Or: 'Hexagames - Sonderanfertigung fur die 1. Spielertage, Essen 1983 - Das Rasante Kunstflugspiel - Mit do-it-yourself Spielregeln' (*) to give it it's full title.This must be the most unremarkable game to have ever been presented on any of the Essen game fairs if it wasn't for a very small detail: it was the first promotional give-away game on the Essen fair ever. Maybe I'm selling it short. It was possibly also an entry in a whole new genre: make-it-up-yourself-gaming.Jurgen Hagedorn from Hexagames was simply handing out 20x35cm sheet of paper, with a hand-drawn game board on it. Stuck to a corner was a small bag with 4 wooden cylinders and a dice. The drawing was very suggestive, but had no rules. Brilliant!Whilst freebies continued to be used by various companies in an effort to get noticed, they often took the shape of fashionable and pointless pins that people could stick on their clothes, or, after a more inspired moment by Jumbo, were god's gift to gamers on Essen: jumbo-sized carrier bags - with appropriate logo off course.For all the concentrated creative energy on show, it's amazing that it didn't seem to dawn on anyone what the potential of promo-games were when it came to getting people to your stand. It took until 1995 before the next noteworthy Essen promo-expansion appeared: Goldsieber's 13th constellation for 'Sternenhimmel' (although this was not free). Kosmos followed in 1998 with a 'robber-gang-figure' for 'Die Siedler von Catan', probably embarrassed by the success of the game and in a genuine effort to thank the fans. But it wasn't until Hans im Gluck released a player's expansion for its 'El Grande' that the promo floodgates truly opened. Hans im Gluck is possibly still the worst offender with an endless flood of yearly 'Carcassonne' add-ons. But where Hans led, many followed, and any visitor to the Essen Fair these days will find roaming bands of keen players trying to snaffle up all the special Essen promos on offer. It is rumored that not all of these end up on eBay. I won't join the debate weather this is racketeering or entrepreneurial. I do however applaud the recent initiatives from certain game companies to claw some of those eBay profits back, by no longer offering these promos for free, but asking a small donation for charity instead. Everyone a winner.The game itself, off course, hardly got noticed and was easily forgotten. What do you expect from a sheet with a large plane and a game-of-goose type track of fluffy clouds that have different shapes but lack any explanation?Nevertheless, now the 'Essen Freebie Game (Expansion)' has became a bit of an institution, it might be time to pay tribute to the very first one: Hexagames, we salute you with a BGG entry for what must have been a great laugh.(*) If you are left wondering: 'Hexagames - Specially made for the first Essen Game Fair 1983 - The Speedy Stunt Plane Game - With Do-it-Yourself Rules' - BoardGameGeek