UK Games Expo has announced a new partnership with the organisers of the Bastion Tabletop Convention to launch the Bastion Indie Market, a dedicated evening event scheduled for 30 May 2026. Hosted at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, the initiative aims to provide a platform for creators of small-run, experimental tabletop titles and roleplaying games that are typically priced out of the main exhibition halls.
The market is set to run for a concentrated two-hour window between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM on the Saturday of the expo. Unlike the commercial “Starter Alley” or traditional trade stands, this event is strictly limited to 20–30 designers who must meet a series of rigorous criteria, including a total ban on crowdfunded products. The move signals a shift for the UK’s largest gaming event, acknowledging a growing “doujin” culture of self-published, artisanal games that thrive on direct-to-player interaction.
The Anti-Crowdfunding Purity Test
The most striking element of the Bastion Indie Market protocol is the absolute exclusion of games that have been crowdfunded. In a landscape where Kickstarter and BackerKit have become the industry default, this rule acts as a “purity test” for the UK scene.
By mandating that games must not have had any past or current crowdfunding, the organisers are prioritising the “basement” hobbyist—those who print 20 to 100 copies at home or hand-stitch manuals from scraps. While this high bar may disqualify many established independent creators, it ensures that the limited slots are reserved for truly grassroots designs not found in traditional retail or distribution networks.
The AI Policy Vacuum
A notable silence in the market’s current guidelines is the lack of an explicit policy regarding generative AI. While the call for “artisanally small-scale” and “quirky” games suggests a focus on human craft, there is no formal restriction on the use of AI in art or text within the submissions.
This omission is significant given the ongoing friction within the roleplaying games community regarding the ethics of machine-generated content. For an event that champions “designer-first” values and handmade aesthetics—such as games “stitched from scraps of fabric”—the lack of a “No AI” clause may be a point of contention as applications open in March. It remains to be seen if the organisers will rely on community social policing or if the physical nature of “home-printed” copies will act as a natural deterrent to digital-heavy AI output.
From Wrexham to the National Stage
The involvement of Bastion Games, a team previously rooted in the North Wales gaming scene, indicates a strategic expansion for the organisation. While the market currently operates on a subdomain, the acquisition of the bastiongames.co.uk domain suggests the team is moving away from its geographically specific origins at Bastion Wales.
Historically, the Bastion Tabletop Convention has been an “underground” favourite in Wrexham, known for its casual, community-focused atmosphere. By importing this ethos to the NEC, UK Games Expo is essentially outsourcing its “punk rock” credentials to a team with a proven track record of supporting indie creators without the need for high-stakes commercial investment.
Logistics and Participation
Participation in the market requires a £25 table fee, with all profits reportedly being donated to charity. Designers must also hold a valid UK Games Expo Saturday entry pass.
The organisers of the Bastion Tabletop Convention stated;
The Indie Market is our attempt to bring the growing indie market scene to the UK… providing a place to showcase your games without a huge financial investment.”
Applications are set to close in late April 2026, with a digital game catalogue expected to follow.
Quick Links
- Apply: UK Games Expo Indie Market
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