The UK Games Expo is the biggest tabletop gaming convention in the country. Unlike other conventions, where the focus is traders and merchandise, the UK Games Expo remains dedicated to celebrating gaming and showcasing the hobby.
The UK Games Expo is now the third largest gaming convention in the world, with people travelling from all over the world to be there. It should therefore come as no surprise that this year was the busiest it has ever been.
In previous years, the Friday was usually a relatively quiet day. However, this year the Friday was just as busy as the Saturday. There were times when the exhibitor halls became incredibly crowded due to the sheer number of people. That said, Sunday remained comparatively quiet, which at least gave the exhibitors some breathing space.
The UK Games Expo is effectively divided into different sections. Two halls at the Birmingham NEC were dedicated to exhibitors and traders, and a third to gaming. Meanwhile, the Hilton Hotel had dozens of rooms set aside for some of hundreds of gaming sessions on offer; such as games of Tales From The Loop and sanctioned tournaments.
The UK Games Expo is huge. Whilst it is possible to go there for just a day, a lot would be missed. It can take a whole day to see all the exhibitors and traders, but there are a lot of other events throughout the weekend.
John Robertson was there with his live action video game The Darkroom. He also played through Deathtrap Dungeon onstage, with the author Sir Ian Livingstone. Sir Ian was also signing his book Dice Men; a fascinating insight into the creation of Games Workshop – and the country’s gaming industry. Steve Jackson of Steve Jackson Games was also present, talking about their upcoming games.
For many, the highlight of the weekend was exploring the exhibits, which ranged from household names like Rebellion Unplugged and Catalyst Game Labs to independent games developers. There were also authors and artists, as well as industry-focused manufacturers and project fulfillment managers.
It was interesting to note that since last year’s OGL issue, companies have returned to using the 5E system, albeit with some caution. There was some discussion about potentially moving games currently using 5E to a new game system.
It was great to see Catalyst Gamelabs showcasing Battletech and Shadowrun; they will be reprinting the first edition of Shadowrun to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the game. Free League Publishing had a huge stand with their award-winning Alien: The Roleplaying Game.
It was surprising to not see anything from Paradox Interactive and/or Renegade Game Studios, with their World of Darkness games, especially given the recent release Werewolf: The Apocalypse – 5th edition (reviewed here). There was a stand showcasing the Vampire: The Masquerade – Eternal Struggle card game and the Teburu app-driven board games with Vampire: The Masquerade – Milan Uprising, but none of the core roleplaying games.
The independent studios are where the true innovation in gaming lies, and there are some sophisticated games being developed. Flick Fleets is a fun space combat game that has a surprising amount of depth, whilst Mappa Mundi is an exploratory-based roleplaying game where none of the player characters can harm their opponent. There are also smaller pocket-sized roleplaying games, such as the wonderfully silly Samurai Goths of the Apocalypse.
The UK Games Expo remains the biggest and best convention in the UK dedicated to celebrating tabletop gaming in all its forms. Anyone with even just a vague interest in gaming will find something to enjoy. It was great to see families being actively welcomed, with a dedicated family gaming zone and children under ten having free entry.
