Friday at UKGE2025

Day one at the UK Games Expo. To say we were excited was an understatement. We got up bright and early, ready to dive into everything the expo had to offer. We packed in quite a bit, but here are Amy's top three highlights from the day.

Chickens 'N' Aliens (by Mat Humphrey @NEC Hall 2 Stand 395)

It's an easy to play card game. The goal is to collect three Aliens who will build a UFO and you win. As I arrived to the stand I found large crowd had gathered around the stall, and the sound of laughter coming from the table. I waited for a chance to sit down and try it for myself, and it was hilarious. What really makes it stand out is the funky artwork, which was illustrated by Mat himself! I highly recommend giving it a try if you get the chance.

Faraway: People From Below (by Catch Up Games | Demo at Hachette Boardgames UK Stand Hall 2 - 316/416)

Faraway is a tableau building card game with a twist , you play a row of 8 cards in front of you - these cards represent the regions you will come across while exploring the lands. Characters on these cards will grant you points, if you later fulfil the conditions they set. The twist is you place the cards down left to right, but you score right to left, yes, it's a brain burner... but it's so good! This wasn't my first experience with Faraway, so I thought it was about time I give the expansion a try. The expansion introduces fresh ways to score points and gather resources. Also, increases player count to 7! It was reasonably priced, so I picked up a copy. A special shout out to Hachette for kindly gifting us wooden meeples for the game.

Middle Ages (by Studio H | Demo at Hachette Boardgames UK Stand Hall 2 - 316/416)

In Middle Ages, you’ll dive into the economics of medieval urban life through eight distinct tiles: fields, farms, villages, forts, markets, barracks, churches, and palaces. During the game, players expand their domains, optimise their layouts, and compete for wealth. The player with the most money at the end of the game is crowned the winner.

This was another title at the Hachette Boardgames stand. I have to admit I’m already a big fan of this game, but Zara had never played it. She was immediately drawn in by how easy it was to learn and fell in love with the tableau building mechanics. By the end of the demo, she walked straight over and bought a copy for herself. Safe to say it was a very successful introduction. Bonus point, Zara and I got to meet Flavian GM of Hachette Boardgames UK, a lovely chap with awesome dress sense.

Day one down, bring on tomorrow!