Wireless (Essen 2026)

Description provided by Ready Steady Play on YouTube:

In Wireless, players take on the roles of pioneering inventors from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They compete to build the world's first wireless networks. Marconi, Tesla, Braun and Edison are among the figures who drive forward the development of early telecommunications, competing for patents, financial backing and increasingly powerful connections across greater distances. On the world map, players build radio stations, transmit and modulate signals, reach new nations and establish permanent connections. The strategic direction of each game is shaped by patents, scientists, magnates, factories and personal target nations. At the heart of Wireless is a streamlined action system: building radio stations, transmitting signals, modulating connections, raising funds or preparing patents all require tiles from a player's display. The more an action is used, the more difficult it becomes to perform again in the short term, so precise timing is essential — players must reach the right locations on the world map while also developing and rebuilding their own engine at the right moment. The game is played over a variable number of rounds, with each player taking one turn per round. At the end of the game, players score points based on their overall expansion across the world map. Each player focuses on a combination of four possible strategies: reaching specific nations, establishing permanent connections, acquiring patents and reaching personal target positions on their player board, as well as earning points from personal target tiles. The player with the most points wins. —description from the publisher https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/474481/wireless