The largest Hobby Games Convention in the UK, the UK Games Expo (UKGE), has revealed its 2023 Awards Shortlist. There are a lot of interesting titles this year, but few titles stand out – more specifically tabletop adaptations from movies and books, making them instantly recognizable for casual and hardcore gamers alike. Our readers will be quick to recognize them from the full list of this year’s nominees in order of appearance:
BEST ABSTRACT GAME:
- Gardeners
- Qawale
- Tiwanaku
BEST ACCESSORY:
- Dice Tomes
- Gamegenic Token Silo (Accessorises)
- War of the Ring Deluxe Game Mat
BEST BOARD GAME (AMERICAN STYLE):
- Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window
- Northgard: Uncharted land
- Oathsworn: Into The Deepwood
BEST BOARD GAME (EURO STYLE):
- Earth
- Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory
- Tiletum
BEST BOARD GAME (STRATEGIC):
- Amass: Battle for Resources on Planet XS
- Frostpunk: The Board Game
- New Eden
BEST CARD GAME (GENERAL):
- Oh My. Orchids!
- Village Rails
BEST CARD GAME (STRATEGIC):
- Isle of Trains: All Aboard
- Vita Mors
- War of the Ring – The Card Game
BEST CHILDREN’S GAME:
- Dodo
- Potion House
- Stomp the plank
BEST DICE GAME:
- Solar Sphere
- Star Fighters: Rapid Fire
- Vengeance: Roll & Fight
BEST EXPANSION:
- 7 Wonders Edifice
- Living Forest Kodama expansion
- Roll Camera! The B-Movie Expansion
BEST FAMILY GAME:
- Hungry Monkey
- Next Station London
- Outrun the Bear
BEST GAMING NOVELTY:
- EXIT Advent Calendar Hunt for the Golden Book
- Everybody Wins: Four Decades of the Greatest Board Games Ever Made
- The Sorcerers’ Enclave
BEST GAMING NOVELTY:
- Dystopian Wars: Avalon Battlefleet Set
- Frostgrave: Barbarians II – Figures range
- Moonstone – The Arising Expansion
BEST MINIATURES RULES:
- Five Leagues from the Borderlands
- Moonstone – The Arising Expansion
- Xenos Rampant
BEST PARTY GAME:
- Ensemble
- How Am I Weird ‘Square’
- Misfits
BEST ROLEPLAYING GAME:
- Be Like a Crow
- Critical Foundation
- Vermin 2047 – Survival Kit
BEST ROLEPLAYING GAME ADVENTURE:
- Adventure Presents: Tiny in the Tower
- Adventures in Rokugan – Game Master’s Kit
- Blade Runner RPG Starter Set
BEST ROLEPLAYING GAME EXPANSION:
- Fateforge Book 5 – Creatures: Netherworld
- Star Trek Adventures Utopia Planitia Starfleet Sourcebook TOS Collector’s Edition
- The One Ring™ – Ruins of the Lost Realm
BEST VARIANT:
- CATAN – Dawn of Humankind
- Maximum Apocalypse: Wasted Wilds
- Unmatched Battle of Legends Volume 2
Tabletop Games Galore = Fun for Everyone
As you can see, there are entries from popular franchises like Lord of the Rings, Blade Runner, and Star Trek, which are sure to attract attendance from their respective fandoms. Furthermore, they all have deep, highly-immersive worlds, which means they have a lot to offer the game designers who are bringing them to our tabletops.
Perhaps their universe’s depth richness and the fact they are highly recognizable will bring them the elusive rewards they are competing for. That is not to say that the original titles are to be ignored! Such expos always bring some hidden gems to light, who can also steal the show! Everyone attending can try the games out and see if they live up to the hype or if they are diamonds in the dust.
And speaking of attending, this year marks the expo’s 16th consecutive annual event, which will also see it return to 3 venue halls, namely those of the National Exhibition Centre and the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel in Birmingham.
The event is always a sight to behold, and given the large venue halls and COVID-19 restrictions out of the way, this year might break 2019’s attendance record of 45,097 visitors, UK Games Expo’s dates are already set for Friday 2 – Sunday 4 June 2023, and those wishing to attend can already buy tickets online via the event’s official website.