UK Games Expo 2021: Friday Live Blog

Headed over to Paper Boat Games, it did not take me too long to spot a wild red panda hiding amongst the convention hustle.

Players take the role of Wildlife Photographers in Snapshot, a fast and fun push-your-luck game. Utilising cards, and searching for the most prestigious wildlife.

Free gets to chat with the folks from The Cognitive Merchant. If you’re in the mood for LARP gear then these are your folks.

As we’ve mentioned, this isn’t all board games, card games and the like. There is a real selection of different products for you to check out.

Knowing that I have not got far to travel, each stall I walk past tempts me more and more! Board Games Everywhere! Whether you are looking for a specific publisher, or want to hit up a retailer – I’d be very surprised if you won’t be able to hunt down a rare or random board game that you have been after.

Wish me luck, hopefully, I won’t need to get the train with 10,000 board games! But first, the hunt for some beautiful lilac dice.

The open gaming area is incredibly active, with gamers of all ages trying out their newly purchased goodies on the closest tabletops they can find!

If you are anything like myself; I can never wait too long to get my board games out of the box and onto the table! So if you are around at UKGE, be sure to join the hundreds of attendees trying out their games with their friends, family and new chums which may have been made at the event.

We met up with Mantic to see what is going on at their booth, and there are some discounts and sales to keep Mantic fans happy at the event.

Whether fans are looking at Kings of War, Walking Dead, Armada and even TerrainCrate – be sure to stop by as there are some incredible sales across all Mantic products.

One of the best things about attending an event for me personally is the amounts of merch available at each booth. Whether attendees are looking for t-shirts, stuffed teddies, hair accessories or even a nerd-themed mug – you can count on finding it here!

I usually pick up an obscure t-shirt at conventions. What is your favourite bit of merch to pick up?

The KOSMOS and Devir table was filled with board games for all types of tabletop gamers. Whether you are looking for an adventure with Robin Hood and his Merry Men, or a simple game to get stuck into to keep your brain on the go solo. There is much to see over with KOSMOS and Devir. 

We took a look at a plethora of titles, including Lost Cities, The Crew, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Mazescape, a cheeky sneak peek of the upcoming EXIT Advent Calendar, and so much more.

Players can be the first to get their hands on the newest games that are still in their design phase, here at UKGE in the Playtest Zone.

Players are able to book in throughout the weekend to get their hands on a tabletop game prototype and provide their own feedback, to shape the future of the board game before it hits retail.

Coiledspring Games have set up a fantastic area to allow families to get together, spend some time in a rich and fun atmosphere and play some family-centric games – named the Coiledspring Let’s Play Zone.

The Coiledspring staff are there to help too, guiding families through games and lending a helping hand. And if you are at UKGE this weekend, there are no fees involved. So if you are looking to settle down with your family, be sure to settle down for some quality time.

From D6s to D20s – For those who are on the hunt for some new dice at UKGE, be sure to check out Critit – a UK Based Dice Store. As on their booth, there are dice of every colour along with some very special gemstone ones too!

Justin has magpied his way over to the Critit booth, to show all you guys at home the broad range of dice they have to offer.

I am sure that everybody will be heading out to UKGE to see many of the big-name publishers, to get a play of their biggest titles that are out there on the board game scene.

Fantasy Flight Games, Days of Wonder and Z-Man Games have tables already and set out, for board game players to immerse themselves in their most popular titles before buying. Plus there are some incredible deals and discounts on their booths!

If you are attending UKGE this weekend, be sure to settle yourself at one of the publishers – especially if you have been tempted by the likes of Marvel Champions, Ticket to Ride and Stuffed Fables. So you can try before you buy.

Ben has approached an indie publisher, launching their very first card game coming to the tabletop. Unlucky Archers are debuting their game Unlucky Adventurers.

Utilise dice and cards and attempt to eliminate your opponents – whilst trying to hold on to as many cards as possible, themed in a fantasy universe.

If you would like to give the game a go, the Unlucky Archers team will be holding demonstrations for the whole weekend, along with many demos. So be sure to take a look.