UKGE 2025 Top Ten Most Anticipated.

0:00 Hello and welcome to board stupid. My name is Wayne and I'm Matt. Matt, I am really excited because because it's UKG time, guys. It's UKG season. It's almost upon us. And yes, I am deeply anticipating UKG just like I'm deeply anticipating these 10 games. Yeah, because this is our top 10 most anticipated games at UKG. You can go and try and play. Oh my god. You can go and play them. So yeah, this is all like new stuff that's coming out and uh never seen or just seen not that much. So this is the new stuff. The new stuff new. Most of it you can't even buy it. Some of it you can. Yeah, but this is the new newest of the new. Exactly. And you know what is not new? What's that? The subscribe button. It's not new, but if you click it and then it goes out of fashion. Oh, if you click it and stay till the end, we got something special because we are doing some special stuff this year for our subscriber coming at UKG. Yeah, we're doing a special giveaway live on side. But you need to stick around till the end of the video about it. We'll give you all the all the things. But uh let's not anticipate too much cuz we need to go into the most anticipated. Let's go. Feeling nice. Got more dreams and games. Click subscribe. It's a vibe for stupid all we need.

1:30 What's for you and me? What's Okay. Wait. Let's start this list with Whiswood. I need to say Yeah. Sorry. We didn't rehearse, but yeah, that's what you get. That's what you get. This Whispwood is the new game from Czech Games Edition. Yes. CG did a big video of all the new games coming out this year, like expansions, blah blah blah blah blah. And their new release announced uh was Whiswood. This is a tile placement game. Relatively light familyish weight, family plus weight, but um I we love tile laying games, so immediately got my attention. What this seems to do quite interestingly is it has the polyomino vibe. So all the different shapes, tetra shapes that you might know. Um but you kind of make the polyominos through drafting individual segments of the poly. Yeah. Yeah. To then make the shape and then put that in your board, which sounds really really cool. Um, theme wise, you like wisps of the wood. Uh, you're trying to give each wisp its desire, the thing that it wants. Theme wise, it's a it's a light it's a lighter. It's a more family plus, but it kind of adjacent to what the game is. The game sounds really interesting. Like I said, we love tile

3:01 layers. We love it when tile layers try and do something slightly different. So, I'm very excited to try this game for sure. Absolutely. And we love CG and they usually comes out with a lot of very good stuff. So, interesting stuff. Go check it out. Matt, what's next on the list? Uh, next on the list is a game that we covered on our IP Factor a couple of months ago, if I remember right. Uh, it's the new we stayed on the on the light um light family plus uh theme and kind of games. H we're talking about popcorn from yellow. I love popcorn. We love popcorn. Yeah. Uh in popcorn as you can imagine um you are going to manage a movie theater. Brilliant. Uh so each player will have his own movie theater and through work placement and um acquisition of the of the movie. So you can decide which movie you're going to show in your um uh your theater and you need to make sure that the people coming to your to your cinema are going to go to watch the right movie for for what they so it's kind of like you need to match their taste. So, uh there there is this kind of like um uh worker placement line where um some of the the the people or the workers going to get in line then get into the room. If the if the film is not what they want to watch, they're going to leave your theater to go to someone else theater. Um it's it's very very interesting. It looks the production it looks super cool. I really

4:32 like the the cards that represent the movies are kind of like a mockup of more famous more famous stuff Easter eggs in there. Yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of Easter eggs. Uh but the popcorn bag thing as well. Yeah, the popcorn bag is where you going to put your points. Uh it it looks pretty cool. Um and but at the same times it looks quite interesting with this mechanics on how you manage your your cinema. Um, again, I really want to play this one lighter side, but can't wait to have some popcorn. Absolutely, Wayne. Uh, we need to go and check Yeah. space. Always check space. We need to check space, right? Is it still there?

