10 Years of Terraforming Mars and 15 Years of Game Publishing at Essen Spieltagen - Limited-edition merchandise, exciting new games, upcoming releases and exclusive press opportunities at Booth 3F111, 22–25 October 2026.

Swedish board game publisher FryxGames is heading to this year’s Internationale Spieltage SPIEL – the largest tabletop game convention in the world, with more than 220,000 visitors attending over the course of four days – with plenty to celebrate. This year marks not just one, but two major milestones: the 10th anniversary of Terraforming Mars, one of the most influential modern strategy board games, and the 15th anniversary of FryxGames itself.

From the 22^nd until the 25^th of October, visitors will be able to meet the FryxGames team at Booth 3F111, discover new developments across its game catalogue, learn about upcoming titles and explore a special selection of anniversary merchandise available in limited quantities.

Of course, FryxGames is also extending a warm invitation to journalists, bloggers, vloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, reviewers and influencers, who are encouraged to arrange interviews, discuss future releases, request review copies and explore opportunities for editorial collaborations. We will also be present with our PR team to assist with any questions and directions.

Download the full press release in enriched PDF format by clicking on the above link

Ten Years of Terraforming Mars: A Decade on the Red Planet

First published in 2016, Terraforming Mars has grown from an ambitious science-fiction strategy game into an internationally recognised tabletop franchise, and one of the best reviewed, highest ranked board games out there. Its combination of hard SF themes, corporate competition, strategic engine-building and planetary development has captivated players worldwide, while its commitment to describing a possible future in a way that makes sense and would actually be possible given the necessary technological advancements has made many dream not just about turning Mars into a habitable planet, but also pursuing a career in science, exploration, entrepreneurship, or engineering.

Over the past decade, the universe has expanded through numerous games and expansions, including Terraforming Mars: Ares Expedition and Terraforming Mars: The Dice Game, and the franchise's distinctive visual identity has evolved considerably alongside these exciting new products. Artist Isaac Fryxelius has spent approximately twelve years developing artwork for the games and their expansions, combining traditional oil painting, photography, digital collage and licensed external artwork. One particularly entertaining example is the Adaptation Technology card from the original game, featuring Jonathan and Isaac Fryxelius alongside a blueprint of Noah's Ark.

Now, this tenth anniversary provides an opportunity to look back at the franchise's development while also looking ahead to its future.

Exclusive Anniversary Merchandise at SPIEL Essen

To celebrate the anniversaries, FryxGames is bringing a special selection of branded merchandise to Essen.

The announced collection includes:

Terraforming Mars hoodies – Black zip-up hoodies featuring embroidered-style branding on the front and a prominent Mars-themed design on the back.
Terraforming Mars baseball caps – Black caps featuring the iconic Terraforming Mars branding.
Terraforming Mars water bottles – Orange reusable bottles featuring the game's logo.
Terraforming Mars pens – Branded writing instruments celebrating the publisher and its flagship franchise.
Terraforming Mars mouse pads (big size) – Big size mats for your mouse and keyboard featuring the panorama images from Colonies, Prelude, Venus Next, and Hellas & Elysium expansions.

These items will be available in limited quantities at Booth 3F111, making an early visit advisable for collectors and enthusiasts. Selected merchandise may also be made available to approved journalists, reviewers and content creators for editorial coverage, photography, video features or promotional activities, subject to availability and prior approval, so please don’t hesitate to put in an application and don’t forget to mention your size if you would love to get a hoodie!

The Legacy of Mars: A New Chapter in the Terraforming Mars Universe

One of the most intriguing projects currently in development is The Legacy of Mars, an upcoming campaign game set in the Terraforming Mars universe that raised an impressive $3,626,219 from 13,463 backers during its recent Gamefound crowdfunding campaign. Pre-production on this ambitious project is already in full swing, with component samples continually arriving from the factory – and given the sheer number of components included in the game, there is certainly plenty to inspect!

Excitingly, the concept takes the franchise beyond the familiar challenge of transforming a single planet. Players will now be able to guide their corporations through the terraforming of other planets in the solar system, while their corporations continue to grow and evolve throughout an expansive campaign.

Among the newly revealed gameplay elements are blue event cards, representing long-term projects that require sustained investment and careful planning. These projects may involve shipments arriving from distant Earth, for example, with players allocating progress resources to them over time. Once a project is completed, its card is turned face down and added to the player's event-card stack.

Oceans also receive an interesting new twist: they initially take the form of glaciers, which must eventually be melted to provide plant bonuses. Population, meanwhile, is introduced as an entirely new resource. Placing population grants additional bonuses and adds another layer of strategic depth to the game's ground-based development.

With its fresh mechanics, expanded scope, and intriguing new avenues of exploration, The Legacy of Mars looks set to become a major highlight of the Terraforming Mars franchise!

Other Exciting Projects

Of course, there will be more exciting project news to share, such as Northern Kingdom, an upcoming new base game in the Kingdom Legacy family; the highly-anticipated Wilderness, which will be released shortly after the Essen Game Fair, and much more! We may even have news about a possible multimedia project that literally takes Terraforming Mars outside of the box!

Supporting Ukrainian Board Game Publishing

Beyond its own anniversary celebrations and upcoming releases, FryxGames has also shared encouraging news about its longstanding relationship with Kilogames, a Ukrainian board game publisher.

Several years ago, FryxGames expanded the reach of the Terraforming Mars family through its cooperation with Kilogames. Unsurprisingly, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the publisher and all team members have faced considerable challenges.

FryxGames has donated almost an entire print run of games and expansions to help Kilogames and its young team rebuild and continue their activities. 'We have always believed in the importance of international cooperation and the tabletop industry coming together in what to most of us is not only a hobby, but also a true passion,' says Enoch, the business-brother of the family company.

International Press and Content Creator Invitation

FryxGames, together with its international PR partner Badass PR, welcomes media representatives to visit Booth 3F111 during SPIEL Essen 2026.

Opportunities include:

· Interviews: Meet available members of the FryxGames team and discuss the publisher's fifteen-year history, ten years of Terraforming Mars, upcoming games, design philosophies, artwork and future developments.

· Review copies: Request review copies of available FryxGames titles for websites, magazines, newspapers, YouTube channels, podcasts and other relevant platforms. Requests are subject to approval and stock availability.

· Anniversary merchandise: Approved media representatives may request selected merchandise for editorial coverage, reviews, photography or giveaways, subject to availability.

· Photography and video: Capture content from the booth, products and available company representatives for articles, convention reports, interviews and other media coverage.

· Future collaborations: Discuss upcoming releases, long-term review opportunities, interviews and other editorial initiatives.

Media representatives are strongly encouraged to contact Badass PR in advance to arrange appointments and submit product requests.

A Special Request: Publish Your SPIEL Essen Preview Now

With SPIEL Essen 2026 approaching, we warmly invite the international media community to help spread the word about FryxGames' participation.

We would particularly appreciate advance publication of a news item, article, blog post, video, podcast mention or social media announcement covering FryxGames' presence at Booth 3F111 and the availability of its new anniversary merchandise as well as any other news items you may find appealing or interesting to write about.

Early publication will allow readers and viewers to plan their visit and discover the opportunities available at the booth. As always, please share links to your published coverage with Badass PR. Editorial coverage remains independent, and although advance publication is not a condition or guarantee of receiving review copies or complimentary merchandise, we will absolutely take a look at what you’ve done and try to accommodate any reasonable requests!

Practical Information

Event: SPIEL Essen 2026

Dates: 22–25 October 2026

Location: Messe Essen, Germany

FryxGames Booth: Hall 3 – Booth F111

Opening hours: