Our Most Anticipated Games of UK Games Expo 2026: 10 Demos You Shouldn’t Miss

Every year, UK Games Expo 2026 transforms the Birmingham NEC into a sprawling wonderland of cardboard, strategy and discoveries waiting around every corner. It’s one of the reasons we keep coming back year after year. There’s something genuinely special about wandering the halls and stumbling across a game you’ve never heard of, only to leave the table already planning your next playthrough.

From major publishers showcasing upcoming releases to indie designers sharing passion projects years in the making, UK Games Expo is packed with games competing for your attention. With so much to see, it can be difficult deciding where to start. So, ahead of this year’s show, we’ve put together ten games we think deserve a place on your Expo hit list. These are the titles that have caught our attention through exciting mechanics, standout artwork, clever themes or simply the kind of table presence that makes you stop mid-walk as you wonder what is going on.

Whether you love cozy strategy games, tense co-operative adventures, puzzle-solving deduction or chaotic dexterity challenges, there’s something here worth tracking down.

1. Questiny

Questiny Games | Stand 2-383

There’s a particular kind of magic to a fantasy adventure game that understands exactly what it wants to be and Questiny feels like a glowing love letter to classic 80s dungeon crawling.

This co-operative adventure for 1 to 4 players throws you into a twisting labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, legendary weapons and the relentless forces of the Goblin Queen. The goal is simple: survive long enough to recover a sacred artefact and restore peace to the realm. The journey there, however looks gloriously chaotic.

What really caught our attention is how approachable it seems without sacrificing replayability. There’s no dungeon master required, solo play is fully supported and the modular board system alongside enemy AI keeps every session feeling fresh. It looks like the sort of game that welcomes newcomers while still giving experienced players enough tactical decisions to sink their teeth into.

If you enjoy co-operative fantasy games packed with exploration, levelling up, dice chucking and cinematic moments around the table, this is absolutely one to demo at the show.

2. D.O.T

Unfringed Games | Stand 2-628

We’ve followed Chris and the work of Unfringed Games for quite some time now, so D.O.T immediately jumped onto our radar when he mentioned that he was working on.

At first glance, D.O.T looks deceptively simple. Underneath, though there’s a wonderfully clever shifting puzzle. Players secretly play cards into shared and personal pools, manipulating coloured dot totals in an attempt to achieve the highest scoring Difference Over Time. The catch? The scoring conditions keep changing. Sometimes being closest to the target is perfect. Other times, being wildly off the mark is exactly what you want.

That constant shifting tension gives the game a wonderfully sharp psychological edge where reading your opponent becomes just as important as managing your own strategy. It feels smart without feeling intimidating, which is a difficult balance to pull off well. Plus, Chris is always incredibly welcoming at shows and seeing new ideas emerge from Unfringed Games has become something we actively look forward to each year.

3. Oakspire

Lucky Duck Games | Stand 2-764

Some games win you over before you even sit down and Oakspire is one such game that achieves that for me.

Set within the woodland community of Sunleaf Grove, players take on the role of architects helping animal residents build sustainable homes and thriving businesses. Think floating timber, cosy workshops, treetop apartments, bustling riverside markets and enough woodland charm to make you want to move in immediately.

Underneath the gorgeous anthropomorphic artwork sits a thoughtful tableau-building and engine-building experience focused on resource management, upgrading salvaged wood and carefully chaining together actions for maximum efficiency. Every project you complete expands your capabilities, slowly transforming your personal board into a flourishing production network.

There’s something deeply satisfying about games that let you gradually construct your own little ecosystem and Oakspire looks poised to scratch exactly that itch. If cosy strategy games with strong visual identity are your thing, this feels like a must-visit demo.

4. Foxglove Farm

Alley Cat Games | Stand 3-902

We first spotted Foxglove Farm earlier this year at Toy Fair and it’s been sitting firmly on our “watch list” ever since as it just capture my mind.

This charming town-building game sees players constructing a fox settlement by placing buildings, creating trails and carefully managing the movement of goods throughout their growing community. Buildings can generate resources, convert them into points or help optimise your expanding network.

What stood out immediately was the table presence. It’s one of those games that naturally draws people in as they walk past due to the gorgeous artwork. Then, once you start hearing how the systems interconnect, the strategic depth becomes far more apparent beneath the cosy aesthetic.

Fans of relaxing but thoughtful board games will likely find plenty to love here, especially if games like Timber Town already have a place on your shelf.

5. Bunny Kingdom Town

IELLO | Stand 2-660

As huge fans of the original Bunny Kingdom, we were instantly curious about how the new Bunny Kingdom Town would adapt the world into a dedicated two-player experience.

This standalone game places two rival families in competition to build the most prestigious city possible, earning golden carrots through careful planning, tactical placement and strategic denial. Buildings must be positioned thoughtfully, not only to maximise your own scoring opportunities but also to disrupt your opponent’s plans before they can fully develop.

What makes this particularly appealing is how it appears to preserve the charm and identity of the original while introducing a more direct, tactical duel between players. This makes it ideal for couples, friends who like friendly rivalry or anyone looking for a tighter competitive experience within the Bunny Kingdom universe. This looks well worth checking out.

6. Smallfolk

Roc Nest Games | Stand 3-205

There’s something timeless about myths and folklore. Smallfolk leans fully into that sense of wonder and turns it into a cosy tableau-building adventure filled with magical discoveries.

Players journey across the world recruiting mythical creatures, uncovering relics, visiting legendary locations and gradually crafting their own unfolding story. Heroes join your travels, cards build your narrative and every decision shapes the tale developing in front of you.

The theme is a huge part of why this game caught our eye. Folklore from different cultures creates such rich creative space for tabletop games. Smallfolk seems determined to embrace that feeling of adventure and discovery from beginning to end. If you enjoy games where mechanics and storytelling blend together naturally, this one deserves a spot on your Expo route.

7. Distilled: Cocktails

Paverson Games | Stand 3A-418

We’ve been following Paverson Games for a while now and we are a big fan of the games Dave Beck designs. Both Distilled and Luthier left a strong impression on us during previous events and have even purchased Distilled for our personal collection. So hearing that Distilled was receiving a cocktail-focused expansion immediately had our attention.

Cocktails expands the original distillery-building experience by introducing mixers, cocktail crafting, collectors, additional production opportunities and new ways to spread your brand’s reputation across the globe. What makes Distilled stand out is how effectively it combines theme and mechanics. Every decision feels tied directly to the process of crafting spirits, ageing products and refining your business. Adding cocktails into that framework feels like a natural evolution rather than an add-on.

If you already love the base game, this should be high on your priority list. And if you’ve somehow missed Distilled entirely up to this point, UK Games Expo might be the perfect opportunity to finally see what all the buzz is about.

8. A Carnivore Did It

Zatu Trade | Stand 2-472

Some games hook you instantly through mechanics alone and A Carnivore Did It absolutely did that for us. After hearing David Budd passionately explain the concept earlier this year at Toy Fair, we couldn’t stop thinking about it.

At its core, this is a deduction game where players analyse suspect statements to determine who committed the crime. The twist is that truth itself becomes part of the puzzle. Some suspects lie. Some tell the truth. Sometimes there are multiple culprits. Sometimes the obvious answer is entirely wrong.

With over two thousand cases included alongside a connected campaign mode, it sounds like the kind of game deduction fans could happily obsess over for a very long time. The escalating complexity involving conditional statements and shifting logic puzzles makes it especially intriguing.

If your ideal game night involves solving puzzles while dramatically accusing cartoon animals of crimes, this should be firmly on your list.

9. Before The Rain

Molinarius Games | Stand 3-T27

Bees. Gardening. Push-your-luck gameplay. Beautiful hand-illustrated artwork. Sometimes a game only needs four ingredients to have that something that draws you in.

In Before The Rain, players take on the role of busy bees gathering pollen before incoming rainstorms wipe out their progress. Each round becomes a tense balancing act between greed and caution as players decide whether to bank their pollen safely or risk staying out longer for bigger rewards.

What we particularly like here is how accessible the concept sounds while still creating genuine tension around the table. Simultaneous card reveals keep turns moving quickly, while the looming weather system constantly pressures players into difficult decisions.

It’s also always exciting discovering smaller publishers at UK Games Expo and this feels exactly like the sort of hidden gem people could easily fall in love with after one demo.

10. Dragon Roost

Envy Born Games | Stand 4-863

Few things attract a crowd at a convention quite like a dexterity game and Dragon Roost looks built for exactly that kind of chaotic Expo energy.

Players work together to manipulate a tower of wooden components, carefully creating safe spaces for baby dragon miniatures before eventually balancing the mother dragon on top. One wrong movement and everything comes tumbling down. The co-operative nature makes it instantly approachable, while the physical challenge creates those brilliant table-wide moments where everyone collectively stops breathing for a second.

We’ve seen a lot of excitement surrounding this one online already, and honestly it’s easy to understand why. Cute dragons plus dexterity gameplay is an extremely dangerous combination for anyone trying not to buy more games at the Expo. Good luck resisting.

Final Thoughts

One of the best parts of UK Games Expo is discovering games you weren’t even planning to play. Sometimes the biggest surprises come from tiny stands tucked away in the corner of a hall, where passionate designers are showcasing something genuinely brilliant.

These ten games are the ones currently sitting at the top of our own must-see list, but honestly the joy of the Expo is wandering, exploring and letting curiosity pull you toward unexpected tables.

If you’re heading to the show this year, hopefully this list gives you a few exciting places to start.

And while you’re making your way around the halls, be sure to stop by and say hello to us at The Gaming Circus stand. We’ll be there soaking up the atmosphere, talking tabletop games and sharing our advise.