5:19 It's still there. And we I need to check a game that is in space that I can't wait to be delivered to my door because I I was one of the first backer of this game that we managed to play at um Spear last year. I was so hyped about this game. I want to see where it is at the in in the production. I want to see the progress. And this is Revenant. Oh god. Yeah, I know. Revan by Mind Flash Games uh is a spin-off/spiritual sequel/successor to Voidfall. Yes. Uh but where Voidfall is like the bigger Galactic scale, this is zoomed right in on one individual ship's battle. Uh and a completely different system, completely different designer. It doesn't have like any of the same sort of things, but it's set in the same universe. Uh and it does something really interesting. It is ostensibly at first sort of view a sort of worker placement. It is a worker placement.

6:14 Yes, but imagine a worker placement game where the places can get shot to pieces by aliens and they might not be there anymore to place your work. Really interesting. So they they might disappear throughout the game. You can maybe get them back, maybe not. Uh so that's quite interesting. And also where you put your workers is also different ships and families/clans that you want to influence with. Do you want to get your uh your reputation up? Yes. And that's also going to be something that you're going to be doing trying to get up to these different tracks, get reputation with different clans for endgame scoring. But again, if you're doing that quite a lot of times, it might behoove the other players to try and make sure that that particular place gets destroyed at some point. So there's some really interesting push and pull in this game. And there is this very cool mechanism while the the centerpiece of the board is the um is the Revenant is the is the master battle galactica.

7:02 Yeah, exactly. If you think Battle Cell Galaxy Galactica is the Galactica, um uh if the Galactic explodes, well, everybody lose. So, you still need to always work together to keep the main ship alive while doing all the rest. That tension between competing and also working together. And there is a point which is really interesting. You might have to hyperdrive forward into a new sector because you will get surrounded. Yeah. cuz he's the blight that if you would um remember from if you played voidfall, they will still they will still appear around your ship. They're going to damage your ship and there's going to be a point on each one of the of the rounds where you are going to be you're going to you know you're going to lose. So what you going to do? You need to hyper jam. So one of the player will initiate that hyper jam that you don't know exactly where you're going to end up in space and there's going to be a new setup for the for the board. Um again it's it's quite a lot. is a is a complex game, relatively heavy. Um, but it looks absolutely fantastic with a with a great great production in the void for spirits um IP universe, but it got very limited to do with the actual mechanics that you got in the in the original game. Um, but yeah, we can't wait. I really want that box. Uh, oh, cool. Be patient. Can't wait. Mirror of an arms.

8:33 Matt, speaking of games that are unspeakably cool, uh, this one is also very exciting. Yeah, we saw a little sneaky peek, but that's all we saw. What is it? Yes. And we're talking about Avalon: The Riven Veil from Shadowborn Games. Oh my god. You loved Oath one. I love Swan. It's one of my favorite game ever at this point. And yeah, what's my number two on my top 40 list? Um anyway, uh the g the guys came with a games that got nothing to do with Oswan. It's not a dungeon. It's not boss fighting. Is actually a majority set in the Arurian legend. Love that. Um it looks so sweet. Uh production wise, I'm just touching like very lightly because it's one of the most beautiful game ever produced with the circular board with the with the tiles that you're going to flip. Uh the cuz of course you got fog of war so you don't really know what's going to happen. And um you basically each one of the player will um will lead their own um um army. Each army is going to be will have different powers with different heroes. Uh everything again based in the in the Alturian legends. Uh but in in the essence is um territorial control that is uh is one of our favorite we love it um generate of games and uh when we had the sneak peek last year at HPO uh I just was so happy that I went all in on the on the kickstart or would you say you know they

10:04 got to say yes I did well back in all in on this game cuz it's absolutely great can't wait to see the progress maybe a demo as well. Yeah, exactly. I want to It will be good to Oh, actually, if you guys are watching, can we arrange a little play cuz I would like to see we'd love to state of my money. No, definitely good. Go. Um, the guys normally have a fantastic stand, so this year I'm expecting even more. Uh, but yes, Avalon, the Riven Veil.

