York Board Games Convention to be held from October 11 to 13

The first York Board Games Convention (YBGC) is set to take place from October 11 to 13 this year at the Spurriergate Centre.

The event, which sold out in under two hours, will bring an array of games, tournaments, and special guests to the city, offering a ‘premier event’ for the city's thriving board gaming community.

RECOMMENDED READING:

• UK’s first board game champion

• Shed Seven frontman calls for more Museum Gardens gigs after noise complaint dropped

The convention will welcome 120 attendees of different skill levels for a variety of tabletop experiences from classic board games and dice games to role-playing games (RPGs) and popular social deduction games such as Werewolf and Blood on the Clocktower.

“There are great tabletop gaming events nationwide, including AireCon, UK Games Expo, and Tabletop Scotland. It’s time for York, a UNESCO city for Media Arts, to shine a light on a growing and vibrant industry”, explained the event organisers Ryan Willis and Matt Coward-Gibbs.

Ryan continued: “This is York’s first major board game convention, and it’s incredibly exciting to celebrate the growth of the hobby in our city.

“We sold out in under two hours, so we’re already planning a bigger event for next year.”

Game master Ivan Brett will be hosting sessions of Blood on the Clocktower (Image: Provided) In addition to open play, there will be a "Ticket to Ride" tournament to crown the event’s “Train Master”.

Special guest Ivan Brett, renowned for his appearance on BBC’s The Traitors and his successful career as an author and game master, will be hosting sessions of Blood on the Clocktower - a social deduction game that shares similarities with The Traitors.

YBGC has also partnered with prominent names in the board gaming world, including Hachette, Zatu Games, Asmodee, and York St John University’s investigate games research group - who have helped to curate a games library.

The convention will also feature a Bring & Buy section where attendees can sell their pre-loved games or purchase new ones, and vendors selling board game merchandise.

The team has also focused on creating an accessible and inclusive environment, using resources from the HereForGames knowledge base, curated by accessibility advocate Adam Best.

Event organisers Ryan Willis and Matt Coward-Gibbs (Image: Provided) Matt explained: “We want this event to be welcoming to everyone. We’ve worked hard to make sure YBGC is a space where all are invited to enjoy the diverse and vibrant world of board games.”

With a sold out first event under their belt, York Board Game Convention hopes to move to a larger venue for next year’s show.

YBGC will take place at Spurriergate Centre from 5pm to 11pm on Friday, October 11, 9am to 11pm on Saturday, October 12, and 9am to 5pm on Sunday, October 13.

To join the waitlist for early access tickets for 2025, visit ybgc.co.uk/early-access