UK Games Expo Preview 2016
Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! It’s almost time for the UK Games Expo, the biggest event in the UK board gaming calendar! Running from 3rd to the 5th of June at the NEC in Birmingham, this is the UK board gaming industry trade show. This has been steadily growing over the last 10 years and is now beginning to receive ever-greater interest from the large international publishers, but the best and brightest from the UK are still on display too!
To get some order into my life and so I’m not overwhelmed when I arrive, I’ve put together a list of the most exciting new releases (or upcoming releases being demoed) this year… that I’m aware of… at the time of publishing. Have a read to see a selection of what will be available! In alphabetical order by publisher we have…
Codinca
A tile moving, flipping and generally rearranging game with some delightful tile pieces. It’s an abstract puzzle, where players are competing to create arrangements of their pieces in order to unlock the wondrous treasures of the lost city of Codinca. Will Codinca be a treasure? I’m certainly looking forward to finding out!
Codinca will be available from Backspindle Games at booth F7.
Scythe
The Kickstarter sensation of 2015 is finally approaching release and Boardgame Extras are demoing it for Stonemaier Games. This takes you to the convergence of nations in alternative history, steampunk Eastern Europe, a battle for control of the mysterious city state none only as ‘The Factory’. A fascinating blending of euro game resource management and giant mech led combat, drenched in the most gorgeous artwork. This is sure to be a big hit of the con!
Scythe can be seen and played at Boardgame Extra’s booth, C20.
Tatsu
A new 2-player abstract from the same company that brought you the stupendous Hive. Tatsu sees your pieces travelling around a circular board with the aim of eliminating your opponent pieces. When a piece lands on the same space as another, it will be attacked according to the colour of piece that lands there. Intriguing, and all the pieces are marked with dragons too! I kinda like dragons…
Tatsu will be available from the Gen42 booth, D19.
Escape the Aliens from Outer Space
A new, deluxe edition of an exceptional hidden movement game. Some players are humans attempting to reach the escape pods through their space ship, the power having failed throughout. Making matters worse, half the players are now blood thirsty aliens hunting the players. A terrifying game of misdirection, of desperation, and one you should definitely check out! I know I will be!
Escape the Aliens from Outer Space will be available from Osprey Games at booth G8.
Istanbul: Brief & Siegel
Istanbul was the 2014 winner of the Kennerspiel des Jahres and it is a prize it certainly deserves based on my two plays. A fascinating spatial puzzle in which players must search for the best combos of actions they can find in a board that changes each and every game. Signed and Sealed (I believe is the translation) adds more tiles and, more importantly, new pick up and deliver style mechanics!? Information is a little thin on the ground so far but I know I’m excited to see what new stuff awaits!
Istanbul: Brief & Siegel will be on hand at the Pegasus Spiel booth, A4.
Guilds of London
Taking us back to the middle ages as London grows into becoming a world power, on the backs of its many guilds. Here you seek influence amongst the guilds using the classic euro-tactic of area control. Here it is combined with a very neat sounding hand management mechanic and a huge degree of variability between games. I am very intrigued by this one, coming as it does from Tony Boydell, designer of the very well regarded Snowdonia, and the very entertaining Ivor the Engine (that we reviewed a long old time ago now).
Guilds of London will be available in limited numbers from the Surprised Stare Games booth, A8.
Game of Blame
A new card game from the designers of the excellent Jane Austen’s Matchmaker. The realm is in chaos and the Queen is pissed! Someone’s losing their head, make sure its not you by blaming everyone else for your mess. It’s a get rid of your cards game, full of sneaky options and, I hope, lots of veiled references to TV shows like The Borgias, The Tudors and Game of Thrones.
Game of Blame will be on hand to try out at the Warmacre Games booth C18.
Ominoes
The latest game from the designer/publisher of Frankenstein’s Bodies and Sandcastles, both of which we reviewed and enjoyed, Ominoes is a strategic dice game. The aim is to form a cluster of your symbols on the board, from custom dice that are rolled and placed each round, while preventing your opponent’s from doing so. It fits into Yay Games! mantra of publishing simple to understand, but hopefully featuring plenty of decisions during play.
Ominoes will be available from Yay Games! at booth B1.
Beyond Baker Street
I enjoy a good deductive game, so this race to solve the crime before Sherlock Holmes does is an intriguing one! Each case comes with a certain set of cards, that players must hold away from themselves so that you don’t know what is in your hand, much like Hanabi. Need to communicate what other players have, so that they can play them correctly to solve the case. Grab me my deerstalker!
Beyond Baker Street is available from the Esdevium Games booth, D14. (Published by Z-Man games)
Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu
Taking disease curing and retheming to gate shutting and cultist removal was certainly a left field announcement! Utilising the core Pandemic mechanics but adding in new elements like losing your sanity (obviously) and a variety o game changing mechanism depending on which Great Old One you face. I’m not sure how I feel about a Cthulhu edition of Pandemic, but I’m most certainly intrigued. Let us hope I can keep my sanity as I investigate further…
Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu will likewise be available (via a lottery) from Esdevium Games, D14. (Published by Z-Man games)
Not only is there the trade show, but Thirsty Meeples will be on hand with their vast board game library for open play, numerous talks by fascinating folks, tournaments and geez… so much stuff to do! Plus there are still games and other exciting things being announced over on the UK Games Expo website! Be sure to check it out thoroughly before you go!
If there are any games you are excited about, let us know in the comments!
What’s this!? There have been so many announcements we’ve had to do a second list!? Quick! Get over there: UK Games Expo Preview 2016 – Part 2 is live now!
Leave a Reply