06 May 2025
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UK Games Expo is the biggest board game convention in the country, and thousands of us attend every year – but what are the things you need to know for 2025?
Written by Charlie Pettit
WHAT IS UK GAMES EXPO?
In short, it’s the go-to place for tabletop gamers as far as conventions go. You’ll find halls full of exhibitors, from giants in the industry to as-yet-unpublished designers, RPGs to accessories, game previews and more. There are opportunities to playtest unreleased games, a huge space to play the games you’ve purchased, plus seminars, games, competitions, showcases, and so much more. There’s a lot to see in just three days.
WHEN IS UK GAMES EXPO 2025?
UK Games Expo (UKGE) takes place in the Birmingham NEC each year. For 2025, it’s taking place from Friday 30th May, to Sunday 1st June. If you’ve been before, the biggest difference this year is the halls, as the first exhibition hall will no longer be used (bar for collecting your tickets and the bring and buy). Instead, another, larger hall will sandwich the open play area. It means there’ll be a bit of a shuffle, and your favourite stands may not be in the same reliable spot any more, but that just means there’s plenty more to discover…
THE BIGGEST GAMING CONVENTION IN THE UK – SO WHAT FIRST?
There’s so much to do at UKGE that it can be a little intimidating to dive in, but it really is one of the best events to go to. We learn something new every year that we wish we had done, so don’t worry about missing something – there’s always next year! However, new and seasoned goers can plan ahead by thinking about the following.
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How long are you going to go to UK Games Expo for?
Most people new to UKGE will start with going for a day. That means it’ll be absolutely jam packed, but it will give you a robust flavour of the day – and probably have you planning to go for the weekend the year following! – and give you a good chance to have a look around the exhibitors. If you can manage to go for a weekend though, you can pack a whole lot more in, and be a little more relaxed about what you’re experiencing. Plus, a fair amount of gaming continues at the nearby hotels, so even when the halls close, the gaming doesn’t have to.
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Figure out your priorities
Once you’ve figured out when you’re there, you need to decide if there are specific talks or events you want to attend, or competitions you want to sign up for. These tend to book up quickly, so if you’ve got your eye on something, it’s best to book it in straight away, and then build the rest of your day around it. In years past, I’ve forgotten to check the seminars and then had serious FOMO when I couldn’t get into them. Equally, knowing when you’ve got something booked in will let you plan the rest of your time, so you may as well get it sorted early!
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Plan your food and drink
“Drink water!” everyone says, but this is one of those events where you really should listen. If you’re exploring the halls, you’re going to be on your feet and walking about tons, and it’s easy to forget to hydrate. Additionally, I was surprised to find that many didn’t know you could find some epic additional food outside the Hilton, which is a few minutes walk away. The food trucks offer a great range of hot food, in the place where UKGE used to be held! And if you’re wanting something more substantial, there’s a whole load of restaurants a slightly longer walk away, but we’d recommend getting your reservations for these in quickly, as they’re busy at the best of times.
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Plan time to roam free!
The best things you find at UKGE are usually the surprises – the game you’d never heard of that could be your new favourite, the bonkers game you never thought you’d sit down to play, or the one you were cynical about but had your mind changed. We love roaming the halls, and we’d recommend you do too.
WHAT TO DO AT UK GAMES EXPO?
There is so much to do at UK Games Expo that covering it all would probably take the length of this magazine. However, we’ll cover a few bits we think everyone should know about – see if there are any that surprise you.
UKGE BRING & BUY
The second-hand games market is great, and you can pick up some real bargains, whilst potentially making some money from your own. There are always long queues to get these dropped off initially at the Bring & Buy, and you can drop off a maximum of 20, with the minimum price being £5, but that means it’s stacked with games to buy from the off. In previous years, it’s been cash only, so bear that in mind if you’re thinking of searching for your grail game.
@tabletopmag Bring and Buy's are really common at board game events and conventions, but this is what they actually are #boardgames #boardgameconvention #tabletopgaming
♬ original sound - Charlie @ Tabletop Gaming Mag
OPEN GAMING & BOARD GAME LIBRARY
If you want to play the games you’ve purchased, or just want to get off of your feet for a bit, one hall is dedicated almost entirely to playing games. There are rows upon rows of tables and chairs with game mats for anyone to use, and they run late into the night. If you want to try out a game before you buy it for yourself, you can always borrow one from the board game library that’s there. You pay a small deposit but can borrow an unlimited number of games. Food and drink are available in the same hall, so you have everything you could need.
TOURNAMENTS, PLAYTESTING, GAMES
Looking for something more organised? UK Games Expo plays host to numerous competitions and tournaments, of differing levels. Some are perfect for beginners to have a try, some are finals of existing games, but all offer a chance to flex your gaming muscles, sometimes for a fun prize. Alternatively, if you want a little less competition, a little more imagination, you’ll do well in the Playtest UK area, where budding designers will take you through their game. This is always a great place to check out, as that early prototype could well be the game of the year – and you get to say you played it before it was cool! Lastly, there are a few organised games too, especially the likes of RPGs, which you can book on in advance.
TALKS
Every year there are some fab seminars on a huge range of topics for every style of gamer. Whether it’s a comedy actual play, to live shows, to impressive figures in the industry (Sir Ian Livingstone himself often hosts a seminar) these are a great way to explore the hobby even further, and often have a laugh along the way.
FOOD
Mentioned above, but worth reiterating – food is available within the NEC itself, and it’s perfectly fine, but if you want something that feels like a treat, you’re best popping over to the Hilton. It’s a few minutes outside of the front of the NEC to get there, where you’ll find out the front a series of food trucks offering different cuisines, both sweet and savoury. A perfect break in the (usually) sunshine, before returning to the halls of UKGE reinvigorated!
SHOP AND DROP AND PACK AND POST
Finally, if you’ve bought too many games (no such thing!) and the weight of them is literally weighing you down, there’s two options for you – Shop and Drop, whereby you essentially rent a space to drop your games off while you carry on with your day, or Pack and Post, where said games are sent on to your address. This is absolutely worth knowing if you took public transport to UKGE (which is very well connected), as you shouldn’t let the worry about how you’ll lug it home on the train stop you from filling your shelves with fantastic games.
EXTRAS
So much more than this – Viking Village sets up just outside the hall and is worth spending some time in, Stamp Quest is a stamp collecting adventure created by TIN (The Industry Network) to help you discover smaller indie RPG creators, new this year is the Pin Collective, where you can get and trade pin badges, and so much more. We’ve not even mentioned the awards, or the games you could win… UK Games Expo itself is such a monumental event that you’ll discover something new all the time.
UK GAMES EXPO TICKETS
You can get your tickets for UK Games Expo directly from their site, but hurry – the event is growing more and more popular each year, and whilst it’s expanded into larger halls, we wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing sellout days.
Tabletop Gaming
You won't find our stand there this year, but if you loved our Goodie Bags last year, you can pick up a brand new version online only – have all of the same goodness delivered to your door, ready to take with you!
Treat yourself to a Goodie Bag!
We can’t wait to see the biggest and best UKGE ever this year!