Your Guide to Puzzles and Mystery at UKGE 2026

Posted inEvents, UKGE

Date: Friday 29 – Sunday 31 May 2026 / Location: NEC Birmingham / Official website

Last year, I attended the UK Games Expo for the very first time. It’s an annual tabletop games convention held at the NEC in Birmingham, which showcases a broad range of tabletop games and experiences. If you can play it at a table, then you can bet that it will be featured somewhere at the event. Expect the full breadth of games from traditional board games to roleplaying, wargaming, and card games. You can buy from a whole range of different companies, meet the creators of your favourite game or sit down for a demo to learn how to play something new. In short, there is lots to do!

Jo from Red Herring Games loves a good murder mystery

I was eager to find out how much of a presence puzzle and mystery games had at the event, and if it would be worth visiting for those alone! It didn’t take me long to discover that it is definitely worthwhile attending, if not just to chat to some of the wonderful creators. Jo Smedley from Red Herring Games was flying solo, selling a huge selection of murder mystery and puzzle games. As well as tabletop games, Jo and her team run live events, including an annual murder mystery cruise!

Henry Lewis’ tabletop escape room company, The Mystery Agency, was also present – and will be back again this year! They had some wonderful displays showing the contents of their big boxed games, which feature some interesting physical components. He isn’t there every year, but Henry does pop up from time to time on the stand, so keep an eye out for him! The Mystery Agency is bound to be heavily promoting its brand new puzzle mystery game, The Robber’s Grave, at this year’s event.

A selection of components from The Mystery Agency’s The Vanishing Gambler

I also got to sit down to play a demo game from The Detective Society, which was designed specifically for big conventions. It wasn’t too difficult, but it served as a teaser for what potential players could expect from the company’s range of play-at-home escape room games. It was fun to observe players who hadn’t played a Detective Society game before, discovering how fun it can be to immerse yourself in some investigative work. While their most recent project, Disaster on Dino Island, hasn’t been released yet, you can expect to find all of their other games on sale. I’d recommend Countdown to Chaos if you want a more affordable option to get a sense for what they offer.

I try out the Murder At The Expo demo game, for The Detective Society

2026 Puzzle and Mystery Exhibitors

I’ve compiled a list of this year’s puzzle and mystery exhibitors, along with their location/stand reference number. To get a better sense of where these are all located, you can use the UKGE’s interactive map. If you know of any more or would like to be added to the list, please drop me an email!

Hall 2

Hall 3A

Hall 3

Hall 4

Bastion Indie Market (Saturday only)

Harriet and Cole demo Minty Noodles‘ debut escape room game, Interstellar Adventures

Can I do it in a day?

If you are a lover of all things tabletop, then you could easily fill an entire weekend with exploring stalls, playing demos and meeting creators. As someone primarily interested in the puzzle and mystery offering, I found a single day to be sufficient.

How can I attend?

Don’t panic if you don’t have tickets already, it’s not too late to book!

Tickets start at £20 per person for a day, with full weekend packages also available. You can book tickets here: https://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/shop/tickets

Please note: this post is not sponsored or endorsed by UKGE or any of the creators.

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