UK Games Expo coming to Birmingham NEC - with pictures
Smartphones and tablets will be off the table as board games take centre stage at a major event this weekend.
Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly, Scrabble and other family favourites will hog the limelight at the UK Games Expo at the NEC in Birmingham.
Thousands of people are expected to flock to the event celebrating classic board games which runs from today (fri) until Sunday.
Dozens of gaming stalls will be running over the weekend, giving people the chance to pit their wits against relatives and friends.
PlayStations and Xboxes will be ditched for the weekend in favour of dice and counters as visitors get the chance to try their hand at games from all ages, from the timeless classics to newer games. They will also be able to take a sneak peek at those currently in development.
There will be no need for complex rule books, with helpers on hand to guide players through different games.
Visitors will also be able to take advantage of a huge games library packed with all manner of board games, buy their own in the trade halls, which feature more than 300 companies, and even learn about the history of board games at seminars about the industry.
Top tips are also on offer at the publisher-designer track for budding game designers. Some of the best gamers around will also be competing in a host of national and international competitions, which could see them winning a trip to compete overseas.
Around 32,000 people attended the show last year, which is being held for the 12th time in 2018.
The Expo attracts more than 300 games companies, from independent start-ups to major players in the industry. who are looking to release new games and demonstrate exciting prototypes.