10:38 Next one, we got a two-player games that um we don't know much about it, but we know that it's from Scorpion Mask. Two-player games, the same guys that brought us Sky Team. So, they kind of know what they're doing with the two-player games, but this one is quite different because we're talking about we're talking about tag team. Tag team. And this is like an arcade like one versus one Street Fighter type game, right? Rayu versus Ken uh from Street Fighter 2 Turbo, that kind of thing. Exactly. But you are essentially doing a it's a one versus one uh deck building auto bachelor. Yes. Uh so if you played anything like Wizards Cup on the Magic, something like that where you create your deck and you put it in a certain order and then you flip the top card, the other person plays their top card and you'll compare effects, things will happen. One card will defeat the other, etc., etc. And then there's is there a twist matter? I think there's the they will go back on top or something. Yeah, they they they yeah, they go back on top in the in the same order that they came out and then you get more cards coming out. So, um it's kind of like you kind of need to remember what the other players have done, but uh looks pretty cool and it's uh each player will have two character. That's why it's a tag team. Um so, you kind of like choose like the different characters and have this what basically is an auto butler.

11:56 Uh but in a in a very cool way. Um uh I mean yeah having having the guys that don't sky team uh I mean yes yes this is going to be at least very interesting like the minimum is going to be is very interesting. Uh so we definitely want to see more of that theme. So we'll definitely have a look at the aet um aet stand cuz that with the scorpion mask is going to be over there as well at UKG um tag team to the next one. Change the head tag. So Matt, this next one I think we know the least about, but is one that I am quite keen to play because basically it has Lei on the cover. Yeah, exactly. And uh it's not the Ace of Spades. This one is Ace of Spades of Spades game, but it's the game. Ace of Spades. We know of um next to nothing except this is either a one or two player. Yes, it sounds like more like a a solo game from the V. Again, we start seeing this trend that even like larger publisher distributor started taking on like solo games that is quite quite interesting.

13:17 Um, but basically what what we know about the game is that you're going to play some kind of like end management playing kind of poker variant of poker against the against the AI against the the game. Um, again, not much information out. It looks pretty cool. It's a dee game, so you got some pluses there. You got Lemie on the cover. Not Le but you know looks like undead Lemie someone very similar to Lemie. It's called Ace of Spades. What else do you want? Check this out. What else do you want to know? You know the necromancer who's ruined your life has taken over the cemetery as as his base of operations and you're going to finish him at all costs. You face Lord Overkill. What a name. A supernatural being but your prowess as a gambler goes beyond slight of hand. If that's not a tagline that I'm excited about. I don't know what is. Yes. will definitely be there to check this one out as soon as possible because sounds so cool.

14:23 For the next one, we got something that um I'm so mega interested in. This one looks super that is in in a in an original IP that um the guys at Incredible Dream Studio have created that is the King Fire um IP or universe or you want to talk about it. And for this one we're talking about uh King Fire Console. We certainly are. And this was a game that was actually when me and Matt came up with our separate list before we combined them together for this one for you. This was on both of them. Yes. And this one looks super exciting. It's essentially a politic slash worker placement game with some voting in there as well. Uh where you're sort of strategically uh sending your workers out to get resources, upgrade buildings, all that normal stuff you do in a work placement game, but then also needing to vote on specifically important city policies, that sort of thing. Arrest cultists, um trying, you know, defeat threats, etc.

15:18 So, you can also be trying to v for power. Yeah. among the other players, but also trying to maybe stop the cult's progress or maybe part of the cultde sounds amazing. The description of the game gave me a lot of like vibes of um of King's Dilemma. Um and it's a game that we both deeply love and if I can have it without having to destroy the cards so I can play again. If I can have a feeling of that in like a board game with other stuff, that'd be great. Exactly. So, I'm really interested in this again. the the guys have created this this universe where they got different games, very different games, but using the same um art styles and u and kind of like the same characters or the the same, you know, uh the same lore. Uh cuz we had um Kingfire Chronicles that is the um kind of like the boss butler dungeon crawler.

