The end of May has become an important date for many of us on the board game hobby. UK Games Expo, the biggest consolidated board game event in the UK and third biggest in the world, hit Birmingham NEC in its 19th year for their biggest expo to date. Spread over four giant halls, the event invites publishers, sellers and designers of all scales to set up shop and either sell to audiences of thousands or share their games, whether at early playtesting level or final demoing. There are also gaming tournaments from classics like Catan to the more modern Lorcana, not to mention hundreds of open gaming tables where you can meet and game with friends and strangers alike. There are cosplayers dressed up in all sorts of gaming characters from Warhammer through to Dungeons and Dragons which leads onto the rooms and rooms of people running Tabletop Role Playing Games.
It is huge! In fact it can be very overwhelming but the thing I love the most about UKGE is its inclusivity. As a lover of most things nerdy I have been a visitor to all sorts of comic cons and since the rise of popularity of comics in the mainstream my husband and I have seen a shift in the open inclusivity and queer visibility at those events which has led to us feeling less ‘safe’ to be our queer selves. But UKGE, despite its huge growth over the last few years, remains so welcoming and always feels like a safe space. With more queer representation than ever before, especially with mammoth games like Molly House and designer Jo Kelly really showing the world how you make queer history visible, educational and yet still exciting and fun.
This year I spent a lot of time teaching the beautiful two player game Kelp, which sees opponents take on the roles of a shark and octopus as the shark tries to feed on the latter. Not only is this production beautiful but the gameplay offers two distinctly different gaming styles. I don’t think I ever saw the demo table empty. I was also happy to see some of my favourite YouTubers, Shut up and Sit Down, and No Rolls Barred running events as well as offering meet and greets.
I asked a few of the other bloggers, some who visited for the first time this year, to share their experiences.
James
It was great to be able to attend UKGE this year for the first time and be surrounded by people who love games as much as I do. I had a little imposter syndrome at the start as this was my first time demoing but that soon dissipated as people told me what a great job I’d done teaching, asked if they could finish hour long games with me or told me later in the expo that they’d bought games based on my teach or my other recommendations. Here are some of the games I demoed the most:
La Fleur: La Fleur is another extremely beautiful game. People were coming over and wanting to look through all the artwork on the cards (curated from the Rococo Era in which the game is set). Despite its prettiness, it is actually quite a crunchy little worker placement engine builder with some tough decisions that players enjoyed being challenged with. I found it resonated most with people in their twenties and thirties.
Hex Effects: Hex Effects is a “take that” game where you have to cure your hexes (curses not hexagons) before the opponents cure theirs. It’s a light/ party game but there is a bit of strategy to it. It was accessible and loved by all ages who praised the theme, ease of play, ultra stylistic artwork and unique oversized cards. It also led to people laughing and having a fun time more than the other two games, which were equally enjoyable for people but in a more serious way.
Apistocracy: I also got the chance to demo a game with Heather from Apis games called Apistocracy, a game about advancing your social class in Victorian England. It drops this summer (distributed by Zatu) and is far and away one of the most beautiful games I’ve seen in my life. It boasts clever and well implemented mechanics as well as an interesting and well balanced asymmetry between the characters. I look forward to writing a full review for this upon release.
I really loved the experience of getting to show games to people who hadn’t played them before and seeing them fall in love with the artwork and mechanics. I loved playing games and having fun with the other bloggers, who very quickly became friends and I would do it again in a heartbeat and hope to return next year, real life work schedule permitting.
Kieran
This year was my first time attending UKGE, and it was an absolute treat and a real pleasure to be there, surrounded by like-minded people who love board games just as much—if not more—than I do. During the days I spent there, alongside my fellow bloggers Dan, James, and Graham, I felt I learned so much and had the best time ever.
The variety of people I met at the expo—and the chance to talk to them—was incredible. It was fascinating to see the range of board game styles and topics that everyone enjoys. I discovered some exciting new games that I can’t wait to try out, and it was great to share some of my own favourites with others too.
At the expo, I primarily demoed A Gentle Rain, and even after so many demos, I’m still not tired of the game. I’ll definitely continue playing it on my own time. A Gentle Rain
seemed to be a massive hit at the expo—everyone who walked away from the table had a big smile on their face and a new game they were excited to add to their collection.
Although I didn’t get to see as much of the expo as I would have liked, I got to do what I love most about board games: teaching someone how to play and then watching them build their own narrative and story within the game. No matter the play style—whether different or similar—the outcomes were always unique, and that’s the magic of it.
One highlight for me was a stall across from mine, where volunteers were promoting and running small DnD sessions for kids. It was a brilliant way to introduce children to DnD while giving parents a bit of a break. I can honestly say that every single child—and adult—who participated left with a huge smile and hearing them say they wanted to play more was just wonderful.
I truly hope to be back at the expo next year and, if possible, to attend more events and help out again!
Graham
The UK Games Expo was a phenomenal experience. This was the first year representing Zatu Games and running demos of A Gentle Rain and Whispering Woods for the most part.
Teaching the games and watching the delight experienced by the expo attendees was a genuine pleasure, as was the opportunity to spend the days chatting to other gamers about our shared love of the hobby. It was especially nice when readers of my blog (https://boardgamegeek.com/blog/12040/grahams-games) came along to introduce themselves and for a chat.
I was able to get round the expo itself, picking up copies of Pauper’s Ladder and The Crows of Coppershell Bay by the extremely talented independent UK designer and artist, Paul Stapleton. I also spoke to Nikita Sullivan of Atikin Games about her recent Kickstarter campaign for Malus Hortus (a cooperative game, where players have to escape a garden of malevolent flowers). Having the opportunity to meet and engage with independent publishers was one of my highlights of the expo.
However, nothing could compare with meeting my fellow writers and the good folk of Zatu. The Zatu team were friendly and welcoming and, in fellow bloggers James, Dan and Kieran, I made new friends. Indeed, one of the highlights of the weekend was the opportunity to play games with them in the evenings. I had my first experience of classic card game Bohnanza, along with games of Hex Effects, Whispering Woods, La Fleur, Botany, Calico and Black Hole Buccaneers.
In all cases, no matter how good the game being played, the company round the table was even better.
After 3 days of demoing and talking board games, I was undoubtedly tired, but already looking forward to next year, where I hope to be back at the demo tables once more.
If you get the opportunity to attend the UK Games Expo, I highly recommend it. Enter with an open mind, be prepared to jump in and play the games that are being offered and you will have a fantastic time. There is so much to see and do over the course of the expo and, should you tire of walking around the stalls and exhibits, there is plenty of table space to take a seat at and play a game or 3.
Maybe I’ll even see you at the Zatu demo area next year!
Thanks to the others for sharing their experiences. This was my third year attending and despite it getting busier and busier, the buzz of excitement is still intoxicating. Whether new to board gaming or a veteran of the hobby there is something for you and can’t recommend visiting enough….but wear comfy shoes!
