UK Games Expo is just days away and there is lots to get excited about. With tonnes of new releases and only three days to see and play them all, we’ve compiled our top picks for this year’s expo.
BARPIG
After attending UK Games Expo for the first time in 2018, the BARPIG team are back with a brand new game and Kickstarter – BARPIG: After Hours. The new instalment of piggy peril launches on Kickstarter on May 31, the first day of the expo, so keep your eyes peeled for more info.
If you’re unfamiliar with this hilarious card-based party game, it takes inspiration from the likes of Munchkin, Exploding Kittens and Ring of Fire. Centred on a party of adventuring pigs challenging each other in a medieval tavern, BARPIG combines uncanny levels of wit and humour with novel game mechanics that continuously engage all players throughout the game. All this in a unique, highly portable, and wizardly fun game. BARPIG was a stand out for us last year, with our entire party all buying a copy following a demo.
Stand: 1-691
www.barpig.eu
Summoners Isle
In Summoner’s Isle you are an unproven adept, competing in a rite of passage to prove that you have full command over your creatures. To do so you must apply careful strategy, prove yourself in combat and most importantly, demonstrate your ability to absorb large quantities of spirit energy. Only once you have achieved all three will you graduate to the mainland to take your place among the exalted ranks of the Summoners.
Stand: 1-214
www.peculiarity.co.uk
Hellboy The Board Game
Inspired by the legendary tales of horror, myth and folklore by Mike Mignola, Hellboy: The Board Game is a fully cooperative experience for 1 to 4 players. You become a member of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence (BPRD), ready to investigate occult threats that threaten our very existence. You will explore gothic locations, hunt down clues, discover artefacts, fight horrific creatures and face off against terrifying bosses.
Stand: 1-574
www.manticgames.com
Escape the Dark Sector
Yes, you read that right, Escape the Dark Sector, not castle. The folks at Themeborne are launching a brand new game at UK Games Expo and we can’t wait to find out more. Details on the storytelling adventure game are thin on the ground until the Kickstarter launches this month, but we have high hopes if it’s anything like its medieval counterpart.
Themeborne will also be demoing Escape the Dark Castle, in which players take on the role of prisoners to, you guessed it, escape the dark castle. You must work together to overcome traps and challenges, each of which are represented by a large and rather beautifully illustrated chapter card.
Stand: 1-792
www.themeborne.com
Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms
The Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms builds on the core mechanics of Modiphius’ Fallout: Wasteland Warfare game system, but has been rewritten and reworked by designer Mark Latham (The Walking Dead: All Out War, The Harry Potter Miniatures Adventure Game, Editor White Dwarf Magazine) to suit the world and inhabitants of The Elder Scrolls franchise.
As well as controlling their troops, players will also need to manage the stamina and Magicka resources their models bring to the table, all the while watching out for hostile AI driven enemies and narrative events that can change the flow of battle. Players can play against each other or team up (or play solo) to take on all manner of creatures and adversaries driven by Modiphius’ advanced AI system.
Modiphius will be selling Dragonborn miniatures on their stand, but you’ll have to be quick as stock will be limtied.
Stand: 1-552
www.modiphius.com
Atlantis Miniatures
If you’re after high-quality miniatures, then Atlantis Miniatures will be right up your street. While their range of resin fantasy miniatures might be a tad more expensive than your usual retailer, the quality is second to none. Speaking from experience, their War Bear makes for a fantastic Wild Shaped Druid for D&D.
Stand: 1–1121
www.atlantisminiatures.com
Art of War Studios
With a design ethic of ‘Practical, beautiful, affordable’, it’s difficult not to fall in love with Art of War Studios’ amazing range of tabletop gaming accessories. From D&D condition markers to Warhammer Underworlds tokens, a game really isn’t complete without these fantastic beauties.
Stand: 1-278
www.art-of-war-studios-ltd.myshopify.com
To see more of our coverae on UK Games Expo, click here.