Last weekend was the UK Games Expo; the UK’s largest tabletop gaming convention and possibly the third largest gaming event in the world, with approximately 72,000 people attending. The UK Games Expo covers everything from board games and card games to war games and roleplaying games, as well as a variety of panels, demonstrations and workshops throughout the show.
One thing that has changed is the scale of the event, with exhibitors throughout three of the huge convention halls at the Birmingham NEC. This meant that the aisles were wider than in previous years and there had been more thought put into the layout of the stands, mitigating any potential bottlenecks. As a result, even when it was at its busiest on Saturday, it never felt too crowded. This also meant it was easier for wheelchair users to navigate the exhibition halls.
That said, it can be an overwhelming experience for attendees. In previous years it was possible to browse the exhibits in a day, but that is no longer possible, as the UK Games Expo is now so big. A map was provided showing where each of the exhibitors were to be found, which helped when looking for a specific company. However, there seemed to be no grouping of similar companies together to create dedicated spaces for different types of games. Of course, this did encourage people to browse and see what was on offer, as well as discovering stands they would not otherwise have found.
It was interesting to note just how many tabletop games were being developed based on existing licenses; from Star Wars and Tomb Raider to EVE Online and Dying Light. There were also a lot more roleplaying games using the 5E system compared, to last year (due to the controversy surrounding the open-gaming license in 2023).
One of the stand out games from this year’s UK Games Expo was Tunnels & Trolls; the classic roleplaying game, currently being updated by Rebellion Unplugged, which maintains the irreverent humour. Another was Star Wars: Battle of Hoth. Although it is heavily based on Memoir ‘44, it amazing and has lots of potential for new ways to play. Finally, there was the excellent Tomb Raider: The Crypt of Chronos, which recreates the video games as a unique solo tabletop game.
Given the recent press coverage of the return of White Wolf Studios (as discussed in our interview with Jason Carl), it was surprising that none of the core World of Darkness games, such as Vampire: The Masquerade, were there (other than The Eternal Struggle card game and a Vampire: The Masquerade overlay for the Teburu system).
The special guests this year included Sir Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson, co-founders of Game Workshop and co-creators of Fighting Fantasy, as well as game designer Luke Gygax. Throughout the weekend there were several sessions of John Robertson’s The Dark Room, many of which were sold-out in advance.
For those wanting some fresh air, a living history village had been set up outside the NEC, which included Roman and Viking reenactors putting on displays throughout the weekend. Many of them were also to be seen wandering through the event.
It was great to see that there were several ‘hydration stations’, where attendees could refill their water bottles for free. However, all the food stands were expensive.
Overall, everything about this year’s UK Games Expo was bigger than in previous years and it is now at a scale where it ranks alongside GenCon and Spiel Essen. Whether the UK Games Expo continues to expand, hopefully maintaining its unique character, remains to be seen.