16:13 We got the one that actually is going to be um out for purchase um uh at UKG. That is a Kingfire Delve. Um that is kind of like a a deck crawler uh for one to two player with a very intricate um puzzle that you need to basically beat the game. Uh, but I'm I'm I'm fascinated about these things that they're building from from scratch because it's not um it's not a known IP and building very different games but putting everything under the same umbrella and doing it very very well. So um it's such a cool team console is yeah up on both our list. Dying to play this. This sounds super cool. Yeah. Let's go have a look.

17:03 So Matt, this next game is by a publisher that we really like. We've liked all their games so far. Always amazing productions. This is their first ever retail release. Yeah. Not going through Kickstarter. They This one they decided to go straight. And I think I know why. Cuz this looks pretty cool. We're talking about class of 89 from Pavson Games. Super cool. Um, first of all, the theme mega mega. It just like we all love like a proper 80s movies like the Breakfast Club or Frank. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. So, think about being in in high school. Uh, it's it's very American, but the guys are American. So, but we all seen it in in a millions of movies and and TV series. At the end of the year, you need to to build your um your yearbook. uh what then Facebook copied to be Facebook online but like you book um and uh this game mix a lot of different mechanics from worker placement to um tile placement set collection uh all of these to be the coolest kid in the school basically.

18:15 Yeah, you're essentially you need to go out, get photos, get signatures. You need to go out to the nerds, go out to the jocks, go out to the fashionistas, get them all to contribute to your yearbook, uh trading signatures with people to increase your street cred. Um it seems super fun with a great little production. I mean, if anything, I do know, uh Pavson Games make beautiful games. Absolutely. Yeah. All the time. Yeah, they really do. So, and the little that we've seen looks really cool. Dying to play this. Uh it comes from a great uh lineage of games and uh yeah this would be a great one to go and check out. It's going to be our first chance to go and play it. Yeah, absolutely. We can't wait for this one. Class of 89. I got to 60. I know that's 69. Not 89. Same.

19:05 Wayne for the next one. This is kind of like a special game. First of all, we we covered this game in one of the factors. uh is from Matt Lee that is the father of pandemic and mix it with Lord of the Rings IP creating Lord of the Rings fate of the fellowship. Love that. What we talking here? We're talking about a cooperative game for one to five players where each player is actually going to be controlling two characters. controlling the fellowship essentially, lending their different unique abilities to protect Frodo and battle enemies and try and get the ring into Mount Duke. Um, you need to evade the Naz Ghoul, as you might imagine, and it has this cool mechanism with Sauron's eye trying to search for you throughout the different places. And it has a really cool what looks like um production. Yeah. Yeah. It has a really nice um sort of uh sort of replayability. Every play through you can have new challenges. You got uh 24 different objectives. Uh 13 playable characters. Yeah. Each character with their own power. There there is of course been Matt Lee and being published under the the Zman production.

20:21 Um we said um um joking like when we spoke the first time is this pandemic Lord of the Ring. No, it's not really. But um I I see a lot of influences already because that's the that's the design. That's it is. And the uh but this looks pretty pretty cool. The fact that each one control two characters and uh each one's got different powers with a very very cool production. Yeah, absolutely. Over the over the map of Middle Earth and everything. It's be real fun. We know 100% we going to uh definitely going to have fun. Can't wait. And uh you should do too. Just probably try to get um a demo booked as soon as possible uh either on the day. I'm not sure if they're doing the online one, but uh this this is going to be a big game. If this is half as good as it looks, it's going to sell buckets. Yes. And probably to us as well cuz that's what it is.

