Organisers of the UK Games Expo (UKGE) have revealed the Judges’ Awards shortlist for 2026, marking a major milestone as the convention celebrates its 20th anniversary. Returning to the NEC Birmingham and the adjacent Hilton Hotel from Friday 29 to Sunday 31 May, the event will see thousands of attendees gathering to test the nominated titles. Crucially, securing a Judges’ Award victory is the only path to the public-voted People’s Choice Awards, raising the stakes significantly for tabletop publishers.
Earning a spot on the shortlist requires passing a rigorous evaluation by a national panel of judges who assess mechanics, accessibility, and production quality across hundreds of entries.
The final Judges’ Choice Awards will be announced on Tuesday, 12 May, on the Expo’s social channels. Here are the tabletop roleplaying games leading the charge, followed by the complete shortlist across all categories.
Roleplaying Games Shortlist
Best Roleplaying Game
- Tales of the Old West (Effekt Publishing Ltd)
- The Laundry Roleplaying Game (Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd)
- Totem – The Spirits’ RPG (Officina Meningi)
Best Roleplaying Game Adventure
- Call of Cthulhu: The Sutra of Pale Leaves – Twin Suns Rising (Chaosium Inc)
- TERMINUS (Patchwork Fez Games)
- Vaesen RPG – Mythic Carpathia (Free League Publishing)
Best Roleplaying Game Expansion
- Mausoleum (Crow & Crown)
- Ryokos Guide to the Yokai Realms (Loot Tavern Publishing)
- The Field Guide to Floral Dragons Box Set (Hit Point Press)
Board and Strategy Games Shortlist
Best Boardgame (American-Style)
- Battle of Hoth (Days of Wonder)
- Camping Season (SweaterBear Games)
- Kryptothera The Cryptid Pursuit (NoctiLux Games)
Best Boardgame (Euro-Style)
- Ada’s Dream (Alley Cat Games)
- Ayar: Children of the Sun (Osprey Games)
- Luthier: The Art of the Instrument (Deluxe) (Paverson Games)
Best Boardgame (Strategic)
- Epochs: Course of Cultures (Ice Makes Limited)
- World Order (Hegemonic Project Games)
- Zenith (Play Punk)
Best Card Game (General)
- Duel for Cardia (Hans im Gluck)
- FlipToons (Thunderworks Games)
- Otter (Charming Games)
Best Card Game (Strategic)
- Age of Galaxy (Second Edition) (Portal Games)
- Citizens of the Spark (Thunderworks Games)
- Pondscape (Pink Troubadour)
Best Story, Legacy or Adventure Game
- Cozy Stickerville (Unexpected Games)
- The Cats of Mont Saint Michel (RAYBOX Games)
- Vantage (Stonemaier)
Miniatures and Wargaming Shortlist
Best Miniatures Range
- ArcWorlde: Gremlins! (Warp Miniatures)
- Dystopian Wars: Dominion of the Dragon – Two Player Starter Set (Warcradle Studios)
- Frostgrave: Cultists III (North Star Military Figures / Osprey Games)
Best Miniatures Rules
- Hope is for the dead (Wird Designs)
- Kings of war 4th Edition (Mantic Games)
- Warmachine Core Book (Steamforged Games Ltd)
Best Accessory
- TTCombat Midwinter Minis Paint Set Bundle (TTCombat)
- Terrain Crate: Fantasy Battlefield terrain Pack (Mantic Games)
- Venetian Quarter (Chroma) (TTCombat)
Family, Party, and Abstract Shortlist
Best Abstract Game
- Ink (Final Score Games)
- Locus (Tuckers Fun Factory)
- Peranakan: Tiles and Tactics (Genie Games)
Best Children’s Game
- Flippin’ Dinosaurs (Heartborn Studios)
- Hero Slam (Laurence King Publishing)
- Splendor Kids (Space Cowboys)
Best Family Game
- Magical Athlete (CMYK)
- Sanibel (Avalon Hill)
- Twinkle Twinkle (Allplay)
Best Party Game
- Outliars (Confident Games)
- QORK (The Op Games)
- SHUG (Wandering Games)
Best Dice Game
- Crits & Tricks (Inside Up Games)
- Las Vegas (Ravensburger, Alea)
- Moonshine (Blam!)
Best Gaming Novelty
- Bake Your Own Gingerbread Dungeon (Stone Fable)
- MicroMacro Jigsaw: The Home Game (Edition Spielwiese)
- Worms the gift Calendar game (Mantic Games)
Best Variant
- Disney Villainous Treacherous Tides (Ravensburger)
- Driving Me Crazy! Route 66 Edition (Simplexity Games)
- Unmatched: The Witcher – Steel & Silver (Iello)
Best Expansion
- Distilled: Cocktails (Paverson Games)
- In the Footsteps of Darwin: Correspondence (Sorry We Are French)
- Loki’s Mischief expansion for Viking Raiders (Neowulf Games ApS)
Research the Shortlist
Many of the 2026 nominees are arriving at retail or are available for pre-order. You can use the button below to automatically search Amazon for these titles to check pricing and availability.
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