German publisher KOSMOS has rolled out the rest of its late 2026 game line-up, and in addition to what I covered in an early May 2026 post — an expansion for The Legends of Andor: The Eternal Frost, a game about the wonders of birds, and a bevy of German-language editions of games released elsewhere — it will release something I never would have expected: a 2-4 player co-operative adventure game from Michael Menzel titled Batman: Gotham City Crimes.
I mean, I don't recall DC superheroes being a thing in Germany, with the only tabletop adaptations that come to mind being the four Justice League – Hero Dice titles from Andreas Schmidt in the mid-2010s. (That series was intended to be six titles, with Wonder Woman and Cyborg being featured in the final two games, but it was cancelled before those were released.)
In any case, here's the pitch for this October 19, 2026 that KOSMOS plans to prominently feature at SPIEL Essen 26:
Midnight has fallen over Gotham City. Sirens echo through the streets as shadowy figures vanish between the skyscrapers.
In this story-driven, co-operative adventure game, players take on the heroic roles of Batman, Batgirl, Batwoman, and Nightwing. Together, you investigate buildings, gather clues, and track down supervillains as the narrative unfolds piece by piece.
The game board is open for exploration, allowing you to move freely throughout Gotham City. Co-ordination is crucial to act simultaneously across multiple locations and put a stop to the looming threat. Thanks to a dedicated introductory adventure, the captivating narrative begins immediately.
KOSMOS will also release its fifth licensed Fourth Wing item of 2026, with two puzzles, a party game, and a themed EXIT challenge being joined by the 2-4 player game Fourth Wing: Die Wahl der Drachen ("The Choice of Dragons") by Sophia Wagner. Here's an overview of this big box game due out on October 15, 2026:
The path to becoming a dragon rider begins at Basgiath War College. Across three consecutive trials, players must demonstrate strength, courage, intelligence, and balance — with each challenge demanding different decisions and strategies. Following the trials, "impression markers" are distributed, and these ultimately determine the dragon bond as each dragon responds to specific traits.
Special dragon dice add suspense and unpredictable twists to the gameplay. Only those who truly distinguish themselves in the trials will earn a dragon's trust and be chosen.
Just in case it wasn't clear that dragons are the IN thing this season, the party game Heart Beats from Julien Gupta, Johannes Berger, and Maxine Metzger includes a tiny dragon on its cover for no reason other than flavor.
In this 2-6 player game, two songs are scanned via QR code and played via Spotify, while the non-active players pick out a scenario for the active player to imagine themselves in, deciding which song best fits their feelings for the moment. The team tries to guess the song, and players score together, so the design is apparently a hangout tool as much as it is a game...but honestly that's true of most games.