21:23 Okay, one more. Uh, we got a game that um was on Kickstarter a year or couple of years ago. Um, and it's another um fatigue from Martin Wallace. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. From Mr. Martin Wallace. Yeah, exactly. It looks like that it's actually been Martin Wallace plus um like Cania. It looks very does. Uh, but we're talking about Steam Power, uh, which is, I think, delivering now or there just about or has just delivered and will be available at UK Games Expo. Uh, and you bet your bottom dollar I'm going to be first in line. I know it to play this game for sure because I mean I I knew very little about this game. I did a little bit of research here and there, but essentially you're going to be racing to kind of create the best rail networks. uh and basically do contract fulfillment to try and make the most money to to win a game. Doing lots of chaining, connecting, a little bit of root uh root roation as well, network, group root building, that sort of thing.

22:26 Um you want to try and uh complete a certain number of contracts. The person with the most points and money will win the game. Very very straightforward. But what this is going to be really cool is we know that Martin Wallace makes simple things deep. Yes, that's that's true. And the the look of the game is um that's why between like yellow and yangi or hang and ticket to ride you smash those. It's kind of like if Rya cania designed um ticket to ride that that's what what I I would say what it looks like. If you imagine that Rhino in in peak uh yellow and yellow design mode but on top of that put Martin Wallace with his roots from Bruss Birmingham. So he he loves a train. He loves loves the network. Um so these things looks pretty pretty amazing. Um yeah, I'll definitely be interesting to to play this one cuz um I am dying to play. It looks absolutely fascinating.

23:22 The production looks really really cool. Not over the top. I mean it's exactly the kind of production that I like. So not way lighter than the normal um worldless games, but um we'll see. We'll we'll try to try it and uh we'll let you know. But if you see it around, keep an eye on it. Yeah. And tell me where it is so I can go and get a play of it. Steam power,

23:50 Matt. It's not just amazing sort of new game releases. No, there's also great expansions. Yes. Of already great games that hopefully going to make those games even better. Hopefully. Hopefully. But the ones that we know kind of like we know that there's going to be very good addition. Again, none of these are a must buy, but definitely some go check out and maybe play if there is a demo of them for sure. Um, if I can start, I will definitely start with the new STI expansion. Um, because the new SETI um SEI is a is an amazing game. It's amazing Euro games that we played last year. We really loved. So, uh I can't wait to have more. Uh what the SE expansion is going to add is going to be uh basically a symmetric power for the different players. Um adds more more aliens. Uh and and adds um kind of like an extra mini game um to the scanning phase of the game. That is the one that we if we had a little bit of a flaw. the original said it was the scanning when you're not playing in four people could a little bit like uninteractive uninteractive well with this new mechanics exactly I think they're trying to fix that um that mini game in what is an amazing amazing game so I'm really really curious to see more about that what we got after that we've got distilled cocktails we did a video

25:24 review of distilled which you can something is a fantastic game. I love it. It is the mechanics. It's just bang on the money. Um, so they're shaking things up. Yeah. Cocktails. And I love a cocktail. Yeah. Why doing whisies or distilled stuff? You can get some some some old stuff, mix them together. Absolutely. So just adding things where you're going to be crafting unique cocktails for your customers, requiring special mixers that can be paired with the spirits that you've brewed. So all those special spirits that you've made, you're going to combine them with a mixer to create your your cocktail. Uh spreading your international renown around the globe. So just adding slightly more uh to the already established distilled uh framework. Um really really cool cocktails. It's such a perfect fit for that. Yeah. No, no, no. Absolutely. I can't wait to see what the guys have done with the with the cards and the cuz they always got something really quirky and um yeah, I really want to see that.

26:26 Um after that we got the AOY expansion from the game. Yeah, AOY is a fantastic asymmetric game that not anywhere near as I suppose complicated as something like Roots, uh but it still has a really great sense of asymmetry. has wonderful art design as you might imagine through the the in-house art team there. Uh and and the expansion that gives a uh something more more factions uh is is going to be really interesting. Just more replays. Yeah, cuz there are two expansion coming out at the same time. But um yeah, we'll definitely if if you like a Hoy as a as a game, that's something that you definitely need to to to check out. Yeah, Rivals and Renegade. The Blackfish Brigade and the Shellfire Rebellion.

