Z-Man Games Press Release - Release Update on Essen Games!

From the Z-Man Games Website

Good news: you will be able to play our new games over the Christmas holidays!

In spite of all shipping delays, Z-Man Games and Alliance are working in a common effort and doing everything possible to have our Essen releases available in US stores starting December 23rd.
So highly awaited games like Bruxelles 1893, Carcassonne South Seas, Dungeon Petz: Dark Alleys, Glass Road, Russian Railroads, and Tash-Kalar: Arena of Legends will be available in your favorite game store very soon !

Happy holidays from all of us at Z-Man Games!

Z-Man Games Press Release - Essen Games - Release date updates!

From the Z-Man Games Website

We are sorry to say that there have been unfortunate transport delays with all the Essen releases. Due to these transport delays, we will not be able to get the Essen games to stores in the US before Christmas.

We are terribly sorry for these delays that were unfortunately out of our control.

Here are the official release dates as confirmed with our US distributor Alliance:

DECEMBER 31^ST
- Dungeon Petz: Dark Alleys
- Tash-Kalar: Arena of Legends

JANUARY 8^TH
- Bruxelles 1893
- Carcassonne South Seas
- Glass Road
- Ginkgopolis: The Experts
- Russian Railroads

JANUARY 22^ND
- Ricochet Robots

Once again, we are sorry that the games are not able to make it to stores before Christmas, we did all we could to bring it to stores as fast as we could, but transport delay over transport delay just didn’t allow us to make it in time.

Z-Man Games Press Release - Essen Games – Release Dates

From the Z-Man Games Website

With 10 new games that released in Essen, many have asked us when the games will be released. Today, we answer your questions!
Due to transport times, almost all of the games will release at the same time.

Week of November 25th


Blueprints ---> 2-4 players – 30 min
Blueprints is a dice-building game! Choose your dice wisely; because building is not all about respecting the plans, it’s about creating something that will surpass all others… Who will be the best architect?


Week of December 9th OR week of December 16th depending on transport delays


Agricola World Championship Deck ---> 1-5 players – 30 min/player
The WM-deck for Agricola has 60 Minor Improvements and 55 Occupations that are divided into 5 Mini-Decks and were created for the first Agricola World Championship 2011 in Vienna.

 Bruxelles 1893 ---> 2-5 players – 25 min/player

In Bruxelles 1893, you represent one of the famous architects who established the reputation of Art Nouveau in the Belgian capital. Your assistants help you perform actions such as the construction of Art Nouveau buildings, or creating the works of art that decorate these beautiful homes.

 
Carcassonne South Seas ---> 2-5 players – 35 min
The players take turns placing land tiles on the table. These tiles create Bridges, Islands, Sea Regions and Markets, on which the players may place their Islanders in order to collect the various Wares.

Ginkgopolis : The Experts ---> 2-5 players – 45 min

This expansion consists of 6 separate modules that can be freely combined to revitalize the base game and offer new strategies. Design competitions and advertising campaigns eventually lead to increasingly imposing avant-garde buildings. So imposing, in fact, that it becomes necessary to provide green spaces in order to maintain the air quality in this boomtown.

Glass Road ---> 2-4 players – 20 min/player
Glass Road commemorates of the 700 year old tradition of glass making in the Bavarian Forest. You must skillfully manage your glass and brick production in order to build the right structures that help you to keep your business flowing.

 

  Ricochet Robots ---> Any number of players – 30 min

The robots are unable to reach their destination on their own. Help them by planning their trajectory as efficiently as possible. Optimize your moves and ricochets to arrive at your goal. Remember: robots are obstacles too; and they can easily be moved. Can you find the shortest trajectory before the other players?

Russian Railroads ---> 2-4 players – 120 min
The players embody railroad moguls who have been commissioned to build the Trans-Siberian Railway, as well as two additional railroads. In addition to track construction, the players will purchase new locomotives, promote industrialization, and hire workers and engineers. All this is done in the lofty pursuit of acquiring the most victory points – the truest measurement of a player’s rail building skills.

January 2014


Dungeon Petz : Dark Alleys ---> 2-4 players – 120 min
Bringing you more than just new pets, cages and magic items, the Dungeon Petz: Dark Alleys also has a whole new district. This is the heart of the expansion. It’s kind of a back valley district in the Imp town where all the weird things live and try to do their business. Taking care of your pets will never be the same.

 Tash-Kalar : Arena of Legends ---> 2-4 players – 45 min

Tash-Kalar: Arena of Legends is reserved for masters of magic. Two to four Summoners will face each other in the Tash-Kalar arena. Players may fight in teams or individually in order to prove their skill and strategy in a short but intense battle. By clever deployment of their minions, players create magic patterns for summoning powerful beings. These strange beings are then sent to destroy their opponent’s forces.

Well, there you have it. These are the release dates for all of the Essen releases. Once we have more up to date info, we will let you know on the game page on the website, and on our Facebook page.

Z-Man Games Press Release - Essen Game Previews - GLASS ROAD - Something Special: Production Wheels.

From the Z-Man Games Website

Like another popular Uwe Rosenberg game, Ora & Labora, Glass Road includes a Production Wheel mechanic. However, the Production Wheel in Glass Road is entirely different from any other Production Wheels you have seen in the past.

The Production Wheel in Glass Road, is actually two different wheels: one for your Brickworks and one for your Glassworks. Both Wheels are there to indicate the number of goods you have available.

Each of the Production Wheels is divided into two sections. The larger area is for basic goods, such as Water, Wood, and Clay. The smaller area is for refined goods, such as Glass and Bricks. Whenever both brown sectors on the Wheels do not have any resources on them, they MUST be rotated until one of the spaces is no longer empty. 

In this example, before the rotation there was: 1 Food, 2 Quartz, 2 Charcoal, 3 Water and 4 Wood. After the rotation, we now have less of everything, and no longer have any Food. However, on the other side of the Wheel, there is a little green pawn, it represents Glass, a refined resource. With the rotation of the Wheel, a refined resource, Glass, was created.

So manage your resources wisely, because you could lose something you needed if you’re not paying attention to the different sections of the Wheels.

Well, there you have it, that was the new Production Wheels that you will be able to discover in Glass Road, one of the fantastic games premiering in Essen October 24th.

Z-Man Games Press Release - Glass Road – Z-Man upcoming game

From the Z-Man Games Website

Glass Road – Z-Man upcoming game

Glass Road is the new game from designer Uwe Rosenberg, creator of Agricola, Ora & Labora, Babel, and many other fantastic games! Oh yeah, and it is also a game from the same people that brought us Terra Mystica: Feuerland Spiele! So this game is going to be epic! When is it coming? It will be premiering at Essen this fall and will be released worldwide shortly after. What is it about? Glass Road commemorates of the 700 year old tradition of glass making in the Bavarian Forest. You must skillfully manage your glass and brick production in order to build the right structures that help you to keep your business flowing. Cut the forest to keep the fires burning in the ovens, spread and remove ponds, pits and forests to supply yourself with the items you need. There are 15 specialists at you side to carry out your orders... Although the game features some typical Uwe-elements, it is not a typical "Rosenberg". Since you are forced to play a specialist card when somebody else plays it, you have to deal with chance. Flexibility is the key. While it is a 1-4 player game, it is still a great game to play when you are only 2! Here is a glimpse of what the game looks like. (In German, but it still gives you a idea!)