Knavecon Weekly — Friday 2 October 2026
Busy week. October is always when board gaming kicks into another gear and this year is no different. SPIEL Essen is now just three weeks away, the crowdfunding platforms are buzzing, and there’s a stack of new stuff either landing on shelves or launching campaigns in the next fortnight. Plus two Irish conventions coming up this month. Let’s get into it.
The five things worth knowing from this week
The biggest news is probably the Nemesis Legacy campaign going live on Gamefound next Tuesday, October 6th. Awaken Realms have brought in Rob Daviau — the man who literally invented the legacy format — to co-design alongside Jaime Barriga, and this is the first full campaign experience set in the Nemesis universe. They’ve also announced “Recharge Packs” so you can reset and replay the whole thing, which addresses the single biggest complaint people have about legacy games. If you’re a Nemesis fan this is going to be hard to resist. Pre-campaign page is already up on Gamefound.
A week later on October 13th, Brotherwise Games launch the Kickstarter for Stormlight: War for Roshar, an asymmetric strategy war game set in Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe. John D. Clair designed it. It’s being compared to War of the Ring and Star Wars: Rebellion, which is a bold comp but Brotherwise have earned some trust with their Cosmere work. They showed it at Gen Con and it picked up a Gaming Trend award. If you’re into big two-player war games with strong theme, keep an eye on this one.
Fantasy Flight have confirmed October 21st as the launch date for their Arkham Horror: Remastered Gamefound campaign — their first ever crowdfunding project. This is the 2nd Edition getting a full remaster with deluxe components, updated art, and the entire run of expansions. For those of us who loved 2nd Edition and watched it go out of print, this is a big deal. It’s part of FFG’s new “Vault Series” where they’re revisiting older titles. Details on the FFG site.
SPIEL Essen 2026 runs October 22-25 and they’re claiming multiple records this year — more exhibitors, more nations represented. If you’re going, tickets are online-only as usual. Notable Essen launches include Forest Shuffle: Smoky Mountains (the third standalone game in Kosch’s series, this time set in the Great Smoky Mountains with a water/river focus), Drillers from CGE which is sitting at #10 on the BGG Hotness right now, and what looks like a massive slate of new releases. SPIEL info here. For those of us not going, expect the usual flood of Essen preview content over the next couple of weeks.
And finally, Dune: Imperium – Conspiracy is confirmed for Q4 retail, with some retailers listing an October 31st date. This is the next expansion from Paul Dennen and Dire Wolf, adding an overthrow mode where one player takes on the Emperor role. It’s timed to land around Dune: Part Three in cinemas, which is smart. Polygon have it on their most anticipated fall list.
What’s trending on BGG
The Hotness list right now is dominated by Essen-adjacent buzz. Braided Skies is sitting at #1, Electrify and Gaudí are right behind it. Timespan, The Lord of the Rings: The King’s Gambit, -60°, and Dorfromantik: South Seas are all in the top positions too. Drillers from CGE has climbed into the top 10 — that’s a deck-building mining game that’s been getting quiet praise. Avalon: The Riven Veil is also generating a lot of chatter, with Tabletop Gaming magazine featuring it in their latest issue. These are all worth watching over the Essen period to see what has real staying power versus hype.
Ireland
Two Irish conventions on the radar this month. DARECon 2026 is October 17-18 at the Osprey Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare — run by Naas Board Game Club, two days of open play and community tables. Worth the trip if you’re in the Leinster area. darecon.ie for tickets. Then Gaelcon returns for its 38th year, October 23-26 at the Crowne Plaza in Santry, Dublin. Four days covering board games, RPGs, LARPs and wargames. It’s Ireland’s oldest independent gaming con and always a good weekend. iga.ie/gaelcon for info and tickets — bedroom rate at the hotel is available if you email reservations.
Our own Knavecon 27 last Saturday was a great day — thanks to everyone who came out. If you missed it, the next one will be announced in due course.
For the Knavecon community
October is stacked with crowdfunding launches. If you’re the type who backs things, the next three weeks are going to test your wallet — Nemesis Legacy (Oct 6), War for Roshar (Oct 13), and Arkham Horror Remastered (Oct 21) are all launching within a fortnight of each other. Worth having a conversation at the next game night about which ones people are actually interested in playing versus which ones just look good in a campaign video. There’s a difference.
One for the socials
Three massive crowdfunding campaigns launching in October — Nemesis Legacy, Stormlight: War for Roshar, and Arkham Horror Remastered. Plus SPIEL Essen. Plus Dune Imperium Conspiracy hitting shelves. October might be the most expensive month in board gaming this year. Pace yourselves.
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