Game anniversaries are celebrated with exclusive editions

“ Carcassonne ”, “ Catan ”, “ Ticket to Ride ”, “ King of Tokyo ” - these are just some of the games that many, even people outside the gaming hobby, have heard of. These games have another thing in common - they've all recently had special anniversary editions, each with their own special features that attract extra interest.

In today's gaming world, the term "modern classic" is often used to refer to a game that has been popular for more than a decade. Moreover, interest in the game has not disappeared over the years. This category also includes all the aforementioned games that serve as a model for other game companies. For the most part, these board game success stories are family games that serve as a good first step into the hobby. These games are simple enough for anyone to understand, yet at the same time strategic enough that you won't get bored after a few games.

Exclusive anniversary editions

To celebrate the anniversaries of successful games, publishers often release special, limited-edition copies of those games. Often these versions include a special design, improved game components, exclusive expansions or additional cards, squares, etc. In simple words, you can get your favorite game with a viper in the anniversary editions. Also, after a while, these copies of the game become even more valuable.

One example is the "Ticket to Ride USA" anniversary edition, which was released in 2014 to celebrate the game's 10th birthday. Although the original price of the game was around 75 dollars (55 euros), used copies of the game are now sold for 300 euros, while unopened box prices hover around 500 euros.

Ticket to Ride Europe celebrates its 15th birthday

Will the 'Ticket to Ride Europe' version, which celebrates its 15th birthday this year, have a similar future? This anniversary edition is very similar to its previous American first-born, as both versions have a brighter and larger playing area, detailed train miniatures, and the trains of each color are also different in their design. Also, this edition includes more route cards than the regular base game. Costing twice as much as the standard game, this version is understandably not meant to be a standard family game, but the publishers wanted to create this oversized premium game to celebrate years of exciting train adventures for families and friends.

Carcassonne is releasing a special edition to celebrate its 20th anniversary

If "Ticket to Ride" anniversary editions are an expensive luxury game, then "Carcassonne" has gone the other way. The anniversary game was created in such a way that it can be combined with any existing expansion without any problems. The fields of this Carcassonne include a festive presentation and various surprises to celebrate the success of two decades. The set also includes a special mini-expansion that is exclusively available only in this variation of the game. The game also includes stickers that allow players to beautify their little people. However, those players who want to keep the classic look of the in-game characters are also respected, as these stickers are by no means mandatory.

The most passionate enthusiasts of the game will have noticed that this year marks the 21st anniversary of the game, but the 20th edition version is being released. Why is it? This year, Carcassonne celebrates 20 years since it won the prestigious Spiel des Jahres award, the most important award in the world of board games. Winning this award was the first step to huge success in the gaming industry.

" Catan " has quietly celebrated its quarter century

Who hasn't heard of the game "Catan" these days? This is one of the most popular and award-winning games in the world. In addition, Catan celebrated its 25th birthday last year. In honor of this event, the publishers released an anniversary version of the game, which included a 5-6 player expansion and a small scenario of the "Helpers of Catan" cards that were first released in 2010. This was somewhat disappointing for some game reviewers, as all the components of the game were exactly the same as in the regular version of the game. Perhaps something grander was expected from one of the most important board games of all time.

However, it is not entirely true that one card scenario was all that the publishers provided. The German Anniversary Edition included the base game, the Seafarers expansion, and two scenarios—Hawaii and the Iberian Peninsula—each with its own game map. But even in this case, the fans of the game were not at peace, believing that the anniversary edition of such a successful game should not consist of the components of the base game.

Well, the prayers of the most ardent "Catan" fans have been answered! Already in August of this year, the publishers will start marketing the 3D version of the game. As you can tell from the name of the game, this version will have spatial playing fields. This version is made even more special by the fact that the design of the fields was created by the author of the game Klaus Toiber himself! The game surfaces will be hand-painted and the player miniatures will be given an antique look similar to one of the first miniatures in the game to emphasize the history of the game.

Alternative and thematic copies

Often, publishers can't even wait for a round anniversary and release a limited-edition variation of the game ahead of time. King of Tokyo , which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, released a limited edition Dark version of the game last year. This box and its contents not only had a completely new design, but also exclusive new game mechanics.

The popular games "Catan" and "Carcassonne" have also released several themed games in addition to anniversary editions. For example, Carcassonne: Safari and the Catan Histories series. This is by no means a unique case of popular games having different versions. When developing these games, publishers use a successful and proven game base and a game name already known to the target audience, which helps to reach a wider audience.

Another technique that publishers are practicing is dressing up the game in a new, more themed coat. As an example, last year's hit " Small World of Warcraft " can be mentioned here, which combines the world of the popular game "Small World" and "World of Warcraft". This attracts additional attention to a known game from fans of the new theme. This version of the game did not only come with visual changes, but also with a couple of mechanical improvements. Carcassonne has also tried a similar strategy with its Star Wars version of the game.

Another similar example is the already widely talked about game "Catan", combined with the "Game of Thrones" theme. But this A Game of Thrones: Catan – Brotherhood of the Watch has taken a slightly different route, with A Game of Thrones bringing the mechanics of Catan to A Game of Thrones, a game that differs significantly from the classic version. Also, the publisher for this game was Fantasy Flight, not Kosmos, the publisher of the traditional Catan.

It is clear that in the future there will be more and more games that will celebrate the anniversary of their success with the release of anniversary games. One potential candidate to be the top game of the next decade is Wingspan. The game was released only in 2019, but has already become one of the most popular family games. It's even rated as the best family game on the BoardGameGeek website. Perhaps in 2029 we will see an exclusive Wingspan 10th anniversary edition! Will there be new bird cards? Alternative design? Crystal eggs? We can only guess at this point.

Which anniversary edition of the game appeals to you the most? And which exclusive version of the game do you want to see in the future?