27:12 Great names. Yeah. Well, the letter games guys, they always come out with something something cool. Um, Sniper Elite. Yes. So, that one is going to be uh both a reprint uh and uh and the expansion. So, it's kind of like a with not an expansion only. It's going to be it's going to be coming out on Game Found if I remember right. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. So, there's two things as well. So, as well as the reprint, uh we've got two separate expansions. So we've got Operation Kraken. Then we think we've got escalation, which is a good one as well. Escalation, I think, is modular. So you've got modular rules, modular things you can bolt into. So like add it in, add it out. So four or five different modules. Uh but then you've got Operation Kraken, which is literally new maps. Yeah. So new stuff, new snipers, new maps to go and do. Uh and that's really exciting. So you got the vehicles in there as well, new loadouts, uh new objective cards, so more tokens, and a solo mode as well.

28:08 So, there's a lot more coming for that. That's like the big expansion. A big expansion and a small expansion. Yeah. So, for the big expansion, yeah, go definitely and check it out at the Rebellion Unplugged uh stand. Um but yeah, then if you're interested in that and you want to get a copy of the original game. Well, that's a really cool one versus game. It's almost like it's very hard to find. So, that's why they're doing the reprint as well. So, that would be be really really good. So Matt, those are some games that we are incredibly excited to get. And the reason that these are in our list is because a we haven't played them. They are brand spanking new. They are in many cases the first chance we're going to get to see them and play them, which is a wonderful opportunity. Yeah. And again, um, just say this is the 6th of May today, day of recording. So these are the games that we know are going to be there by this day. By the way, um the listings not looking. Yeah, we had to pick up stuff from uh from from VGG, some from the UKG, some asking the the publishers, some asking the designer trying to collect information from you cuz it's it's a little bit scattering this year makes a little bit more, but I'm sure that closer to the date everything. Um we'll see if we need to do another video closer to the date.

29:25 Most anticipated, but uh we'll see. will time will tell but what time will not tell but luck will tell is who's going to win um give you giveaway so news UKG we are going to be there the whole basically from start to finish all four days of the show um and more if you spot us you have a chance to be entered into our giveaway uh all you need to do is come out to us as a subscriber and we will give you a magic ticket that's going to enter you into a raffle which we're going to do on the Saturday at the end of the show on Saturday. Uh and the lucky winners will win some cool games and we are bringing some sweet games to give away. Some really good ones. We got some cool stuff. We got some Kickstarter all in editions. We got we got we got a lot of stuff and new stuff and that's absolutely it's going to be great. Um, so again, we going to if you see spot us during the show, you will give you a ticket. Then we all going to meet in hall four on this Saturday at 5:00 p.m. 5 5:30 p.m. So you'll need to find us in the in the gaming hall. Uh, but the best things you can do is actually first of all hit the subscribe button cuz that is the the only rules that it's the only requirement. But then also go follow our Instagram which you can see the link below because we're going to put lots of news or when we're at the show all of our live like where we are updates is going to be through the Instagram page.

30:54 So check out uh the link below for our Instagram. Yes. And uh follow us on Instagram as well. Yeah. Uh but uh you've done that. You've done that. If you got a couple of minutes to spare, you can check out our Patreon page as well cuz it's going to help us growing as a channel. Again, we're doing this just for the love of gaming and This is not it's not our full job unfortunately but uh but yeah you can support us buy us a coffee so when my I do the edits at night you can stay away yeah exactly keep your eyes open and also on the Patreon is going to be all of our exclusive uncut unfiltered interviews with publishers designers and special guests from UK Games Expo just for patrons that's something of interest hit that link otherwise just check out the rest of our videos and we'll see you at the next one at at UK We'll see you at UK Games Expo.

31:54 Here's what you should play and see. These What is this, man? What's this video? We are talking about the most anticipated game coming out at UK GE. So, games that you can see for the first time at UK G. A darling, what's up? You you most anticipated. Oh, you little sausage. You can't wait to go UK as well.